Of all the insidious falsehoods perpetrated on some followers of Jesus Christ is His hesitancy in dying on the cross of Calvary. “For this cause came I unto this hour.” John 12:27 “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified.” John 12:23 “Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This He said, signifying what death He should die.” John 12:31-33 “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes. While you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light.” John 12: 35-36 You know, it would be bad enough for people to believe Jesus “chickened out” at Calvary IF they read these words and they were spoken at the beginning of His ministry on this earth!! But, to read these words which were spoken during the “last week,” just before His arrest, mock trial, and crucifixion one would have to be short a few oars in his boat to believe such nonsense. Again, they know not how Christ would be glorified, they think Him a human being!!
In Matthew 16:22 there was an exchange between Simon Peter and Jesus Christ. “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. (This is what you hear preached from the pulpit!! Maybe there are more of these “I am of Peter” that we knew nothing about!!) But He (Christ) turned, and said unto Peter, ‘Get thee behind Me, Satan thou art an offense unto Me: for you savor est (are of the opinion, inclination) not the things that be of God, but those that be of men….Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:21-28 Could Jesus come “in His kingdom” and not die at Calvary? Which was the most important message Jesus and John the Baptist preached for about 5 ½ years? If it took dying (and it most certainly did) to bring in the Kingdom, where is the mind of people who would ever teach Jesus DID NOT intend to die at Calvary?? Why would He so vociferously attack Peter calling him Satan? Was Jesus a liar? Did He strongly reprimand Peter and He later change His mind about dieing? This was about a year before He died, in John 12 it was about 3 days!! “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 The Holy Spirit is now called into question as to speaking the truth!! The Commentator absolutely says: “He MUST to unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and BE KILLED, and be raised again the third day.” Matthew 21:21 The Commentator here is none other than the Holy Spirit!! Now, we have two members of Deity lieing!! Christ death was fore-ordained, predetermined, established as fact in the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of eternity.” Did Jesus not also know He would suffer? “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, ‘Whom seek ye?” John 18:4 Man, this is getting to be a mess. First Jesus lies, then the Holy Spirit lies to cover up for Jesus, and then the lie was established as fact in the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” Acts 2:23 Oh! mercy, this includes a lie ALL Deity would be involved with!! If God can lie, is there really a Heaven? Is there really forgiveness of sins? Is there life after death? Like Pilate; “What is truth?” John 18:38 Are the papist right, could Peter advise God?? Peter, like a lot of brethren, was giving counsel to Christ; shaming Him to “tell the truth”!! Romans 11:34 This is pretty serious, don’t you think?? Peter would have Christ to dread suffering and crucifixion as much as man would (and yet Peter was crucified upside down, history records), so now Peter is greater than GOD?? The language of Christ here was the strongest ever used in all Holy Writ. No man anytime or anywhere EVER used words that Jesus resented when heard more than these. Christ did not take time to deliberate, think about what He was going to say, consider how it would affect Peter or the other disciples, try to be kind, or overlook the ignorance of man to “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.” He wanted Peter to know how insulted, ill, angered, disgusted He was with Peter’s suggestion-IMMEDIATELY!! I fear for some of these preachers who make the same mistake.
