In Matthew 16:13-23, we see one of the most remarkable shifts in a disciple’s relationship with Jesus. It begins with Simon Peter’s stunning confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus blesses Peter and renames him: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (v.18). But just moments later, Peter rebukes Jesus for predicting His suffering and death, and Jesus responds with one of the harshest rebukes in Scripture: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (v.23).
How do we reconcile these two events? How can Peter, in one moment, be called the foundation of the future church, and in the next, be likened to Satan? These contrasting scenes reveal deep truths about Peter’s journey and the tension in our own Christian lives.
When Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, he is making a profound statement that demonstrates divine revelation. Jesus emphasizes this by saying, “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (v.17). The name change from Simon to Peter (meaning “rock”) symbolizes stability and strength, qualities that will eventually characterize Peter’s leadership in the early church. Jesus’ promise to build His church on Peter is not simply about the man, but about the confession of faith that Peter makes—that Jesus is the Christ.
This moment is a picture of how God often works in our lives: He reveals truths to us and calls us to things we cannot fully grasp in the moment. Peter’s new name is a sign of the leadership role he will grow into, but it doesn’t mean he is fully formed or without weakness. This is crucial for understanding what follows.
Right after Jesus tells the disciples that He must suffer and die, Peter—likely filled with fear and confusion—takes Him aside and rebukes Him: “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (v.22). Peter’s reaction, while emotionally understandable, is a rejection of Jesus’ mission. He cannot reconcile the idea of a suffering Messiah with his expectations of a victorious one. But by opposing Jesus’ path to the cross, Peter is unknowingly aligning himself with the same temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness—one that would have Him avoid suffering and take a shortcut to glory.
Jesus’ rebuke of Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” is not a dismissal of Peter as His disciple but a sharp reminder of the danger of thinking from a purely human perspective. Jesus had just called Peter a “rock,” but in this moment, Peter becomes a “stumbling block.” The Greek word here, skandalon, refers to something that causes someone to trip. Peter, in his attempt to protect Jesus from suffering, becomes an obstacle to God’s plan of salvation.
Peter’s journey in this passage reflects the Christian experience in many ways. First, like Peter, we often receive divine revelation about who Jesus is and what He calls us to, but we may not fully understand the cost or the process. Peter wanted the glory of the Kingdom without the suffering of the cross. How often do we desire the benefits of following Jesus without embracing the hardships or sacrifices?
Second, Peter’s misstep shows us that it’s possible to be both called by God and still get things wrong. Jesus didn’t retract His promise to build the church on Peter after the rebuke. This is an important reminder: even when we fail, God’s calling on our lives remains. Jesus didn’t discard Peter for his misunderstanding; instead, He corrected him and continued to disciple him.
Finally, this passage teaches us that following Jesus means having “in mind the concerns of God, not human concerns” (v.23). It’s easy to be like Peter, to try to fit God’s plans into our limited perspective. But discipleship requires us to trust Jesus’ wisdom, even when it doesn’t align with our expectations. Peter thought he was helping Jesus by telling Him to avoid suffering, but in reality, he was working against God’s redemptive plan. Similarly, we might resist hardship in our own lives, not realizing that God often uses trials to shape us and accomplish His purposes.
Just as Peter had to learn that God’s ways are not his ways, we, too, must submit to Jesus’ lead, even when it takes us to uncomfortable or difficult places. The “rock” Peter would become was formed through a process of refinement, a journey of stumbling and restoration that mirrors the Christian walk.