What is most amazing about this passage of Scripture is not what Peter says here, but what Jesus says to Peter a few verses later.  Peter answered correctly.  Yet, we are left to wonder if he wasn't much different than the bright kid in the class who has all the answers, but never really thinks deeply about them.  Peter seems like a fairly impulsive guy, perhaps that's why I like him. He reveals genuine raw humanity perhaps unlike the other discipes who may have just kept their mouth shut waiting for someone else to answer (minus James and John with their call hellfire down on those who didn't like Jesus). Peter took some risks, and he fell flat on his face most of the time.  But he took some risks. 

Only a few verses later, Jesus speaks about his future sufferings and ultimate death.  The scene leads one to imagine Peter hearing this, Peter the blessed, Peter the one who has it all right and figured out, pulling Jesus aside and scolding him like a brother..."What are you talking about?  I will never let that happen!"  And, instead of a gentle response, instead of telling patting Peter on the head and saying, "Oh my son, you mean so well but you just don't understand." He rebukes him...he calls him Satan.  So, in on fail swoop, in ten short verses, Peter goes from being BLESSED to DAMNED. 

I'm sure that there is a lot we can learn from this, but what always sticks out is that Jesus gets in the face of his top guy, his good friend, and he gives him a major cup check.  Because he is sinless, he doesn't do it out of anger or spite.  Because he is perfect, we know that he doesn't act impulsively or hastily.  He doesn't act like this all the time, no, this is unique.  But it happens.  We cannot ignore that there is a time and a place for a word of love and a loving word of rebuke to a bro.