Isaiah 53 begins with these words, “Who has believed what we have heard?” The prophet proceeded to outline the characteristics of the Suffering Servant in the remainder of the chapter.
No one believed that the Messiah would be a Suffering Servant characterized by Isaiah’s words. When Jesus identified himself with the Suffering Servant, his disciples didn’t believe it either.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you” (Matthew 16.21-22).
“Son of man” was a frequent designation for Jesus that he applied to himself. Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man was the prevailing image of the Messiah, not a Suffering Servant.
I saw one like a son of man
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed. (Daniel 7.13-14)
Daniel’s image of the Son of Man included dominion, glory, kingship, and devotion that will never be destroyed. When Israelites envisioned the Messiah, this is what they imagined – not what Isaiah prophesied.
Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases,
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53.4-6)
Just as Peter spoke for all the disciples when he confessed Jesus to be the Messiah and the Son of God (Matthew 16.13-20), he also spoke for all the disciples that they could not imagine this happening to the one they loved.
Their minds could not fathom that the One they followed would be cruelly treated, rejected, killed, and raised from the dead. Without a doubt, they didn’t understand Jesus being raised from the dead as they would soon experience.
Get behind me, Satan!
Matthew records the first temptation of Jesus by Satan in Matthew 4.1-11. We can be sure that he tempted Jesus in Gethsemane and on the cross, attempting to divert him from obedience to the Father’s purpose.
As Jesus is heading to confrontation with the Jerusalem religious establishment, Satan uses Peter to tempt Jesus to find another path other than that of a Suffering Servant.
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Matthew 16.23).
Peter was used by Satan to tempt Jesus to turn from the Father’s plan because he had his mind set on human reasoning.
We are often tempted to turn away from God’s plan for us when we set our minds on earthly things rather than on the heavenly. This is Paul’s advice to us.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12.2).
The two words that stand out in Paul’s verse are “conformed” and “transformed.” If we want to know God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we must be transformed rather than conformed.
The goal God has for us is to be transformed by a renewed mind. How can we cooperate with God to have a renewed mind? Here are some suggestions.
(1) Limit media activity.
Our son John has a favorite author from the last century. He said that the author never read a newspaper and only concentrated his attention on the Bible.
That may be a bit extreme, but I know for myself I can limit my absorption of the media and not be harmed at all.
(2) Read and Meditate on God’s Word
I quote from the first Psalm frequently and often remind myself of its truth. It is a great way to join God in the renewal of our minds.
Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
But their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night. (Psalm 1.1-2)
Years ago, I attended summer camp with a group of teenagers. The speaker said the purpose of camp is to starve the flesh and feed the spirit.
The first two recommendations do that concerning the mind. We starve the flesh and we feed our spirit.
(3) Action
James tells us that faith without works is dead (James 2.17). If we’re going to renew our minds, we have to show and take action on what God reveals to us.
In Henry Blackaby’s famous work “Experiencing God,” the subtitle is “knowing and doing the will of God.”
To renew our minds, not only must we know what God wants, but we have to do it. It will work wonders toward renewing our minds.
Peter wasn’t able to be used by Satan to tempt Jesus to disobey the Father, and neither can we. However, we can, if we set our minds on earthly things, be tempted to walk away from God’s plan for us.
Let’s follow Paul’s counsel and refuse to be conformed to the world’s perspective. Instead, let’s walk with God having a renewed mind.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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