Was It Good News That God Came As A Human being?

Peter gave the answer: "You are the Christ, the Messiah." 30 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. 31 He then began explaining things to them: "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive." 32 He said this simply and clearly so they couldn't miss it. 33 But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." 34 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. (Mark 8 The Message)

This morning I want to think about how Peter responded to Jesus telling them his future suffering at the hands of elders and high priests. 

31 He then began explaining things to them: "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive." 32 He said this simply and clearly so they couldn't miss it. ( Mark 8  The Message)

Peter’s response was part of the confusion I talked about yesterday.  If Jesus is God, then how could suffering be apart of the deal?

33 But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe,

 Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." 

We are dealing here with some mental, emotional and religious discombobulation — total disorientation.

Peterson writes:

“There is of course, more to this, Jesus is not just human; he is also divine.  Not only very human but very God. But what we have to face first of all, and what the Gospel writers do face, is that the divinity does not overpower, does not diminish by so much as a fingernail, does not dilute by so much as a teardrop, the  humanity.  First of all — our four gospel writers are emphatic in their witness — we are told in no uncertain terms that God became flesh, the human flesh of Jesus, and lived among us.  We stated with the human.  This is the way God makes himself known to us…..

Can you think of any other way that God could have made it easier for us to know him?  To meet him?  To follow in his ways?  Jesus.

But for many, maybe most, it is far easier to believe in an invisible God than in a visible God. Jesus is the form in which the invisible God can be seen….

You would think this would be enthusiastically embraced good news, unqualified good news. But when it come right down to it, I would rather be like god than have God be like me…..”  (p. 228)

Now think about it.  

What is it that the human psyche enjoys more than anything else?  

To be in control.  

To have power.

                                   To be seen as special.

  Right?

We also want God to be in control and to do things our way. 

If God became human to live as we do, then we have no one who is more powerful than we are.

We have a God who will be killed by the power of the human ego.  He will hang in shame at the hands of those threaten by Him.

The disciples must have been totally bewildered at all Jesus was telling them.

You have to wonder.  Was it “good news” that God came in Jesus’ skin?