“Called To Discipleship”
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 16:24-28 LSB
Open your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 16. We’ll be starting in verse 24 and reading through 28.
While you're turning there, I have a question:
When was the last time you actually read those terms and conditions?
You know…
You download an app. You update your phone. You sign up for something and boom. There she is. The button that says:
“I have read and agreed to the Terms and Conditions.”
Y’all. I have never read them. Not once.
Some of those things are longer than entire books of the Bible.
I scroll to the bottom at mach-2 speed, and I hit “I agree” with total confidence.
For all I know, I’ve signed away my house and my firstborn child.
And that’s exactly how the companies like it.
The cost is in there. It’s just buried. Page three hundred and two. Fine print.
They want your “yes”.
You get to find out what you signed up for… later.
[Pause] I bring up my bad habit to show you something.
In the passage we’re about to read, Jesus does the exact opposite.
There isn’t fine print. Nothing’s buried.
He makes it abundantly clear.
Leave everything. Follow Him.
Our sermon summary this morning is this:
Sermon Summary: True discipleship demands total surrender and readiness to suffer for Christ.
Sermon Summary: True discipleship demands total surrender and readiness to suffer for Christ.
So, let’s not skip these terms & conditions, yeah?
Will you please stand for the reading of God’s Word?
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to 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 will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds. 28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
[Prayer]
You may be seated.
My first point for you this morning is:
I. What it takes. (vv. 24)
I. What it takes. (vv. 24)
In the passage directly before this starting in vv. 13, we have an exchange between Jesus and Peter.
Jesus asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
If we keep reading,
Jesus begins to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Peter takes Him aside and begins to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Peter had the right title for Jesus, but the wrong picture.
The right theology, but the wrong response.
The right orthodoxy, but the wrong orthopraxy.
Moving into vv 24, on the heels of that interaction, Matthew writes:
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me…”
This isn't a new topic. Jesus is still answering Peter. It’s a continuation of the fiery comment He made.
In the Greek, "behind Me" and "after Me" are the same phrase.
Jesus isn't kicking Peter out of the band, and He’s not telling him to take a hike.
He's putting him back in his place.
A disciple of Jesus’ place is behind Jesus, following Him to the cross.
So that's the question for us this morning… What does it take to get behind Him? What are the terms & conditions?
(1a) It takes Self-denial
(1a) It takes Self-denial
In the original text, the word to “deny” is synonymous with the word “disown”.
We are to completely remove from ourselves who we were before we repented and believed. To dis[pause]own corruption, pride, idolatry.
Isaiah 31:6-7 says, “Return to Him against whom you have deeply rebelled, O sons of Israel. For in that day every man will reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as a sin.
6 Return to Him against whom you have deeply rebelled, O sons of Israel. 7 For in that day every man will reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as a sin.
This word “reject” is the same word Jesus uses to say “deny”. “Disown”.
Israel was told to deny their idols.
[Pause] Now Jesus says: deny yourself.
Because the oldest idol I have ever made… is me. My comfort. My reputation. My plans. My way.
Jesus wants us to do away with our ways, and follow His way.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
So, if we follow Jesus, we disown the old self, and put on the new.
Eph. 4:22-23, “Lay aside the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit”
22 to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Romans 6:6, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;”
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
When Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, He isn’t necessarily telling us to disown our personality,
our legal name, our creativity, or anything that makes you “you”,
…but instead, to do away with the sinful nature we have been freed from.
And the beautiful thing is, the Holy Spirit truly changes us. Our personalities can change, and our creativity can be redirected.
Think about Paul.
Saul of Tarsus was zealous. Driven. Brilliant. Relentless.
He used all of it to hunt down Christians.
When Jesus saved him, the zeal stayed.
The brilliance stayed.
But now it was aimed at Christ.
God doesn't erase you. He redeems you.
My cold and stony heart has been exchanged for one that beats, yet I regrettably fail to disown the Jack that thinks he can stand before God in his pride.
The only way to approach The Most High is to deny our sinful nature and stand, washed completely, in the blood of Jesus, clothed in the “new man, which in the likeness of God that has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Eph. 4:24)
24 and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
So, let go of pride, lust, anger…
… deny yourself, and follow Jesus because, Christian, it’s worth it.
(1b) Taking up one’s cross
(1b) Taking up one’s cross
To follow Jesus, we deny ourselves and, secondly, take up our cross.
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
What does Jesus mean here? I mean, I’m looking around and I’m not really seeing a lot of crosses… is this supposed to be literal? Do I need to go to Lowe’s this afternoon and grab some lumber? What does He mean?
The cross was a punishment for the lowest criminals under the Roman empire. It was all the things death should never be. It was humiliating. It was excruciating. To pick up a cross was to begin a march toward an awful death.
I might ask, “If I want to follow Jesus, does that mean I will die for Him?”
To this, I’m not really sure. All I know is that Jesus is asking us to be willing to pay any price for His sake. To endure shame, embarrassment, rejection, or even death in His name.
Taking up one’s cross is an active state of being. It’s not the moments of hardship that come and go. It’s not having a dysfunctional family, it’s not the rising gas prices across the nation, and it’s not dear friends that transfer their church memberships.
Taking up one’s cross is a state of being. It’s an active posture.
It will cost fame, money, promotion...
It’s forsaking one’s dreams or personal goals. I mean, look at Peter in the verses before. He had this notion that Jesus wouldn’t die, but be king of Israel. And Jesus is telling him:
“Let that go! Follow me, not the Messiah you dreamed of. Follow me.”
[Pause] Now, let me be clear.
Not every Christian is on a path toward martyrdom.
But every Christian must be willing to join Christ in suffering.
There’s a natural temptation that bubbles up in our hearts. It’d be a lot easier if we could just meet Jesus halfway. He does His thing; I do mine. I can read my Bible and go to church.
I can sing the songs and keep my eyes closed during the prayers. That way, when I sin, it’s not a big deal, right?
This sounds a bit familiar. We live in a culture infected by this “compromise-Christianity”. Sunday morning is for “Jesus-stuff” and the rest of the week is for me.
Or, in the other direction, we bring our works, intellect, or even our theology to the table and think they are acceptable sacrifices for our sin.
Jesus didn’t meet us halfway.
He came all the way. To the cross. For us.
When we deny ourselves, and carry our cross, suffering for Christ isn't a sign that something's gone wrong.
Peter, the same Peter who tried talking Jesus out of the cross, writes this years later:
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:12-14)
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. 13 But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
(1c) Loyal obedience
(1c) Loyal obedience
Lastly, Jesus says, "follow Me."
Back in Jesus' day, a disciple literally walked behind his rabbi.
Where he went, you went. What he said, you did.
So "follow Me" is more than an invitation to tag along.
To follow Jesus is to call Him Lord.
And Jesus warns us that you can say the word without meaning it.
Matthew 7:21: Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
This concept of “Lord” is a little strange for us Muricans.
We don't really do lords.
We fought a whole war in 1776 so we wouldn't have to bow to a king.
But, Jesus is demanding obedience, and He has proven to be worthy of it.
Citizens of earthly nations rise up against their “lords” because those men and women are corrupt, greedy, and prideful.
But Jesus isn’t those things.
He’s not telling us to take up our cross while He’s enthroned in Heaven, cosmically removed from us entirely. He’s right THERE. In front of us. Carrying the cross to Calvary.
He’s looking over His shoulder and inviting us to join Him. A march toward death, but everlasting life.
You can trust King Jesus. You can rest under King Jesus. You can follow King Jesus.
II. What it costs. (vv. 25-26)
II. What it costs. (vv. 25-26)
Matthew 16:25-26 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
25 “For whoever wishes to 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 will a man give in exchange for his soul?
What is a good investment? Here’s a little story:
In 2009, a Norwegian student was writing a thesis on encryption.
For research, he bought 5,000 Bitcoin for about $27 total.
That’s, what, like the price of a McDonald’s burger these days? idk
Then he forgot about them.
Four years later, in 2013, he remembered, logged in, and found that his $27 had grown to roughly $880,000.
If he had held on to all of them until today?
Over $400 million.
That's about a 1.5 BILLION percent return.
And in my unprofessional opinion… that's a pretty good investment.
[Pause] But Jesus has a very different idea of a good investment.
Look at verse 25:
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
That feels backwards, right?
Everything in us screams: protect it. Hold on to it. Lock it up.
But, Jesus is telling us: that's exactly how you lose it.
And, don't skip over those three words in that verse.
“Whoever loses his life… for My sake…”
People lose their lives for all kinds of things.
A career. A cause. A bank account.
And most of them never find anything at the end of it. Or, what they do find, it doesn’t fulfill them.
Losing your life is only finding it when you lose it for Him.
[Pause] The word for "life" in verse 25 and "soul" in verse 26 is the same word.
So the life you're clinging to in verse 25…
is the soul you're gambling in verse 26.
"What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul*?"*
Every dollar. Every house. Every promotion. Every Instagram follower.
But the price? Your… soul.
When you reach the end of your life, and you have gained the whole world, what happens? Is it coming with you?
You know, you’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.
So, it absolutely is not. The moment you leave this world, all you will have is your soul.
Paul put it this way:
"For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either." (1 Timothy 6:7)
7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
Christian, what are you investing in? This life, or the next?
Jesus continually filters false disciples by asking them if they are willing to leave everything behind and follow Him.
In a couple chapters, Matthew will tell us about a man who came to Jesus with a question:
Matthew 19:16 "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
16 And behold, someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Jesus looks at him and says:
"Go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (v. 21)
[Pause] Does this kind of sound familiar? Give it all away and [Pause] follow Me.
It’s those same terms and conditions.
And Matthew says: "he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property." (v. 22)
[Pause] In the gospel of Luke, this interaction is juxtaposed with the story of Zaccheus.
He was also rich. A chief tax collector (which wasn’t a great thing to be a chief of…).
You all know the story, he was a small guy so he climbed up the tree to look at Jesus.
Jesus walks right up to his tree and says, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." (Luke 19:5)
Jesus hasn’t asked him to forsake his riches, but as soon as Jesus seeks him, the awe of the Son of Man provokes Zaccheus to say:
"Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have extorted anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." (Luke 19:8)
And Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house." (v. 9)
So, we have these two rich men.
One was unwilling to let go of his riches… and he lost his soul.
One was willing to let go of his riches, and Jesus tells him he has been saved.
Is that not just verses 25 and 26, with names attached?
Zaccheus wasn’t saved because he was willing to give away his money…
He was saved because Jesus was more beautiful than the money.
Jesus was the true source of life, not whatever he could scrounge together on Earth.
So, I ask again, Christian, what are you investing in?
This… dust? Or everlasting life?
At the end of our lives, what will $400 million mean? What will the United States currency do for you before the throne of God? What jewels will your resume add to your crown in Heaven?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
III. What it promises. (vv. 27-28)
III. What it promises. (vv. 27-28)
27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds. 28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
If you haven’t noticed, the three points of this sermon feel like they could have each been their own sermon.
When I started preparing for this, I really felt like the passage was disconnected.
Especially this last section.
But if you look at this section as a whole, you see a repeating word.
“For, for, for…”
Verse 25: "For whoever wishes to save his life…"
Verse 26: "For what will it profit a man…"
Verse 27: "For the Son of Man is going to come…"
Jesus gives us one command in verse 24… deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Me…
and then He gives us reason after reason after reason.
Why should I deny myself?
For… you'll lose your life trying to save it.
Why should I take up my cross?
For… the whole world isn't worth your soul.
Why should I follow Him?
For… the Son of Man is coming.
And this last "for" is the one that holds up all the others.
Because if Jesus isn't coming back… then none of this is worth it.
But, if He is, and He is…
… then it’s worth everything.
(3a) A Promise
(3a) A Promise
Jesus referred to Himself as “Son of Man” more than any other designation. He is quoted saying it about 30 times in the gospel of Matthew alone.
It’s a perfect phrase that reflects His humanness and His incarnation in a prophetic context.
We see this, notably, in Daniel 7:13-14, where the prophet sees a vision of "One like a Son of Man" coming with the clouds of heaven, and receiving His everlasting kingdom, glory, and dominion from the Ancient of Days.
The “Son of Man” demystifies Jesus. It makes Him less of a concept, idea, or Sunday school answer.
It makes Him human enough to follow, and in verse 27, it says:
"The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels."
The human Jesus who walked dusty roads, worked with His hands, ate when He was hungry…
Is coming back in glory.
In full, unveiled, deity.
When the Bible talks about God’s glory, it refers to the totality of God’s nature, character, and attributes.
This isn’t a big golden light that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It’s who. God. Is.
Blinding holiness. Piercing beauty. Awesome splendor.
All. At. Once.
Jesus’ return in glory is a hopeful promise for Believers. For disciples.
Think of His disciples in this passage:
They've just heard Jesus say He's going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.
They've just heard Him say they need to pick up a cross too.
For maybe the first time, they're seeing that following Jesus means rejection, sacrifice… maybe even death.
But, He wants them to know that, yes, the road goes through a cross…
but it ends in glory.
(3b) A Warning
(3b) A Warning
27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.
This promise applies to everyone.
For the Christian, the coming of Jesus is a great joy,
but for the unbeliever, it’s the coming of judgment.
As loving Christians who have unbelieving friends, family, or neighbors, this is to be a bittersweet reality. More often than not, we get stuck in a bubble of, honestly, pride.
John writes in Rev. 10:10
10 And I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
“And I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter."
Yeah, judgment and wrath… it can make us sick to our stomach a bit.
God is perfectly merciful, and He is perfectly just.
And Jesus says the Son of Man "will then repay each one according to his deeds."
That phrase can be easily twisted to mean something Jesus isn’t saying.
Church, do good deeds save us? Absolutely not.
One’s deeds are an overflow of the heart.
One way I think of this is like a pressure gauge. Like, on an air compressor or something.
A pressure gauge doesn't put pressure in the line, it only reads what's already there.
You can’t add pressure by pushing the needle with your finger.
If the needle is at zero, then that means the pressure is at zero.
If you aren’t seeing an overflow of fruit, that heart is dead.
Our deeds are that reading on the gauge of our heart.
Are you trying to push that needle, though?
Learning the right things to say in church, but contradicting them everywhere else?
Making an effort to be at church on Sundays, but your Bible lays untouched Monday through Saturday?
Jesus said, "every good tree bears good fruit" (Matthew 7:17).
The fruit doesn't make the tree good, but it shows that it is.
So, when Jesus says He'll repay each one according to his deeds,
He’s checking the gauge to see if any change is really in your heart.
When Jesus looks at your deeds, are they for selfish gain, or a result of the Holy Spirit sanctifying you?
Does He see you denying yourself? Does He see you taking up your cross?
When He looks over His shoulder, are you right there, following Him?
Are you pursuing Him or something with no eternal merit?
[Pause] Some of us here today will hear this and feel a pang of fear.
We have wronged an Almighty God by our sin, and righteous judgment is coming.
And, I’m gonna be real,
You cannot stand strong on that day.
You cannot hide from that day.
You will give an account.
And a heart tainted by sin… which every one of ours is… cannot stand in the presence of a holy God.
You need to be clothed in holiness.
But you can't do that by your own will. Your own works.
You can't push the needle hard enough.
You can't muster up what it takes to stand before God.
Remember the question Jesus asked in verse 26?
"What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
[Pause] Spoiler alert: the answer is nothing.
You have nothing to offer.
No amount of money. No amount of good deeds. Not even… that $400 million in Bitcoin.
But listen to what Jesus says just a few chapters later:
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus paid the exchange you couldn’t.
The One who tells you to take up a cross… He carried His own first.
And on that cross, He took the judgment of verse 27 in the place of everyone who trusts Him.
By His deeds and by His righteousness we are to be judged.
So, Jesus took the Cross in the Believer’s place, and He didn’t stay dead.
The Judge who is coming… is the same Jesus who died for you and rose again.
Paul writes: “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:34
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
[Pause] If the Judge is the One praying for you… who is left to condemn you?
If you repent of your sin and put your faith in Jesus,
His blood, shed for you on that cross, covers you…
…making you acceptable on the day of judgment.
And the day you would dread… becomes the day you long for.
So come after Him today.
You don’t carry your cross to earn His favor.
He carried His for you to follow Him.
(3c) A Second Promise
(3c) A Second Promise
28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Verse 28 says: “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Parker and Matt double-dog-dared me to preach this verse.
And I get it, it kind of sounds like the disciples are still walking around somewhere, waiting for Revelation to start.
But, they all died, like, 2000 years ago…
So, what does Jesus mean by “coming in His kingdom”?
While it’s commonly translated as “kingdom,” the word in the Greek primarily means sovereignty, royal power, dominion, or majesty. Not really a piece of land.
So “coming in His kingdom” means coming in His royal power: the Son of Man taking His rightful throne.
And we’ve actually already seen this picture today.
The Daniel 7 passage: Daniel was shown that thrones were set up. Plural thrones.
Who is that throne for? We see it in a couple verses:
The Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days and is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom.
So when Jesus talks about the Son of Man coming in His kingdom, He’s talking about His coronation. Sitting at His throne in Heaven.
Which means Jesus isn’t promising they’ll live to see the end. He’s promising they’ll live to see the beginning.
So, when was that?
As of today, I think there’s a bit of mystery to this. And, hey, that’s ok. We have viable options.
The Resurrection and everything that followed is the view I align with the most.
The risen Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). He ascends to the Father’s right hand, and He pours out His Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:32-36).
[Pause] I lean toward this because it sounds like Daniel 7 coming true:
the Son of Man given all authority.
Some say the Transfiguration, but this seems more like a precursor or fanfare to receiving all authority.
Saying: “there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death” to an event that would take place six days from then would be… an odd thing to say.
And some say AD 70, the year Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, just like Jesus predicted in Matthew 24.
And honestly, the timing fits pretty well. About forty years later, most of the disciples were gone, but John was still alive.
Good, faithful people hold this view.
But here’s why I don’t land there:
Nothing in Matthew 16 is talking about Jerusalem.
The conversation is about the cross, the resurrection, and the Son of Man’s glory.
And “coming in His kingdom” sounds like Daniel 7: a King receiving His throne.
Not a city being destroyed.
And by the end of Matthew, Jesus is already standing there saying, “All authority has been given to Me.”
Jesus took His throne when He walked out of the tomb, it wasn’t sitting around vacant until AD 70.
With the Resurrection and Pentecost, it fits the “Some” would see it:
Judas was gone before the resurrection,
and James was killed while the gospel was only beginning to reach the nations (Acts 12:2).
The promise was that they would live to see the beginning of His reign.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So, how does all of this connect?
If we disown our old selves, carry our cross, and follow Jesus, we can totally surrender and be ready to suffer for Christ, knowing that our promise is secured.
Jesus has won.
So, trust Him. Follow Him.
In 1597, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 26 Christians were arrested near Kyoto, Japan,
marched hundreds of miles in winter to Nagasaki,
and crucified on a hill overlooking the city.
Most were Japanese laymen, alongside six missionaries and three Japanese Jesuits.
Three were boys.
The early accounts say the youngest, twelve-year-old Louis Ibaraki, arrived at the hill and asked which cross was his…
then ran to it.
If the time were to come, may we do the same.
Please pray with me.
