The Way

Now we come to the midterms.

Anxiety of the pharisees.

Lesson of the Loeaves—I am completely dependent on a generous God.

Jesus tells them to watch out for the yeast of the pharisees.

The disciples start worrying about bread.

Read Mark 8:27-9:1

There is one question on the midterm: who do you say I am? But Jesus asks it in two ways.

Mark 8:27–30 NIV

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Peter gets the answer right: Jesus is the savior sent by God. Then Jesus starts explaining the mission.

Mark 8:31–33 NIV

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Two questions: why MUST the Son of Man suffer many things?

God’s plan doesn’t explain it, for two reasons:

God MUST do nothing.

Whatever Jesus MUST do, the disciples MUST do as well.

This is why Peter rebukes him: because he doesn’t want to follow Jesus where he is leading.

How to Be A Disciple (8:34)

Mark 8:34 NIV

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Deny yourself? Does not mean go on a diet so you can be healthier.

It also doesn’t mean

Deny yourself—reject your ANXIOUS impulse to put YOURSELF first.

Go out into the storm; go to Gentile cemeteries and talk to demon-possessed people.

Take up your cross—reject the pressure to CONFORM to the ANXIOUS culture of our world.

The Pharisees actually criticize the disciples as much as Jesus, but as long as Jesus seems more powerful they don’t care. What happens when Jesus seems to be losing?

Follow Jesus—trust the EXAMPLE of Jesus instead of your own ANXIOUS impulses.

The point is not to conquer your anxiety or suppress it. The point isn’t to become a non-anxious self (there is no such thing)—but to imitate the non-anxious messiah.

Why to Be A Disciple (8:35-9:1)

Mark 8:35–9:1 NIV

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Clarify self/soul

Mark 8:35–36 NIV

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Anxiety SMOTHERS your SOUL, but trust makes it FLOURISH. (8:35-6; Luke 12:22-31)

Luke 12:22–31 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Mark 8:36–38 NIV

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

You can SELL your SOUL, but you can never BUY IT BACK. (8:36-8; Luke 12:16-21)

Luke 12:16–20 NIV

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

Mark 9:1 NIV

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Luke 17:20–25 NIV

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Mark 9:1 NIV

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Those who follow Jesus can LIVE in his kingdom RIGHT NOW. (9:1; Luke 17:20-25)