2023-01-01 Knowing God Through Self-Sacrifice

A number of years ago, at our Men’s retreat we played a game called ‘would you rather’. It‘s simple. The leader asks a question, and you answer by going to one side of the room or, if you are in between somewhere, you stay in the middle. Just so everyone can participate this morning, instead of having us walk around the sanctuary, I’ll get you to either point your arms to the left or right or straight up.

Okay first question,

Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

Would you rather be fluent in all languages or be a master of every musical instrument?

Would you rather babysit a crying infant for a day or have an unwanted houseguest for a week?

Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through the air?

Would you rather drink Coke or drink Pepsi?

Would you rather suffer unjustly or live free from suffering while others around you suffer? (blank)

Now all of you know those beside you a little better! Not much better, but a little bit better. Sometimes we know someone better when they share their beliefs about issues with us. When their beliefs are different than ours, it is of course harder to know and understand. When they are similar to ours, it is much easier to understand. Usually, we connect more with people who share many of the beliefs that we have. That’s why people on the conservative political spectrum tend to hang out together and those on the more liberal political perspective do the same. It’s natural and easy. We know each other and we can be reasonably sure what the other person thinks about a whole range of subjects.

There are many things that help us know people. Simply being with them a lot makes a difference. It’s hard to know someone who you’re never with. Jesus asked his disciples to follow him, which meant walking and talking and being with him for 3 years. They really got to know him. They saw how he interacted with people; they heard his teaching. They saw his tears and heard his joy. They saw his compassion in healing people and casting out demons. They even saw his fiery reaction to the Pharisee’s hypocrisy and opposition.

They got to know him deeply. Jesus and his disciples weren’t on a short-term mission’s trip. Three years is a long time when you’re with a person 24/7. It wasn’t 10 days and back to normal life. They experienced a lot of life together. Most of it was in the area of the Sea of Galilee. Yes, according to John they made trips to Jerusalem on occasion. But by and large, they stayed away from Jerusalem and spent a lot of time with crowds of people and a lot of time in lonely places.

Finally, the time came for Jesus to begin his final journey towards Jerusalem. He begins the trip, not in Galilee, but well north of there in a pagan city called Caesarea Philippi. A significant conversation happens on the way to Caesarea Philippi. It begins with a question from Jesus, “Who do people say I am?” Jesus has been ministering for almost three years. What is the opinion out there about him? His disciples answer, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” People have a high opinion of Jesus. John the Baptist, Elijah and all the other prophets had been messengers from God. But even though their opinion of Jesus was high, they weren’t right. Jesus then asks the disciples who they think he is. “Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Peter nailed it. Jesus is a prophet, but more than a prophet, he’s the Messiah, the anointed one sent from God. The one who will finally make everything right.

But what does this mean? Your Messiah may not be the same as my messiah. There were all kinds of different ideas of what the Messiah would be in 1st century Palestine. What did Peter mean by the term? Did it line up with how Jesus understood himself?

After warning them not to tell anyone Jesus begins to prepare them for what will happen when they get to Jerusalem and it definitely doesn’t fit with Peter’s understanding of the word Messiah. (read Mark 8:31) (blank)

Jesus is talking about a suffering, self-sacrificing Messiah. Yes, a victorious one, but not victory through the sword. Victory over death after the powers of this world have had their way. He wasn’t going to be winning over the Jewish religious leaders, in fact, they were his main opposition and would work to have him killed. What was Peter’s reaction? (Read Mark 8:32-33) (blank) His absolutely clear description of what would happen was not what Peter had envisioned. He set out to set Jesus straight, privately so as not to embarrass him. Jesus not only didn’t listen, he promptly involved the other disciples and identified Peter’s rebuke with the ploys of Satan. Talk about a painful word of rebuke for Peter. Then he said, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The concerns of God, and human concerns. They aren’t the same. Most of us would agree. What’s interesting is that most of us would think that human concerns would include suffering and death, and Jesus says God’s concern includes suffering and death. Really, they both do. We experience suffering and death all the time but try to avoid them at all costs by fleeing from them. We want the power to avoid them. Jesus had the power to avoid them but walked towards suffering and death as a way to conquer both.

The concerns of God include suffering and death. Not for no reason or purpose or no positive outcome; Jesus also predicted a resurrection. There is life, but it doesn’t come without suffering and death.

That was Jesus’ road. That’s what he was headed for in Jerusalem. But what about his disciples? What about us? What does suffering and death have to do with us?

(read Mark 8:34-38) (blank) The disciples pathway was the same as his. Ours too. Do you hunger for God? Do you want to know him and be known by him? Walk the path of Jesus. Suffering and death. The way of the cross. Do you want to save your life? Lose it and you’ll save it. If you hold on to it, you’ll lose it. These are upside down values. This is not the way humans think. At least not about ourselves. Plenty of human rulers have asked others to be willing to die for them. Rulers have no problem sending others to the frontlines of war. But don’t ask them to go there. God thinks differently. He goes first and then asks us to follow in his footsteps.

But what does it mean? What does it mean to take up our cross and follow him? Taking up the cross holds a wide range of associations and meanings in the NT. 1 Peter 2:19-21 speaks of a willingness to suffer unjustly. Hebrews 2:17-18 speaks of paying the ultimate price of remaining faithful to Jesus, dying for Jesus in other words. In Matthew 26:52-53 Jesus doesn’t defend himself and doesn’t retaliate. And in Luke 23:46 Jesus puts himself in the hands of God. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” In Galatians 2:19-20 Paul speaks of his former life coming to an end, being crucified, and now living a new resurrection life.

These are all valid and worth thinking about. But what did the disciples understand when Jesus first said they should take up their cross and follow him? He hadn’t died on the cross yet. In fact, he didn’t tell his disciples he would. He only said he would be killed. Also, nobody had yet had time to come up with any theological reflections on the meaning of Jesus dying on the cross. The disciples didn’t then have all the later knowledge we have now. We have that benefit. The disciples didn’t. What did it mean to them before they even knew Jesus would die that way?

Well, why did Jesus die? The simple answer is that his enemies orchestrated his death. Very true. However, that’s only part of it, the human action. There is also a God action. God willed it. Remember, Jesus said that God’s concerns included suffering, rejection, being killed and rising again. God wanted it to happen. Later we know, Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Cross bearing involves giving up our wills and following God’s. Saying yes to whatever Jesus asks us to do. What that looks like will be different for each of us.

Just so you know, it’s not just bearing up under minor inconveniences. You know, someone saying “it’s just the cross I have to bear” when they talk about having to take out the garbage. No, that’s not it at all. Not unless those minor inconveniences are in some way connected to doing what Jesus asks you to do.

But there is more. In Timothy Geddert’s commentary he draws from an article by Michael P Green. Here’s what he says,

“the Romans crucified primarily for insurrection, for rebellion against the imperial power. By making victims carry their crosses, Rome was making a public statement that it does not pay to rebel against the imperial power. Victims carried their crosses behind the centurion, symbolizing submission to the power against which they had previously rebelled. As a metaphor for discipleship, cross-bearing might carry with it elements of shame, disgrace, suffering and so on. But more directly, it would relate to prior rebellion, now come to an end. Disciples have ceased to rebel against God’s imperial power

As a metaphor for discipleship, cross-bearing might carry with it elements of shame, disgrace, suffering and so on. But more directly, it would relate to prior rebellion, now come to an end. Disciples have ceased to rebel against God’s imperial power (God’s reign). The cross-bearer is in a position of submission and is making a public statement that rebellion against God is now over. . . . Jesus is the first and premiere cross-bearer; he models true submission . . . He is also the one who plays the role of the centurion, the one whom would-be disciples follow to symbolize their submission to the reign of God, which Jesus represents.”

I really like this understanding. If that’s what the disciples understood when they heard Jesus words, it would have been clear to them that they were once again being called to submit to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, to put aside their disobedience to God and now obey him in everything.

What does this have to do with knowing Jesus more?

Just like we come to know Jesus when we love others as he loves us, when we as his disciples submit to the reign of God, by following the example of Jesus, we come to know him in a way we never could as long as we’re in rebellion to him. We come to know his power as the God over all. We come to know his love as one who has walked the path of suffering and death before us. As we submit to his reign in everyday life, we align ourselves with him and experientially know both the Jesus and the Father. And when we do so, the Spirit will speak into our souls, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”