1. Mark 8:33 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does Jesus mean by the "things of man" and the "things of God"?

Mark 8:33 (ESV)

33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

The things of God refers to the things mentioned in verse 31, everything that God has planned for the Son of Man to experience: his suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. The things of men are the concerns that motivate mankind: power and glory.1

Peter’s focus is only on the Jews and their redemption from Roman rule. He is just concerned with life in this world. Jesus’ focus is on obedience to the will of his Father, the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of God’s people.