I Must Suffer

It is human nature to look for a shortcut. When I was growing up, my mom used to say to me, “If you’d spend as much time doing the work as you do trying to figure out how to make it easier, you’d be done in half the time.” I can think back to when I was in gym class in junior high, and we were supposed to write a ten page paper on an athlete. My girlfriend at the time told me that everyone just wrote the top page and stapled blank sheets to it and that all Coach Evans did was look to see if it was there and give you a grade. Well, that may have been true for everybody else, but when I wrote my 3.5 pages and stapled 6 blank pages to it, that paper magically appeared in mother’s classroom. What a blessing it was to have my mother as a teacher at school! Or, last year, I had to lay 36 pallets (36 pallets!) of sod at my house. Well, if you’ve ever laid sod, then you know that you have to rake up all of the rocks first. About 2 hours in to raking up the rocks in about 1/100 of my yard, I was determined to find a faster way. That’s when I called my man, Phil Bussey, shortcut extraordinaire, and new that he could come through for me. He loaned me a homemade infield rake that is two 4 x 4 posts with a piece of chainlink fence between that I could drag behind my lawn mower. Not only did it not pick up my rocks as hoped, but when I turned my lawn mower the chain got wrapped around my axle causing the 4 x 4 post to hit me in the head like Mike Tyson and nearly flip the lawn mower causing me to jump off in mid air. So, as hard as we look for shortcuts, the truth is that almost always our shortcuts let us down.

And, there is no place where a shortcut is more lethal than in our pursuit of Jesus. There are no shortcuts to becoming a mature follower of Jesus. There are no shortcuts to godliness. There is no lite version of Christianity, no easy street in discipleship that bypasses costs and persecution. But, if we’re honest, we’re always looking for a path of less resistance. This morning, we’re going to see an instance in the life of Jesus’ disciples, particularly Peter, in which they were looking for an easier way, a path of greater comfort and less difficulty.

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Jesus Must Go to the Cross

“From that time Jesus began to tell his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem” We are, this morning, at the hinge-point in Jesus’ ministry on earth. He is now shifting the explicit focus of his ministry toward the cross. As Zach told you last week, he is heading south from Caesarea Phillipi, and He is heading toward to Jerusalem. It is, in fact, the last journey that Jesus will make before his slaughter. From the beginning, Jesus has been heading there. His death, his cross is no surprise to him. At his Baptism in chapter we saw Jesus identify with the need for sinners to be washed clean, and Jesus accepting the will of his Father. In the wilderness, Jesus rejected all that this world has to offer. He rejected easy living. He rejected all of the kingdoms of earth that Satan offered him. And, at the same time, He committed himself to the cross. But, this is the first time that he has spoken so explicitly. This is the first time that he has told his disciples so directly that he’s going to suffer and die and be raised on the third day. And so, our text tells us that beginning on this day, the message was steady and consistent. Jesus had to die if he was to fulfill the will of his Father. Before there would be a crown, there would be a cross. Be sure to notice how emphatic Jesus says this. He says, “I must go.” That is not to say that Jesus was fatalistically and robotically going against his will. No, he ‘must’ go because that was the Father’s will, and he had resolved to follow the Father’s will unequivocally, even to a gruesome death. Jesus was going to Jerusalem. Jesus was going to his own slaughter, and he was going willingly.

In the wilderness, Jesus rejected all that this world has to offer. He rejected easy living. And, at the same time, He committed himself to the cross.

Jesus Must Suffer

“he must....suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes” In Jesus’ explicit explanation of the coming days to his disciples, he makes clear to them that he ‘must suffer’ at the hands of the Sanhedrin, which is comprised of the three groups of people he mentions in verse 21. Jesus does not give his disciples any rose-colored illusions about the days ahead. They would be days of suffering. Now, what you have to understand, is that this goes against everything that these men had ever been taught about the Messiah. When we casually read last week’s text and then read this week’s text, we can almost become a little bit confused by what’s going on with Peter. In last week’s passage in , Peter calls Jesus the Messiah and Jesus says that Peter has been given knowledge from God and that Peter is the rock upon whom He will build his church. And then this week, Peter so fundamentally misunderstands the mission of Jesus that it leads Jesus to call him Satan! How could Peter be so confused? How could Peter not know that Jesus was going to suffer if he knew that Jesus was the Messiah? The Jews revered the Messiah as a dynamic political figure that would march in, overthrow the Roman Empire in a blaze of military glory, and then reign from the throne of David forever. Oh, how they would have held fast to and the child that was to be born upon whose shoulders the government would rest and how they would’ve reveled in the words of would the Son of Man would rule the world and all nations would bow down before him. But, they missed . They missed that before the Messiah would be a celebrated king, he would be a Suffering Servant. Before the Lion of Judah would strike down the nations, the Son of God would be struck in the face. Before he would sit upon the throne of David, He would hang on the tree of curse enduring the jeers of men and the wrath of God.

Here’s what the Jews missed and what Peter missed: Jesus must suffer so that He might crush the source of suffering. Suffering exists because sin does. Israel’s main plight was not the rule of Rome; it was the rule of sin. Rome only ruled because sin did. Hatred and leprosy and cancer and political oppression are all mere groanings of a sin-warped earth. The earth did not need a political savior; it needed a spiritual One. So, Jesus was headed to suffer in Jerusalem so that He might crush, not the mere symptoms of suffering, but the source — sin itself. He would suffer in every way. Physically he would be stripped naked and chained to a post, beaten like a dog. He’d have 9” nails driven through the nerve centers in his wrists to hang on a cross upon which he would ultimately suffocate. He would suffer emotionally as endured the betrayal of Judas, the abandonment of Peter, the rejection of the crowd, and the hatred of leaders. He would come under such emotional distress that the capillary blood vessels in his body would burst so that blood oozed from his pores. And, He would suffer spiritually as the cup of God’s wrath was to be poured out unfiltered over the his very Son. The Apostles often refer to the cross as the tree, which represents the very curse of God that is stored up to exacted against the wicked. From the cross, Jesus would cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus came to suffer, and He came to suffer in every way that you and I know suffering that the very source of our suffering might be crushed beneath his blood-stained victory.

Jesus Must Die

“he must....be killed” And so, Jesus says that He must not only suffer, but He must ‘be killed’ at the hands of sinful man. For the source of suffering to be defeated, the Son of God had to do more than endure suffering; He had to die as a result of his suffering. Because the wages of sin is death. You know this from , but it dates all the way back to the Garden of Eden when God told Adam that if He disobeyed him and distrusted the goodness of his instruction that he would surely die. Sin requires death. This is the picture of every bull, bird, and ram slaughtered in Leviticus. This is what you’ve beheld at every funeral you’ve ever attended. The ultimate curse of sin is the curse of death. And so, Jesus could not simply shed blood or endure hardship or be hated; He had to die. His perfect life for your wicked life. Only his infinite righteousness could be a worthy substitute for your infinite offense toward an infinite God. It was a debt that only God himself by shedding his own righteous blood could repay.

We Are His Murderers!

“killed” And, the word ‘killed’ here is not an accidental one. To ‘be killed’ is different than to die. To ‘be killed’ is to be put to death at the hands of someone else. Jesus was there according to the will of God, and Jesus went voluntarily, able to stop it at any point. But, in Jerusalem, He was ‘killed,’ murdered at the hands of sinners. As the executioners were cast lots at Jesus’ feet, he pulled up on the nails, gasping for air, and cried out, “Father, forgive them for the know not what they do.” And as much as we may wish to deride those men responsible, we must remember, this morning, that we are responsible. We are as culpable as they. Jesus is our substitute. We put him there. We are his murderers!

John Stott, in his classic work The Cross of Christ, says it like this: "More important still, we ourselves are also guilty. If we were in their place, we would have done what they did. Indeed, we have done it. For whenever we turn away from Christ, we 'are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace' (). We too sacrifice Jesus to our greed like Judas, to our envy like the priests, to our ambition like Pilate. 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' the old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, 'Yes, we were there.' Not as spectators only but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining, and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. Before we can begin to see the cross as something done FOR us (leading to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done BY us (leading to repentance)." John Stott, The Cross of Christ, 63

Visit the Cross!

"More important still, we ourselves are also guilty. If we were in their place, we would have done what they did. Indeed, we have done it. For whenever we turn away from Christ, we 'are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace' (). We too sacrifice Jesus to our greed like Judas, to our envy like the priests, to our ambition like Pilate. 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' the old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, 'Yes, we were there.' Not as spectators only but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining, and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. Before we can begin to see the cross as something done FOR us (leading to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done BY us (leading to repentance)." John Stott, The Cross of Christ, 63

APPLICATION: This morning, I beckon you to visit the cross with me. I beckon you to visit with me the culmination of Jesus’ suffering. Visit the cross that you might remember the cost of your sin and the grace of our Lord. O, as often as I visit the cross, my arrogance and self-righteousness melts away. Can you not forgive? Visit the cross. Do you scoff at the correction that others who love you and try to bring into your life helpful reproof? Visit the cross. Are you harsh with your children and your wife? Visit the cross. Are you uncomitted in your Christian walk? Visit the cross. Do you find yourself to ashamed and embarrassed to share the Good News of Jesus? Visit the cross! Can you not find anything in your life to be happy about? Visit the cross! Do you find yourself trying to please people and pass their judgement? Visit the cross! Oh, how our pettiness melts away at the cross! How small our worries are in light of the cross! How secure we are in the love of God at the cross! At the cross, our spiritual apathy and our religious boredom is incinerated! At the cross, our praise-less lips find words to shout and our running mouths are at the same time quietened. Visit the cross, brothers and sisters! Visit it every day! APPLICATION: Visit the cross this morning and be saved!

Jesus Must Rise Again

“he must....on the third day be raised” But, that’s not all that Jesus must do! Jesus must not only go and must not only suffer and must not only die; Jesus must rise again! You know, it’s one thing to predict your death. Any number of people could see the writing on the wall and predict that they will be martyred for their cause (though, the prophetic precision with which Jesus died is altogether divine). But, it’s something completely different to predict, not only your death, but your own resurrection. It’s one thing to say that they will kill me; it’s quite another to say that you will rise from the dead three days after they succeed. But, Jesus must go rise from the belly of the earth, after having died physically (not sleeping, but died!), because if Jesus doesn’t rise from the dead; then, death still reigns. The penalty of sin, death, is still present and powerful. If Jesus does not rise, what separates him from every other dead God? But, as we move into Holy Week, let’s peak ahead for a second and remember, He did rise! Jesus pointed his bat to the fences and called his shot! He stared down the cross and the grave, and let them know they would not be his end; only means to final victory over the curse of sin and rule of satan.

Suffering Has a Time Limit

I want you to grab hold of the light that Jesus is shining through this dark news to his disciples. Yes, He will suffer, and they will suffer because of him. Yes, He will die, and they will all die a martyr’s death because of him. But, it’s not going to last! The suffering of Jesus has a time limit. He is going to be reviled. He is going to be spat upon. He’s going to be beaten until He is unrecognizable. In agony, he will suffocate on a blood-stained cross. In apparent defeat, He will be laid in a grave. But, then on the third day, there will be no more suffering for Jesus! There will be no more humiliation for Jesus! Jesus will rise! His suffering will have a time limit! The days ahead for his disciples will be difficult. They will be hated and tortured and imprisoned and exiled! But, it won’t last long! Their suffering has a time limit! They are trading a momentary cross for an eternal crown!

APPLICATION: And, brothers and sisters, I want to tell you the same thing! Your suffering has a time limit! Whatever cross Christ has given you to bear will be traded out for an eternal crown! You will not have long to endure your affliction! You will not have long to face persecution! Your brokenness will be made whole soon and very soon! Press on with your unbelieving husband! Press on with your loneliness at work and school! Press on with your ailments! They have a time limit!

2) APPLICATION: And, I want you to understand that because of the resurrection, you can be assured that Jesus’ cross is enough for you. There is no sin too powerful, no sinner too perverted for the power of the cross! Bring whatever you’ve got to Jesus. He has overcome it. He can set you free! He knew that you weren’t what you needed to be; that’s why He went to the cross to begin with! Come so that you might rest in resurrection freedom and live in resurrection victory!

‘Far Be It from You, Lord!’

“Far be it from you, Lord!” Now, I want us to turn our attention to Peter for a moment. Peter hears these words of Jesus about his going to Jerusalem and his suffering and his murder, and he completely misses the glorious resurrection that Jesus is speaking of. He gets stuck on the suffering and dying. Not only is Jesus teaching them that he is going to suffer and die, which completely contradicts their whole understanding of the Messiah, but Jesus is teaching them that by following him they, too, will suffer and die. The fate of the disciples will follow the path of their teacher. And, Peter rebukes Jesus for it! He calls Jesus aside, and says, “God forbid it! It cannot, it will not happen!”

‘Get Behind Me, Satan!’

“Get behind me, Satan!” And, Jesus responds with the strongest rebuke we have heard from him. It is almost word-for-word what Jesus says to Satan himself when He is tempted in the wilderness in . And here, Jesus is not saying it to the Pharisees or the High Priest or to Judas; Jesus is saying it to Peter! Just a few verses earlier Peter is the rock upon whom Jesus will be his church. But now, Peter is not the foundational rock; He is a stumbling block! Why does Jesus say this to Peter? Peter is doing Satan’s work. Satan had tempted Jesus by offering him a crown without a cross. He had told Jesus that he would give him the whole world, if he’d just bow to him. In other words, Satan offered Jesus a shortcut. And, here is Peter doing the same thing. “Jesus you will not go to the cross; You will to the throne!”

He is a Willing Savior

And again, we see Jesus willingly surrendering himself to the bloody, gut-wrenching will of God. He is all the more glorious when you realize that He is a willing Savior. He could have called the forces of Heaven to descend upon his executioners with force so great that it would humiliate the mightiest nuclear warhead ever assembled or conceived. But, to the cross He went. He rejected Satan's worldly treasure. He rejected Peter's easier way. He rejected them all in favor of a rugged cross that was meant for me.

Jesus’ Disciples Must Embrace His Mission

APPLICATION/LANDING: This is the call of Jesus’ disciples: to embrace his mission and his cross. We must not look to the mission of Jesus’ cross without realizing that it is our mission too. To willingly lay down our lives submission to the will of God and the mission of Jesus. The will of God does not come with shortcuts.

To willingly lay down our lives submission to the will of God and the mission of Jesus.

Disciples of Jesus: Do not seek the path of least resistance. It is very often the path of greatest resistance and the longest odds that God uses to demonstrate the supremacy of his power and the glory of his plan. Look to the cross!

Embrace the mission of Jesus! Embrace the impossible, terrifying, unstoppable will of God. Follow him up the difficult mountain knowing that it is only by his power that you will summit. Follow him through life's darkest caves knowing that it is only by his grace that you will see again. Follow him to the edge of Red Sea and wait on him to part it! March around the walls of Jericho assured that they will crumble! Go to your cross of discipleship confident that your resurrection has already been won! Embrace the mission of Jesus to accomplish the will of God by his means against all odds at the expense of everything that is comfortable to you.

Embrace the mission of Jesus! Embrace the impossible, terrifying, unstoppable will of God. Follow him up the difficult mountain knowing that it is only by his power that you will summit. Follow him through life's darkest caves knowing that it is only by his grace that you will see again. Follow him to the edge of Red Sea and wait on him to part it! March around the walls of Jericho assured that they will crumble! Go to the cross of your discipleship confident that your resurrection has already been won! Embrace the mission of Jesus to accomplish the will of God by his means against all odds at the expense of everything that is comfortable to you.

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