The Paradox of the King on the Cross

Jesus Explains the Meaning of the Confession

Peter has just given the great confession that splits the book of Matthew into two parts. Everything in Matthew’s Gospel so far has been leading up to this point. We’ve seen the disciples grow in their understanding of who Christ is, we’ve seen a little faith begin to grow into something more substantial as they are now able to discern the teachings of their Lord, though on a very basic level. When the question comes, “who do you say that I am”, Peter speaks as the first disciple to solidly and with full conviction proclaim Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. He is the one who was sent from the Father to bring God’s presence to earth, save his people, and construct God’s Kingdom through King David’s dynasty.

In verse 21, in the midst of this section that runs from verses 13-28, the story Matthew is telling shifts gears. While everything before this conversation is leading up to Peter’s confession, everything after it is going to lead to Jerusalem where Jesus will suffer death on the cross and rise again on the third day. This is where the second part of this passage picks up. “From that time...” is a narrative marker that shows us this transition of the way the story is going to go, and as we will see Peter is not very happy about this change.

Now the the disciples understand who Jesus is, and yet have been commanded not to proclaim this because Jesus’ hour had not yet come. Now He begins to unveil the next chapter in the mystery of his coming to earth. He tells them what must happen.

“Must” refers not to fate or destiny, but rather to the willing submission of the Christ to these things in order to fulfill the purposes of the Father. In no way is Jesus a victim of the Father’s plans, but rather a willing participant who intends to do what must be done according to the Father’s will in order to be glorified.

Matthew makes a list that leads us through the coming events that Jesus unpacks for his followers:

First, Jerusalem is where his ministry is headed, which is no surprise since this is the holy city where the temple and the kingship are established. It is both the religious and political centre of Israel. It is no surprise that the Christ should be heading here.

However, in Jerusalem there will be resistance. Not just resistance, but suffering for the Christ. The ones inflicting this suffering are identified.

The elders where typically the heads of households in a community who judged issues and ruled over the social life of the city. In Jerusalem, these were specifically the heads of particularly well-connected and wealthy families who had this role of social leadership in the city. Many of them were likely Pharisees.

Chief priests were the cultic religious leaders, in charge of temple worship and also held a great deal of political power. Its important to note that the Roman Empire generally gave Jews more leeway in terms of self-governance than other conquered peoples. This meant that religious leaders had great influence in Israel, especially in Jerusalem.

Scribes include Pharisees, Sadducees, and lawyers experienced in reading and interpreting the law given to Moses in the OT. These were the educators of the people and so also had great influence. These three groups held power that was mostly social over the people, especially in religion and lifestyle. It is they who would instigate the suffering and death of the Messiah.

“and be killed” - This takes a very surprising twist. Try to imagine this from the perspective of a Jew who grew up their whole life hearing about how God was going to send the Davidic King to defeat Israel’s enemies, restore the worship of God’s Temple to its former glory, and bring peace to God’s people as he reigns over all the world. Now you have finally found that King: the Christ; the Anointed One. Your suspicions have been confirmed and he announces to you that he is heading to Jerusalem to confront the corrupt religious elite and establish his throne. How exciting! But now you hear that, in that struggle the Christ of the Living God will suffer and die at the hands of these men. He will lose the battle, it would seem, and his enemies would be victorious. How could you possibly make sense of this? The promised king is going to Jerusalem to die? What about the promises of peace and victory? What about the judgement of the Gentile nations? What about freedom from Roman rule (the Romans are not even mentioned in this conflict)? How can the promised, victorious king die? While Jesus had previously referred to his death in vague language, here he explains openly and plainly the purpose he has. The disciples have finally recognized him for who he is, now it is time they learned what it means to be the Christ.

While we are very familiar with Isaiah 53 and it’s prophecies about the suffering servant, this was most often not interpreted by the Jews as a passage about the Christ, but rather about Israel as a nation suffering under the oppression of the gentiles for the sins of their past. This false interpretation lead them to not consider suffering and death to be part of the Christ’s ministry on earth, which is why this takes Peter with such surprise.

Finally, Jesus finishes with “and on the third day be raised.” - It is unclear how the disciples take it, but it seems likely that they don’t understand this as a literal, bodily resurrection until after the events. Every time Jesus speaks of this in the future (17:22-23; 20:17-19) the disciples don’t seem to know how to respond, and in the second instance they are greatly distressed by these words. Clearly, the mention of Jesus’ resurrection hasn’t sounded the victory in their minds as it indeed should.

Jesus’ and Peter’s Rebukes

Peter is so bothered by these sayings that he dares to take Jesus aside and offer a strong rebuke. He who just confessed Jesus as the Christ is not only suggesting that he might be wrong, he is strongly condemning the things Jesus just said. The Greek construction of his words shows the most thorough negation you can possibly use in that language. You could translate it “there is absolutely no possible way this will happen to you.” Peter is full of zeal without knowledge. He is fully convinced Jesus is the Christ and that is what makes him so convinced that Jesus will not die. In his mind, a suffering and dying Messiah is not possible. While Peter may justify his rebuke with his absolute devotion to the belief that Jesus is the Christ, it is his idea of who the Christ is and what he must do that is false here. This clarifies for us that while Peter believed that Jesus was the Christ, he did not know what being the Christ actually means.

Jesus returns with a rebuke of his own, and one so strong it seems overly harsh to us.

“Get behind me Satan!” - Jesus just blessed this man as the rock on which the church will be built, the holder of the keys of the Kingdom of God, and now he calls him “Satan”? Of course, he speaks not to Peter personally, as if he is now voiding the blessings of the previous passage, but rather he identifies the spirit behind Peter’s words as being Satanic in nature. Peter has, without knowing it, embraced a devilish lie about the nature of God’s chosen King. While Peter may think his denial of Jesus’ words is based on faith in Jesus being the Christ, they are actually based in unbelief and give Jesus a lower place than he really has. Peter assumes that the Christ will be like other kings, only better! He will make war like other kings, conquer like other kings, sit on a throne in a palace like other kings, and rule over the land promised to Abraham just as his ancestor David had done a thousand years before him.

Jesus calls Peter a “hindrance” - or stumbling block. That is, Peter is acting in a way that seeks to stop Jesus from accomplishing his goal, which is the work of Satan. It is possible, even common, for a Christian to believe they are doing the work of God when actually they are deceived by Satan into hindering it. Satan takes falsehoods that we hold onto without true, biblical warrant and tempts us to embrace a conviction that is a zeal without knowledge; an ignorant passion. No doubt, such believers pursue this zeal out of love for God, but a misunderstanding of the nature of the Kingdom of God drives them to actually hinder that work and thus play into Satan’s plans. If Satan cannot have your soul, he will seek to make your life as a Christian as unproductive and even counterproductive as possible. This is why a humble, learning attitude towards Scripture is key, even if we have studied the Scriptures out entire lives. If we are to be used by God, rather than by Satan, we must be willing to humbly submit to the truth even when it goes against our preconceived ideas. Jesus’ strong rebuke, then, is not to make Peter despair but to alert him of the dangerous role he is currently playing by putting his own ideas of who Christ is above the words of Christ himself.

Thinking of Christ Spiritually

Jesus gives us the reason for such a strong rebuke in the last sentence of this verse. “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” This will lead us into our passage next time, but for now we can see the problem with Peter. Its not simply that he has his information wrong, but rather it is where he is setting his mind.

Throughout the NT the setting of the mind between earth and heaven, flesh and Spirit, man and God is often contrasted. In the Sermon on the Mount back in chapter 6 Jesus instructed his followers to lay up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, to seek the praise of God rather than the praise of man, and in chapter 7 to build on the foundation of his words rather than on earthly wisdom. The Apostle Paul takes up a similar line of thinking, often using the word “flesh” to describe a worldly mindset and “spirit” to describe a heavenly one. Romans 8:5

Romans 8:5 ESV

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

A similar idea is found in his letter to the Colossian Church:

Colossians 2:8 ESV

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

and in 1 Cor 2:12-13

1 Corinthians 2:12–13 ESV

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

And in 2 Cor 4:18

2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV)

For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

The Apostle John even makes this dichotomy in 1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

It is important that we understand what is being communicated with these titles. Thinking about human beings is not necessarily to set the mind of the things of man, thinking about the sandwich you are making to satisfy your hunger is not necessarily setting your mind on the things of the flesh, and majoring in philosophy in university is not necessarily setting your mind on worldly philosophy. What is being communicated is that there are two ways to view life, to think about and interpret our knowledge and experiences in this world.

On the one hand there are the things of this world, the flesh, the wisdom/philosophy/spirit of the world, desires of the eyes, and the things of man. These are transitory, meaning they are temporary and doomed to pass away like the vapour often referred to in the book of Ecclesiastes. This is to embrace a worldview that sets the visible things we experience now to be what is important. This goes beyond confession, for Peter had the confession correct. However, his mind had not become set in eternal things and so he misunderstood what his confession even meant. His idea of Christ’s Kingdom was something immediately visible, obviously victorious, and tangibly experiential. He was looking for a Kingdom that he could see, touch, and feel in this world. He wanted a king he could see sit on a physical throne in the physical city of Jerusalem and the enemies of God visibly crushed under Christ’s feet.

Such is the snare for so many Christians throughout the history of the church and today as well. Many think that a growing membership means blessing from God on their ministry and church. Many think that the feelings produced by a well-organized worship band are the movement of the Spirit. Many think that Christ is most glorified when a Christian government is in charge, setting down biblical laws and encouraging a society where everyone goes to church, the bible is taught in schools, and obedient Christians are not harassed for their convictions and practices. The New England Puritans thought that publicly flogging baptists for not baptizing their infants was biblical justice. The Papists thought throughout much of history that the offices of the church must have a hand deep in worldly governments in order to secure Christ’s authority over them. Many today think that a society governed by Christian laws and ethics is the most productive thing for the church, and from an earthly perspective this seems logical.

In each of these cases, the focus is on what is seen. Who among us doesn’t long for biblically founded laws in our country? Who among us wouldn’t be glad to see sermons from biblical churches printed in the Toronto Star every week as they once were? And yet, none of these things are sure demonstrations of the Kingdom of God. Indeed, when you read church history you see that the early church was strongest in times of persecution. Ignatius, an early Church Father, tells us that the church is greatest when it is persecuted. Shortly before he was martyred he wrote, “It is better for me to die for Jesus Christ than to rule over the ends of the earth.” For Ignatius, there was a greater benefit in his death than that he, a wise Christian pastor, should rule over the entire world. Why is that? Because he had embraced a correct view of the reign and rule of Christ, a rule that is established not in life and power in this age, but glory and immortality in the next through suffering and humiliation here.

The mindset of this world flows from this lie: what I can see and experience in this lifetime is what is truly real. This leads one to believe that the reign of Christ leads to Christian governments, Christian culture, and exponential church growth. In a word, a worldly view of the Kingdom of God and the Lordship of Christ means that his victory will be obvious to everyone before the appointed time.

This is also the foundation of the so-called “prosperity gospel” which looks for blessings in this life rather than the next. This is embraced through setting the mind on the things of man; the things of this present age.

The heavenly mindset, however, is not based on what is currently visible and is only grasped by faith. It looks not to what is seen, but to what is unseen. It refuses to interpret this world and this life as genuine and lasting, and therefore does not seek to see Christ’s Kingdom established in a way that is obvious in this world. The early Christians celebrated martyrdom because they saw themselves as embodying the death of Christ, and therefore being allowed to partake in the victory of Christ in the closest way possible. I titled this sermon, The Paradox of the King on the Cross because it is in this paradox that our faith exists. Christ’s greatest victory was the moment of his greatest shame. Death by crucifixion was not only a painful death, but a shameful one as well. Naked, bleeding, and publicly displayed as an object of mockery until you perished by asphyxiation. There is no visible glory in that, quite the opposite! If Jesus wished to establish a Kingdom in visible glory, he would never have approached the cross. Again, he said to Pilate before his crucifixion in John 18:36

John 18:36 ESV

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Even after his resurrection, Jesus did not come into Jerusalem with an army of angels to overthrow Herod and establish his Kingdom. Instead, he ascended to another Throne; one that is not seen by us now and yet it is one that is much more real than any that exists here. Only eyes of faith may behold it, but to anyone else it is foolish. Why worship a King on a Cross? Why worship a Christ who walked into his capital city only to be dragged outside and murdered shamefully in front of the whole world? Why join a church that is small with a young and weak preacher? The Greek city of Corinth was the home of what we could think of as the Olympic Games of Public Speaking. When the Apostle Paul arrived at the church there, he purposefully preached in a very simple way that would be laughed at by people who were used to listening to those that could speak with skill and eloquence. Why? Because he wanted to make sure that no one followed Christ simply because the Gospel was presented in a very attractive way.

Biblical Christianity revels in weakness, flourishes in persecution, boasts in its humiliation, and presents a Gospel that is mocked by the world for its foolishness. We put crosses on our steeples to remember that our God and King died a humiliating and shameful death at the hands of his enemies. There is no glory to be seen in the man Jesus Christ if one looks at him only through the lens of this world. Faith, however, looks upon that bloody visage on a Roman cross and says, “That is my God!” This can only be done if seen through the eyes of faith in heavenly realities. One day faith will become sight, but remember what we learned about faith a couple of weeks ago. The one with faith takes the promise in one hand, in the other it takes all in this world that seems to make that promise impossible, and chooses to believe that the promise is more real than what can be seen here and now. This is done on the basis of the faithfulness of God, who calls into being things that are not.

Conclusion

Christ mentions his resurrection because of the promise and hope of a future redemption which one day will be visible to every eye. The way to glory first goes through the valley of shame, humiliation, suffering, and death. As you head down into that valley, many will look at you and shake their head. “Look at the darkness” they say, “look at the misery! There is no glory there. There is no life, are you so foolish?” This is the way of Christ. His journey to Jerusalem is not one of visible glory, but of defeat, shame, and death. Why would the Son of God take such a road? He takes it because on the other side of that valley is the mountain of glory, immortality, and the Kingdom of God. You cannot see it beyond perhaps a shimmer of light here and there; it must be embraced by faith. Then the valley must be plunged into, with every painful experience and every shameful rejection counted as a glory which will be revealed when Christ comes and brings with in his reward.

Do you embrace the King on the Cross? If you are looking for victory that you can see here, you will be deceived. As this world finishes its course, all you have is the glory of the cross, a glory so shrouded in gloom and defeat that only the eye of faith can see the victory in it. Do you pledge allegiance to one who, in the eyes of the world, is an utter failure? A disgraced victim of cruel Roman execution? Are you able to stand beside such a shameful sight, with the sounds of mockery and the triumphant calls of victory by wicked men all around, and say “this cross is the most beautiful and glorious thing I have ever seen? Where is mine, that I may take it up and hang beside such a majestic King in the hour of victory?” To do so with all your heart, you must first lay aside all the glory, honour, and power visible in this life and by faith embrace the hope of the glory that will be revealed in time when that faith is made sight.