Why did Christ rebuke Peter?

Answer 1

Peter and the disciples didn't understand at that time that Jesus was going to be murdered... even though He told them. When that time finally came, they were all filled with terror... and ran for their lives. They didn't yet have the Holy Spirit, which they received more than a month later on Pentecost, which spoke out boldly, then, and with confidence regarding the things of God.

When Peter "rebuked" Jesus... he was only speaking from his carnal, selfish, shallow heart, not wanting to "lose" the One whom they believed was the prophesied Messiah.

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ." (John 1:40-41)

The atmosphere throughout all of Judaea buzzed at that time [because of John's ministry and the written prophecies] that the fulfillment of the restoration of the Kingdom of God to Israel would happen soon... and that the "fourth Beast of Daniel," the Roman Empire, would be cast off along with its oppressive rule over the Jews.

Jesus had been promising His disciples that they would all be "rulers" and "kings" in His Kingdom. And they had high hopes and expectations for the past 3 1/2 years, anticipating Jesus' making His move to "spark the revolt" to establish it.

"...ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt.19:28)

Jesus had just polled His disciples, regarding His "press": "...He asked His disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?" (Mark 8:27)

After voicing the rumors they heard... Jesus asked them what they thought... and Peter said: "...Thou art the Christ. And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him." (verses 29-30)

"And He began to teach them, that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly.

"And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him." (verses 31-32)

Peter grabbed Jesus and held his shoulders, probably, looking Him straight in the eye... rebuking Him... telling Him that He couldn't leave them. They all had an evil empire to cast off and a Kingdom to run.

For the past three years, the disciples had been lusting and dreaming about the power they would wield in the Kingdom. The Messiah chose them to walk around with, promising them the Kingdom of God. They often wondered "who Jesus like best"... and who would get the "choice" offices and positions.

"...Then came the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons [James and John - Matt.4:21], worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him... Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left [the two key and best positions], in thy Kingdom." (Matt.20:20-21)

Jesus' talk of "being killed" didn't register in the carnal hearts of His disciples. And Peter, the most boistrous of them, grabbed Jesus to straighten Him out, and voiced their fears -- that He couldn't die and leave them all in the lurch, to public ridicule... looking like fools, and other such expressions of shallow human vanity.

They didn't yet have God's Holy Spirit... and they didn't yet understand what Jesus was about. They were all still "carnal minded" men, lusting after Jesus' promise to them of power and authority over all Israel in His Kingdom -- and He was "pulling the rug out from under them."

That's why Peter tried to rebuke Jesus. Plain old everyday human "fear"... the most common emotion of the human spirit.

"But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." (Mark 8:33)

This was not the same Peter who faced the crowd who murdered Christ on the day of Pentecost, speaking confidently and boldly... at peace in his heart with the confidence and understanding of the Holy Spirit within him.

The Peter who rebuked Christ was ignorant of "the things of God." He was a lustful man who was impatient for Jesus to launch His revolt against Rome and establish the Kingdom of God, that he might wield that power that he was promised.

Peter was perfectly willing, if Jesus wasn't going to initiate the rebellion, to do it himself. He was one of the disciples who had one of the "two swords" [probably a Roman short-sword] Jesus told them to buy [Luke 22:36].

"Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." (John 18:10)

That was the "rebuking" Peter. He wielded no inner peace, strength of character or spiritual understanding. He wielded a strong arm, a sword and a short temper.

Answer 2

Jesus rebuked Peter in Mark 8:33, saying, "Get behind me Satan..." This is part of a small chiastic structure (a circular sequence used in ancient Greek rhetoric) in which Peter had rebuked Jesus for saying openly that he would suffer and die and after three days rise again:

a Peter affirms that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29)
b Jesus refers to his death and resurrection (8:31)
c Peter rebukes Jesus (8:32)
c' Jesus rebukes Peter (8:33)
b' Jesus refers to death, the cross and life after death (8:34-37)
a' "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me ..." (8:38)

In this structure, event a' is a reversal of Peter's affirmation of faith in Jesus (event a). The opening and closing events in this structure are also part of another, much larger, parallel structure that encompasses the entire gospel, this time as pairs T and U. Just as in the above chiastic structure event a' is a reversal of event a, in the framework parallel structure Peter's denials of Jesus at event T' are a reversal of Peter's affirmation (here as event T). Remembering Jesus' warning in event U, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed," Peter then wept (event U').
A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

In the first structure, Jesus rebuked Peter in response to Peter's rebuke. In the second structure, we also see that Jesus rebuked Peter in anticipation of his denials on the day of the crucifixion.