Sunday, April 5
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Jesus began explaining to his disciples that he must
. . . suffer many things . . . and be killed.

—Matt. 16:21.
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Jesus’ disciples could not believe what they were hearing. Jesus, the one they expected to restore Israel’s kingdom, said that he would soon suffer and die. It was the apostle Peter who spoke up. “Be kind to yourself, Lord,” he said. “You will not have this happen to you at all.”

Jesus countered: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not God’s thoughts, but those of men.” (Matt. 16:22, 23; Acts 1:6)

With those words, Jesus made a distinction between thoughts that originate with God and thoughts that originate with this world under Satan’s control. (1 John 5:19) Peter echoed the self-sparing attitude of the world. But Jesus knew that his Father’s thinking was different. In his reply to Peter, Jesus clearly rejected the world’s thinking in favor of Jehovah’s.

w18.11 18 ¶1-2
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Memorial Bible reading: (Daytime events: Nisan 11) Mark 11:20–12:27, 41-44​