these words. But later, Peter went the way he did not want to go. That is because of Jesus.

Peter was in Rome to encourage people who believed in Jesus, but he left Rome when the Romans ordered his arrest. On his way of escape, Christ appeared to him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, Where are you going?” Jesus replied, “I am going to Rome.”, “Why?” Peter asked. “You are afraid to die, therefore trying to escape from Rome. I’d like to be killed instead of you.”

Then Peter regretted his decision and went back to Rome to die. He was arrested as soon as he arrived and was about to be put to death. Then Peter said to the executioners who would crucify him on the cross, “My Christ was nailed to the cross in an up-right position, but I do not deserve to die the same way he did. Please hang me upside down on the cross.” So he died on the cross upside down. The Vatican temple was built on the place where Peter died.

Now from here, when Jesus said to Peter “You will go the way you do not want in order for the gates of Hades not to overcome you”, what was the way? The way was to be martyred. Peter needed to be killed to avoid the power of

Hades. In other words, Peter should be martyred so that he could not be taken by Hades. Jesus led Peter to death even though Peter did not want it. It’s not because Jesus hated him. Jesus’ purpose was to raise him to the Most Holy Place in heaven.

Our Lord Jesus is the Son of God, but he prayed to God with fear of death before crucifixion, “Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me” (Mark 14:36). In that time, God did let his Son die not because he did not have power to avoid his Son’s death, but because that’s the way his Son should go and because that would benefit his Son. So God sent an angel to encourage his Son when he weakened (Luke 22:43). With the angel’s help, he accepted his death, saying “Yet not as I will, but as yours be done.” Even the Son of God was led along a path he did not prefer. It’s not because God hated his Son, but because the conditions God required could not be achieved if his Son had not been killed.

When Stephen witnessed Jesus, he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). What did Jesus do? He helped Stephen die. As