The Call to True Discipleship
Notes
Transcript
The Call to True Discipleship
The Call to True Discipleship
Easter is arriving soon, in seven weeks.
Seven is a good biblical number (days, sabbath, etc.)
Let’s read our passage:
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
There are three terms here, related to discipleship, that we are going to examine:
Deny yourself
Take up your cross
Follow me
Let’s talk about ‘Deny yourself.’
Denying oneself means rejecting personal ambitions, sinful desires, and worldly attachments to fully submit to Christ. Some emphasize surrendering personal will and rejecting materialism, while others stress humility, repentance, and trust in God’s sovereignty. Some focus on holiness and yielding to the Holy Spirit, whereas others emphasize spiritual disciplines, detachment, and accountability. Other traditions highlight sacrificing personal security and comfort for evangelism and God's mission.
Let’s talk about ‘Take up your cross.’
Taking up one's cross means embracing suffering, self-denial, and perseverance in faith. Some highlight endurance through trials and countercultural living. Others see suffering as sanctification and God’s providential work. Some associate cross-bearing with spiritual growth, perseverance, and, in some circles, spiritual warfare. Others emphasize lifelong spiritual discipline and redemptive suffering, while some focus on sacrificing personal ease to spread the Gospel.
Let’s talk about ‘Follow me.’
Following Christ involves imitating His life, teachings, and obedience to God. Some focus on a personal relationship with Jesus, while others emphasize a simple, nonviolent lifestyle. Some view following as living in covenantal faith and responding to grace. While others stress ongoing transformation through holiness and spiritual gifts. Some prioritize Scripture, sacraments, and communal growth, whereas others see following as actively participating in disciple-making and church growth.
Okay, now let’s look at this passage in its context:
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Jesus makes this announcement that he is going to suffer and be killed:
This thought is abhorrent to Peter
We know they expect Jesus to take over the ‘throne’ of Jerusalem
And not for just any reason
Because it is what the Hebrew Bible says will happen.
It is THIS action of Peter that prompts Jesus to say what he does.
Now, in typical literary stile, these three things
Deny himself
Take up his cross
Follow me
Are explained in the verses that follow
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
This is Jesus’ point about Deny himself
For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
This is Jesus’ point about Take up his cross
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
This is Jesus’ response to follow me
This point of Jesus is important.
Many will say that what we do has no impact on our salvation:
I agree, you cannot earn salvation
Theology will try and say that what we do (good or bad, as a believer or not) does not impact the judgment coming from God.
This statement of Jesus is FUTURE
That term ‘repay’ sounds negative, doesn’t it?
It can be, but it does not have to be.
We will look at that in a moment.
Jesus did not just invent this idea.
What is unique to Jesus is his claim to ‘follow me.’
Do what I do, and you will be repaid well.
Do the opposite, and you will be repaid accordingly.
That is what it sounds like
Jesus pulled this idea from the Old Testament.
Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life; there is no price one can give to God for it. For the ransom of life is costly and can never suffice, that one should live on forever and never see the Pit.
When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own. Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish. Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Selah
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah
The Psalm, because it is related to the words of Jesus, reveals what is going on in Peter’s mind.
They, all the disciples, have essentially put their lives at risk with the Romans
And they have severed their relationship with their religious community
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false and do not swear deceitfully.
Why would I pull this Psalm in here?
It has some of my own translation.
Because this too is what Peter suffered from.
Peter, like us, wanted to ascend the mountain of the LORD and stand in his palace.
Innocent hands and a ritually clean* heart, one who does not bear as worthless* his nephesh. He does not vow fraudulently.
What Jesus will do will make a ritually clean heart
Innocent hands is one who does not shed innocent blood
Cares for the poor, etc.
Peter is wrestling with the last two:
Believing that his purpose is to gain in this life is to make his life worthless.
In other words, God’s purpose for you is NOT to accumulate blessings to the exclusion of those in need.
Second, Peter vowed that Jesus would not suffer at the hands of the leaders and he would not be put to death.
I sense that Jesus cut him off before Peter could get any more words out
Peter could have quoted verse after verse indicating Messiah would not die, but would rule.
I think Jesus cut him off.
Three things:
Deny yourself
Let it go
Take up his cross
Accept the burden
Follow me
He will make you whole
The Call to True Discipleship
The Call to True Discipleship
