#DailyDevotion Are You Thinking Like Men Or God?

Mark 8:31-33  ³¹Then He was teaching them: “The Son of Man has to suffer much, be rejected by the elders, the ruling priests, and the Bible scholars, be killed, and then rise on the third day.” ³²He was speaking quite frankly. But Peter took Him aside and started to correct Him. ³³Turning, He looked at His disciples and corrected Peter. “Get behind Me, Satan!” He said. “You’re not thinking what God thinks but what men think.”

I’m probably harping on this, but when you see “Son of Man” there is one place in the Scripture your mind runs to and that is Daniel 7:13, 14: ¹³“In the visions during the night I saw One coming with the clouds of the heavens like the Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. ¹⁴ And He was given glory, power to rule, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and those of every language should serve Him. His authority is everlasting and will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”

Now with that picture in mind, picture the disciples faces when Jesus says, “the Son of Man has to suffer much, be rejected by the elders, ruling priest and Scribes, be killed and then rise on the third day.” Now rise on the third day may make some sense. Wait, no, not even that. How can this happen to the Son of Man? Why would this happen to the Son of Man. He’s supposed to be coming with glory with all his angels to judge the earth and rule over it. Suffering, being rejected, being killed doesn’t sound anything like Daniel 7. Of course Daniel 7 is referring to when Jesus comes again, in his second advent, as our Savior and Judge.

So you can understand Peter’s reaction to what Jesus is saying. If he is the Christ, the Son of Man, he’s expecting glory, might and power not suffering, rejection and death. But if Jesus first appears as the Son of Man in glory we’d all be doomed, including Peter. Satan and man think only in terms of power, might and glory. They think in terms of subjection. This will occur in due time. But God’s character, Jesus’ character is not like man’s thinking. Exodus 34 tells us the LORD is kind, gracious, merciful, forgiving and is steadfast love yet disciplining those who sin. Jesus, who is the LORD personifies this. God’s ways of thinking is much higher than our way of thinking.

So before Jesus comes in power, glory and might to judge, he comes to save according to his character. So while Jesus is saying “Son of Man” what he is describing is “Suffering Servant.” We see him portrayed particularly in Isaiah 53. Isaiah writes there, ^3″He was despised, forsaken by men, a man of sorrows who knew suffering. People covered their faces so as not to see Him. He was despised, and we thought nothing of Him.⁴Surely He has taken on Himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we observed that God had stricken, smitten, and afflicted Him. ⁵And certainly He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins; By His punishment, we were saved and by His wounds we were healed.” The Suffering Servant and the Son of Man, who is Christ, the Messiah, is Jesus. Before he fulfills one, he fulfills the other for our sake, so we may escape from the wrath of God and enter eternal salvation and his kingdom when he returns.

Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit so we may think as your think and rejoice in the salvific work of Christ Jesus, our LORD and Savior. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.