What is a Disciple of Jesus? based on Matthew 16:21-27

I. Venice was the crossroads.

II. New series about Developing Passionate Disciples of Jesus.

III. Matthew 16:21-27 and What is a disciple of Jesus?

IV. Read Matthew 16:21 and discuss “must.” Matthew 16:21 informs us, “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

V. Read Matthew 16:22 and Matthew 16:23 about Peter and Jesus. Peter said, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) According to Matthew 16:23, “(Jesus) turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’”

VI. Read Matthew 16:24 and refer to “cross”. Matthew 16:24 tells us, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”

VII. Old self and new self and Galatians 2:20. Galatians 2:20 reminds us, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

VIII. Jesus has taken all sins and wrongs to the cross.

IX. Read Matthew 16:25 and discuss saving and losing life. Matthew 16:25 states, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

X. Read Matthew 16:26 about way to heaven. Matthew 16:26 tells us, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

XI. Read Matthew 16:27 about being repaid on visible return of Jesus. Matthew 16:27 states, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

XII. All roads in Matthew’s Gospel converge at Matthew 16:21-27.

XIII. Conclusion. Robert Frost said in a famous poem when he came to a fork in the road, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Jesus took the road less traveled for us. He took the road that led to Jerusalem where He suffered and died on the cross for us. That road also led him to burst out of the grave on Easter Sunday for us.

Being a passionate disciple of Jesus makes all the difference for us now and forevermore. Amen.