Living the Call

Matthew 16:21–26 ESV

21 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. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he 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.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 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?

Mark 8:34–37 ESV

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Luke 9:23–25 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Discipleship in ANE

disciples (followers, students) were a normal part of ANE life ; disciples attached themselves to “masters” so they could learn & grow (education) and learn a trade (apprentice)

Jesus turned the concept of master-apprentice upside down by teaching a participation in salvation offered by Jesus. In other words, he did not merely educate or train them but gave them something no one else could: LIFE

Come after

to come to a state or condition; become (apprentice); discipleship

ὀπίσω ἔρχεσθαι - full surrender to Jesus. It presupposes a simple but joyful and willing coming to Jesus which rests on a clear resolve of the will. —The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1. The Synoptists.)

Anyone/everyone choosing to be a disciple of Christ needs to be prepared for these:

Forsake Self (deny self)

to deny strongly, with the implication of rejection—‘to deny, to reject.’; to refuse:

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words ἀπαρνέομαι

ἀπαρνέομαι aparneomai 11× to deny, disown, Mt. 26:34; to renounce, disregard, Mt. 16:24 [533] See deny; disown; reject.

You cannot be a servant of God who serves himself/herself

Serving Jesus means we no longer serve self

The American concept of Christianity that makes people rich, healthy, and popular is not one that is backed up the Bible.

Christian populism that is an affront to the biblical message of self-denial

We speak our wants, our needs, our desires, but what about those things that God desires.

Prepare for Pain (take up your cross)

Anything worth having is going to cost, usually in pain

health, savings, etc

New Testament 16:21–28—Redefining Messiahship

Carrying the horizontal crossbeam en route to crucifixion (where the upright stake already stood awaiting the condemned person) meant enduring mockery and scorn on a path leading to death as a condemned criminal.

New Testament 8:31–9:1—Jesus Explains His Messianic Mission

The cross was an instrument of violent and painful execution. To “take the cross” was to carry the horizontal beam of the cross out to the site of execution, generally past a jeering mob. In rhetorically strong terms, Jesus describes what all true disciples must be ready for: if they follow him, they must be ready to face literal scorn and death, for they must follow to the cross.

We want to serve without suffering

There is no serving Jesus without suffering

Love Jesus but loathe our neighbor

Completely Commit (follow Jesus)

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament A. ἀκολουθεῖν and ἕπεσθαι in Greek Usage.

“going behind” someone has given rise to that of following in an intellectual, moral or religious sense.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament C. ἀκολουθεῖν in the NT.

this is not in any sense an imitation of the example of Jesus, as later ecclesiastical interpretation assumed, but exclusively a fellowship of life and suffering with the Messiah which arises only in the fellowship of His salvation.30

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Follow, Follow After

to be an akolouthos, “a follower,” or “companion” (from the prefix a, here expressing “union, likeness,” and keleuthos, “a way”; hence, “one going in the same way”), is used (a) frequently in the literal sense, e.g., Matt. 4:25; (b) metaphorically, of “discipleship,” e.g., Mark 8:34; 9:38; 10:21. It is used 77 times in the Gospels, of “following” Christ, and only once otherwise, Mark 14:13.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 15.156 ἀκολουθέω

ἀκολουθέωb: to follow or accompany someone who takes the lead in determining direction and route of movement—‘to accompany as a follower, to follow, to go along with.’ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ‘a great crowd from

We want the blessings without the obedience.

The blessings comes in obedience

There are no blessings without obedience

Self-commitment

Not a concept but an action