The Cost and Worth of Following Jesus: Part 4

What we do with Jesus now impacts what He will do with us then

Jesus tells of a time when He will enter His glory. This is a certainty. He is reigning and will forever reign in glory no matter what things look like at the moment. "However," Jesus says, "What you do with me now will impact what I do with you then."

​ NASB95“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Ashamed: to be ashamed, to feel or show a sense of shame

Ashamed of Jesus?

Feeling AshamedAshamed - embarrassed of a relationship or association with someoneEx. That person at work that is a bit of a liability, maybe they have no filter and say whatever comes to mind - want to distance yourself from them, or from what they do and sayEx. older friend, relative that is okay with you until another older friend comes over, feelings, rejection, hurt. When we are close to someone, their rejection can and does hurt us more than anything else. Jesus knew the agony of having those closest to Him become ashamed of Him.Do you wish to distance yourself from Jesus in the eyes of your friends, family, school-mates or co-workers? Are you personally ashamed of Jesus Christ? Have you been rejected? Have you ever felt the sting of shame from someone you cared about? Have you taken it to Jesus Christ for healing and Help? He knows.What is the nature of your relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you consider yourself close to the Master? Do you know Him? Love Him?More than a Feeling - Public ShameWhereas we automatically think of feeling ashamed, the ancient world wouldn’t have. Honor and shame were and are core values in eastern culture and dominated life in that time. Seen in Japanese culture: committing suicide rather than suffer shame/dishonor of defeatWWII soldiers, Samurai - seppukuConsider how often these related words are used in scripture: “dishonor”,“disgrace,”,“scorn,” “despise,” “revile,” “reproach,” “rebuke,” “insult,” “blaspheme,” “deride,” and “mock.” To be in a state of public shame was in itself one of the worst conditions imaginable. It was to be branded, to be marked and to lose status in sight of those around you. It was to have your reputation ruined. It would affect nearly every aspect of public life as most would want to distance themselves from you.Family, work, church, school, social lifeEx. Families of prisoners hereThis is what Jesus was facing. It is what He was calling His followers to. To be branded and cast out before the world around them. To be hated and rejected and to become objects of shame among men. The Choice before usWhich disgrace will we choose?What will they do with Jesus now? What will you do?Will Jesus’s disciples choose to be honored among men, to save their lives, to alleviate themselves of the hardship and suffering that will certainly come from following Jesus. When push comes to shove, will they be ashamed of Jesus Christ? Will we? To do so is to be left in our shame before God.What we do with Jesus now impacts what He will do with us then

Left in our Shame

Outside of Christ we were in a state of shame and disgrace before God because of our sin. This is the worst possible state to be in.

​ NASB95“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

A state of shame, dishonor or disgrace from the lawWe separate Judicial, Executive and Legislative functions in our government, but for the ancient world, the King was the supreme court. Here we elect a president: often proud of or ashamed of them, but what if the President was our only hope of Pardon? What if you were under the death penalty and had no appeals left?This is the case with God. He is the Judge. Indeed Christ is the Judge. His word is the Judge.

​ NASB95“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

To reject Him and His words, to be ashamed of Him and His words is to reject our only hope of pardon for sin before God.Have you rejected Jesus Christ? Have you held him at arms length because of your desire to save some part of your life for yourself? Are you afraid of what it may cost to follow Him? It’s not too late!Turn/Read

​ NASB95Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

Peter was ashamed of Christ Jesus, but He didn’t stay that way. Christ would redeem Him. Christ would bear His shame.

But God: Jesus bore our Shame

The reason Jesus can ask us to suffer, to be rejected and to even die for Him is because He did so for us.

​ NASB95But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

​ NASB95and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

You took our sin You bore our shame You rose to life You defeated the grave And a love like this, the world has never knownYou took our sin

- Chris Tomlin, “Jesus, Son of God”

Are you believing this truth? Is your faith and hope in Him? Have you cast your sin and shame on the One who bore it for you on the Cross?Jesus despised the shame and reproach that fell on Him, rejecting it’s power and willingly taking on its effect because He knew the Joy that would come.

​ NASB95fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

To repent and believe this good news is to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. The actions we take are signs or demonstrations of the faith we have in Christ. Through faith you are justified. Through continual faith and following you are sanctified and strengthened.Jesus is saying that to live a life of distance, embarrassment, and shame towards Christ is to demonstrate that you do not know Christ. You are not truly trusting, loving and serving Him. What we you do with Jesus in this life will affect what He does with you upon His glorious return because what we do with Jesus demonstrates whether or not we have saving faith, whether we are truly believing in Jesus Christ. (See )Be like Jesus and dispise the shame!

Conclusion

SO WHAT? HOW DOES CHRIST’S RETURN IN GLORY AND GRACE BESTOWED AFFECT ME NOW? WHAT DO I DO?