The entire reason Jesus Christ came to this world was to DIE for our sins. He lived a perfect sinless life, healed people, raised the dead, etc., but the REAL plan was for Him to pay the penalty for our sins by His DEATH on the cross and then His resurrection.
In Matthew 16:21 Jesus began to reveal this plan to his 12 disciples; “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
His disciples had all along thought He was going to set up His KINGDOM here on this earth while He was here, and that they would also be part of this great Kingdom, and so when they heard Him talk about this plan, they weren’t too thrilled with it. In fact, if we continue reading that chapter in verse 22, we read: “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.'”
Peter said “Wait…I don’t like this plan…it’s not going to work with MY selfish desires!” And that’s what we often do in our own lives with God’s plan for our lives. I often tell the young people when I speak to the FCA meetings, that God never asked me if I wanted to have cancer. That was just part of His plan – whether I liked it or not!” We MUST realize God is in CONTROL of EVERYTHING, and learn to TRUST Him and HIS PLAN! Nor OUR plans!
Look at what Jesus said to Peter: “But he (Jesus) turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'” (Matthew 16:23) “Get behind me SATAN???” Yes, because Peter was allowing His flesh and sinful nature which is driven and influenced by Satan to control Him and His thoughts and plans. ANYTIME we think we know better than God and we try to overrule HIS plans for our lives, we are in the same boat as Peter!
We are often guilty of setting our minds on the things of THIS world instead of the things of God. Jesus said “Seek FIRST the KINGDOM of GOD!!” Not seek first what YOU want and what YOUR vision is…remember, we are to DENY ourselves and FOLLOW HIM! Even if we don’t like where He leads us! And the more we learn to trust Him and set our minds and thoughts on HIM – the more we will learn to be content with HIS plan and purpose in everything!