The Upside-Down Way of Jesus

Main Point of The Text: Jesus is teaching that the way of Jesus is contrary to the way of humanity. For his disciples to have life, he must die. If they want to be first they must be last. It’s not about building our own kingdoms. Finally, it’s not about what you gain but what you lose.

Main Point of the Sermon: In order to lead we must follow. The way of following Jesus is through obedience, not through assumptions because his ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts.

The success of the backwards method.

Baseball, hitting off a tee

The Reverse Seer

bake then sear

We have a tendency to do thing the way they make sense.

When it comes to God, we make certain assumptions about what he wants, what pleases him, what it’s like to be his followers. We make a lot of assumptions. This is why I’ll continually challenge all of us to read the bible to know what God says about himself and about us.

Because the way of Jesus is upside down from our natural assumptions.

He turned the values and the aspirations of all human beings upside down.

R. C. Sproul

The way of Life is through death

The way to the top is from the bottom

The way to build is to destroy

The way to gain is to lose.

The Way to Life is through Death

Mark 9:30-32 “They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.”

Jesus predicts his passion a second time, second of three on the way to Jerusalem.

This is presumable on the way down from Mt Hermon (may have said mt tabor last week apologies) going by* Galilee Jesus’ Ministry is now pointed towards Jerusalem.

Going by Galilee, not necessarily going through it the word there probably means that he passed by on the outskirts of town as was his custom since the crowds became so large.

Isa 50:7 “But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”

This is the last mention of Galilee until 14:28 and 16:7 post resurrection

Didn’t want anyone to know, about the prophecy of the Son of Man because it required divine understanding, an understanding that his disciples would have eventually so he was teaching them.

The Son of Man is going to be delivered, handed over, into the hands of men.

Handed over by the temple guard, by Judas and by himself.

Previously in 8:31 he talks about being handed over to the elders and chief priests and scribes.

The Disciples still didn’t understand they were too afraid to ask. Their expectations of what Jesus’ rule and reign looks like was not what they were expecting.

What do you expect the kingdom of God to look like? What do you expect following Jesus to look like?

The upside down nature of Jesus saving his people is not that he beats Satan or establishes a government here on earth, the way he has come to save his people is by dying.

This is also a model for what it looks like to follow Jesus. Self Denial.

The great Christian duty is self-denial, which consists in two things: first, in denying worldly inclinations and its enjoyments, and second, in denying self-exultation and renouncing one’s self-significance by being empty of self.

Jonathan Edwards

If the way for us to be saved in through Jesus, God in flesh denying himself, do we not this that there will be some measure of self denial?

What are you holding back?

Where is your fear or lack of faith?

We deny ourself here because we know there is eternal pleasures, and greater hopes, joys, and fulfillment that is to come.

The way do live is to die to self and the way to the top is from the bottom.

The Way to the top is from the bottom

Mark 9:33-35 “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.””

I don’t know if you’ve ever been caught saying something that was stupid but I have....

Gym in 7th grade

Here Jesus approaches the disciples and ask them a question he already knows the answer to.

Jesus knows all things, he is omniscience

No sense in trying to hide things from him.

Confess!

The Disciples were arguing about their roles in the Kingdom, who was going to take what role in Jesus’ cabinet.

Here Jesus really changes the expectations of what it means to follow him.

Jesus doesn’t value self-righteousness, he values humility. What does humility have to do with Leadership?

We are so naturally drawn to verbose, gregarious personalities thinking that they are the picture of great leadership.

Jesus teaches this lesson to inculcate an attitude of humility in the twelve but also in us.

One of the most unfortunate characteristics that has been permeating the church is a lack of humility in the pulpit. I can begin to tell you how many pastors Ive seen who have been removed, put on mandatory sabbatical, or have shipwrecked their lives because their talent has far exceeded their character.

When it’s celebrated in the pulpit it overlooked in the pew. We must get back to the way of Jesus and emulate servant leadership.

This stems from a sense of pride.

1    All man’s troubles emanate from his pride. DMLJ

So instead of embracing pride, embracing self, demanding respect, let us be a people who learn God’s ways as Augustine of Hippo said:

For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.

Augustine of Hippo

it is very hard to call oneself a Christian if humility is not a primary attribute.

The Way to build is to destroy

Mark 9:36-41 “And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”

appeals for clemency and mercy for outsiders

Jesus destroys the frozen chosen idea.

Building our own kingdom, building our own way of doing things.

There is a bigger tent.

There is still a need for orthodoxy

it is this very desire for orthodoxy that causes us to divide on certain secondary and tertiary issues. Yet they are still the primary issues of orthodoxy that should unite us All.

Some of these issues being the virgin birth, the sinless life, Christ, being fully god and fully man, the Trinity, the Bible as God’s unadulterated word.

Cursed be that unity for which the Word of God is put at stake.

Martin Luther

Jesus is not saying that there is a universal principal at work here. What are what he is saying is that his unity in his body is greater than what was at work in the eyes of the disciples.

Sometimes we need to keep our eyes open for where God is at work first before we analyze the theological unity that we hope

There is great joy in Theological unity in a great sense of brotherhood that can be a source of great encouragement

so, in order for us to build in order for us to see God’s kingdom come, we need to destroy our own efforts towards building our own kingdoms in our own ways, and look to God’s word as the unifying factor to build Christ Kingdom.

The Way to gain is to lose

Mark 9:42-50 ““Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.””

Warnings against causing little ones to stumble

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The necessity of suffering in fulfillment of God’s kingdom

Extended commentary on Jesus’ call to self-denial and cross-bearing, which was ratified by the divine ultimatum at the transfiguration for the disciples to hear him (Mark 9:8 “And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.” )

we value too much of ourselves, and we think that this world matters too much. Yeah what ultimately matters is not now but eternity.

Self-denial is not so much an impoverishment as a postponement: we make a sacrifice of present good for the sake of a future and greater good.

George Müller

The way of Jesus looks like Jesus. It is self denial. Listen to what Pauls writes in Phil 2:1-10 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

In CLOSING:

So when Jesus tells us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength he means it. Following him and doing what he says may not make earthly sense but it makes heavenly sense.

Pray.

Give.

Charge & Benediction

Receive this charge & benediction...

Because the Way of Jesus may appear to upside down, I charge you brothers and sisters to die to self so that you may have life, to be servants to all through humility, to pursue unity through building the kingdom of Christ, and to cling to nothing that would hinder your love and obedience to Christ.

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.