Luke 9:18-27 - THE CRUCIFORM LIFE
This morning we continue on in our sermon series in the Book of Luke. As we start I want you to think about a sporting Endeavor a game a competition and perhaps you had the opportunity to watch a hockey game or a football game or some other competition on TSN. If you have then you've probably come across the idea of the TSN Turning Point the TSN turning point. This was if you haven't watched the Ascender never seen this before this is something that either the commentators the analysis would choose as the most significant part in that competition that directly influence the outcome TSN Turning Point on some goal that was scored or maybe a hit that was made that the commentators are analysts thought. Influence the outcome of the game TSN turning point. I was the TSN turning point of a game. Back when I played football. I Don't Clap yet wait to hear the story. Appreciate it though Brian. Appreciate it. Who's in Saskatchewan? We were down by five points. So I touch down without even kicking. The extra convert would win it for us. It was 1/4 cup quarter 2 minutes left in the game. They kicked it off to us. It was deep in our end, but we had a chance to win. So we took the field.
First play ran the ball got a few yards second playthrough an incomplete pass we needed on the 3rd down to get a first down. The quarterback went up gave his Cadence. I moved early and went off sides Kildare drive and the analysts said that that was the turning point of the game.
Wasn't my best moment football? But it was a turning point was significant the fact that I took a penalty on that play which prevented us from continue airdrive the D&M analysis analysis of the commentators was that that was the most significant play of the game. Well, we're at a turning point in Luke. That's why I brought up the idea of Turning Point. We're at a point in Luke where terms of Jesus's Ministry things are about to change things are about to go in a New Direction and knowing the end of the story. We know that the new direction would be decisive would be significant would dramatically a drastically affect the outcome of all that Jesus would do This was a turning point in Luke's gospel in which Jesus. As it were turns his face to Jerusalem. And having completed his ministry in Galilee not completely but mainly complete his ministry he would set his eyes on Jerusalem. And commit to all that God had for him to do that's what we read about today and Luke we read from Luke chapter 9 verses 18 through 27 encourage you to read along in your bibles are on the back of the insert or up on the screen behind me Luke 9:18 through 27.
What happened to that is he Jesus was praying alone. The disciples were with him and he asked them who do the crowds say that I am. And I answered John the Baptist but others say Elijah and others that one of the prophets of old has risen. Then he said to them but who do you say that I am? And Peter answered the Christ of God. And he strictly charge and command them to tell this to no one saying the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed. And on the third day be raised and he said to all if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me for whoever would save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it for what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses are forfeits himself for whoever is ashamed of me and of my words of him will the son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father and of the Holy Angels, but I tell you truly there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God that spray. Lord we thank you for your word. We thank you for this. recording of Luke which will come to understand is a turning point in the narrative the point at which Jesus explicitly describes to his disciples what his mission would be in what it would look like and then building a pond that explains to them and to us what following him would look like Father God I thank you for it. Because it led to what we celebrated already this morning and led to the deaths of Christ for our sins and his we took the bread in his we took the cup this morning. father God we remembered and proclaimed What Christ has done for us until father got his we look at this episode? I pray that you by your spirit would use it to change us to conform us to the image of Christ.
Father we don't want to leave here the same as when we came we want to be changed and we need your help Father. Would you help me by your spirit to communicate these truths accurately and helpfully. I pray this in Christ's name. Are you mad this morning? We see in this passage that Jesus is the prophesied Royal deliver the Christ who brings Deliverance. through suffering which is followed by glory and therefore as Disciples of Christ as those who claim to follow him. We should expect suffering. prior to final Salvation and Glory fication Let's start with the idea of of Jesus as the Royal deliver. We read about him asking them a question. Who do the crowds say I am through which they responded what we've already heard before some say John the Baptist others Elijah. And others that one of the prophets of old has risen and then he turns the question he says to them but who do you say I am not the crowds? Not the people out there, but you my disciples who I have called out from among the people.
Who do you say that? I am and Peter answered the Christ of God have a title this sermon the cruciform life. We need to understand that the cruciform life begins as we are enabled by God to confess Christ through repentance and faith and in a moment, we're going to talk about what I mean by the cruciform life, but for now, we should know that it begins as we recognize and respond to who Jesus truly is. She the question of Jesus identity has been the one of the major themes of this section of Luke Luke 749 the knows who are at the table with him began to say among themselves. Who is this who even forgive sins Luke 8:25, he said to them where is your face and they were afraid and they marveled saying whether one another who is this? I'm sorry who then is this that He commands even winds and water and they obey him and then Luke 99 harritt said John I bet headed but who is this about whom I hear such things and he sought to see him. This is a question that Luke has been dealing with who is this guy? Who is this guy? Who heals the sick who cast out demons who controls the wind and the waves who forgives sins? Who is it? Even the most recently recorded Miracle the feeding of the 5000 is as Chris right up likely significantly more than that and I'll likely more than double that it was evidence of the extraordinary in Supernatural nature of Jesus. He wasn't like other men. And as we discussed several weeks ago, he is certainly a prophet but he's much more than that. And it's Peter recognizes. He is the long-awaited davidic deliver. He is the Messiah the Christ. This declaration by Peters the first time the disciples refer to him as Messiah or Christ and this confession is a suitable summary of the first half of Luke's gospel. The first half of this gospel is about identifying Jesus as the Messiah and Peter calculates all the stories and the teachings in the ceilings. That Luke has delivered us far. I need to Claire's on behalf of the disciples that Jesus is the Christ of God. He's the one they have been waiting for.
Jesus Takes that confession that good confession Any moves on from there? And focuses not on just who he is, but on what he would do on what his mission would be. into the foundation of Jesus is who he is. He's the Messiah and he's not going to build on that narrative. Luke will build on that narrative that identification of Jesus as the Messiah to talk about his mission.
We need to understand this particular. If you're here this morning, you've never entrusted your life to Christ. You need to understand that following Jesus being a disciple of Jesus being a Christian doesn't truly start until you realize Jesus truly is and for that realization to be authentic to really see him as he is. You must turn to him in faith. We read in Romans 10 verses 9 and 10 Paul saying if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be safe. With the heart One Believes and is Justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved we need to confess who Jesus is. And doing that accurately indicates an understanding and we need to believe in our hearts in the concession that we make. This is how salvation Comes This is how we are delivered.
See despite what culture or Academia will tell you Jesus is not a pagan. Myth. That was the fanciful creation of the disciples who borrowed stories from the religions around him. That's not who Jesus was. Jesus was not a failed Prophet who was himself diluted.
Through his actions led the disciples to create a religion based on Christ's own mistaken identity of himself. That's not who Jesus was. Jesus was not a moral philosopher. He was not an ultimate wisdom teacher who was promoting Timeless moral truths who didn't truly believe he was the son of God or as some experts will say never suggested. He was that's not Jesus nor was he a violent revolutionary? Who never intended to start a new religion or die for the sins of humanity? He wasn't someone who believed in the National Liberation of the Jews from Roman oppression. Which ended up in Failure through his own crucifixion? That's not Jesus. Jesus is the son of God the Messiah and a prophesied savior who reconciles people back to God back to the Creator. He's the one who doesn't through the Forgiveness of sins that he won for his people through his own substitutionary death on their behalf.
Confess. Jesus is Christ turn from your sin. Wholeheartedly trust in him. That is how we are saved. That is how Jesus delivers. And it's based on his identity. He is the deliverer. He is the messiah. It goes on from there to describe his mission Deliverance through suffering. We read any strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one saying the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. Jesus is suffering Rises here as a new theme certainly explicitly.
And as he regularly talks about the suffering that he will experience. He also talks about his Vindication that his resurrection from the dead.
Will be part and parcel with his dying for his people. I understand that the idea of a suffering Messiah would almost have been entirely outside of the disciples thinking we've been totally outside of the sinking of the nation. Probably one of the reasons why Jesus said don't don't tell people about his confession. You just made that I am the Christ keep that to yourselves because this would have been unheard of the disciples answer the nation. They were looking for someone to free them militarily. Politically from the oppression of the Romans and that wasn't going to happen now his suffering was into that early and Luke all the way back to Luke Chapter 2 verses 33 to 35 when Mary and Joseph took him to the temple, we read and his father and his mother Marvel that what was said about him and Simeon bless them and said to marry his mother behold. This child is appointed for the fall and rise in a mini in Israel. And for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own so also so that thoughts for many hearts will be revealed. Why would a sword Pierce Mary's heart? This is a I think an implied pointing to Christ's suffering but it's not explicit Luke 535 the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them. And then they will fast in those days. So there's the Binny's implied indications of suffering is coming over now. We get it explicitly the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected and because no longer applied it's explicit. And this Mission this mission of Deliverance through suffering would be the archetype for all of Jesus's followers forever. Glory comes after suffering Glory comes after suffering. It's not the gospel that many churches in this day and age specially in North America Proclaim. They proclaim the glory now.
Maybe with no suffering whatsoever. Not for True Believers. But Jesus is Mission and how he accomplished. It is a pattern for follow his forever. Glory comes after suffering. It's interesting Peter's confession. Jesus is the Christ of God. Is not the climax that we often read it like it is. No, that's just the beginning Luke spent nine chapters 42 sermons.
Really just introducing things. Introducing you to the the star of the show. Jesus Christ, and now that we have this confession in a clear picture of a pictures identity Luke is going to build on that now we're just getting started. Watch what the Son of God will do watch with the Messiah is going to accomplish. It reminds us that sometimes we can get the right answer but I'm getting the right answer we can still be wrong Peter knew the right answer but is the rest of the Gospel indicates. He didn't have it. All right. He didn't understand what was going on on entirely, you know, it's like when you're take you back to math class. Internet test where you realize that you got the right answer, but your teacher didn't give you all the marks for it. Cuz you didn't show your work. You didn't show that you understood how to get the answer. That's what's going on here. Peter has the right answer, but he doesn't understand what that really looks like.
See the demons got the answer. Correct Before Peter, didn't they? They knew he was the Christ?
The demons got the answer, right? So there is more than a mere correct answer in terms of being a disciple. There must be an understanding of who Christ is of what Christ would do and how we live in light of those truths. Peter didn't understand that Jesus life would be cruciform. What is that word cruciform? It means cross-shaped. Jesus's life would be shaped by the cross and through the cross.
And I don't think he understood that all of Christ's disciples would take the same path as Christ would be called to follow them live living their life is cruciform as well.
Do you get the answer right about Christ? But not truly understand. Can you correctly identify Jesus is the savior and deliver or sinful humanity and yet not understand how he accomplished that? Do you get the answer right? And yet not demonstrate your understanding by Living Like Jesus live. We are called to a robust understanding of who Jesus is.
And what Jesus has done? And how we live our lives in response to that. The life of a follower of Christ will be cruciform will be cross-shaped. Jesus moves from Peter's confession and his own Declaration of his own mission to description of what following Jesus is supposed to look like. And we see that it is shaped by the cross and shaped like the cross. He said to all if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses are forfeits himself. Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words of him will the son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father and of the Holy Angels, but I tell you truly there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God Jesus here indicates the proper response the god desired response to the truth of who he is and what he would do. And he gives it in a 3 full description. Take up your cross gain your life through losing it and do not be ashamed.
Begin with taking up your cross and the Holman New Testament commentary. They paraphrased I think really well what Jesus is saying here to those who would follow him? Play paraphrases Words many of you have followed me from place to place waiting for healing and miracles. You are seeking the wrong thing. Yes, I provide healing and miracles to those in need. Those are signs of God's power. Is it brings his kingdom to Earth through me but that is not where this Earthly Ministry leads the final Road you travel as You Follow Me leads to a criminal's cross not a gold cross on a chain that enhances the beauty of the we're not a piece of art in a museum that enhances the reputation of the artist or bring xatu a young art student not a mass across the top of Cathedral that marks off a holy Place know this cross is among the world's coolest instruments of torture. You cannot wear this cross. You must have bear it. You Barrett to the cover government's place of capital punishment. It becomes for you the gas chamber the electric chair. The lethal injection all rolled into one. Jesus is trying to convey to his disciples what their life would light look like. We see clearly as the gospels go on that they were not expecting suffering. They were expecting victory. Immediate temporal physical Victory in Jesus was communicating know your life will be cruciform. And it goes on a quite a few details to describe this he starts with this idea of taking up your cross and which are three ideas denying yourself taking up the cross and following. The grammar indicates that The Following comes out of denying yourself and taking up your cross. What is it to follow Jesus? It's to deny yourself and take up your cross. That's what it is to follow Jesus the life of a disciple of Jesus consists in self-denial. I think about this the beginning of the life of a disciple coming to faith in Christ. Is the realization that you cannot save yourself? Salvation does not come to you on your own terms and buy your own merits. From the very onset of disciples life is about denying yourself. And it's real the life of following Christ the disciple never leaves this principle that is a continual daily dying to self and living for God. We do not confess ourselves. We confess Christ. We do not look to ourselves. We look to Christ. We do not trust in ourselves. We trust in Christ. We do not serve ourselves we serve Christ.
I asked you this morning is self denial. a regular noticeable intentional component of your life of faith in Jesus Christ
If the answer is no and I asked is it Christ you are following.
Is it Christ you are following when is the last time you denied yourself? What's the last time you did not die yourself the time you wish to keep to yourself. and served other people When was the last time you denied yourself the money that you weren't? And gave it away to someone else to hell. When was the last time you denied yourself your own desire something you wanted for yourself?
In order to to serve to give elsewhere.
After talking about self denial, he says take up your cross taking up one's cross is the image of the Roman criminal sentenced to die for a heinous crime a criminal, but would be required to carry the employment of his torture and death. It was a visual demonstration of the criminals submission to the power and the authority of the state. We're going to show the public who's in charge and who's in control. You're going to carry. The very device that we're going to use to kill you. I was a Roman's approach. It reminds us that the self-denial discipleship is not only an inward invisible principal it is that but it's also an outward visible lifestyle. It should be able to be recognized. And it reminds us that we are to deny ourselves and submit to the authority of our creator.
The cruciform life of the Disciples of life that looks like Jesus. It's a life that expects and experiences suffering a difficulties in trials that precede the anticipated Glory of a resurrected life. That will be Live Forever In God's Presence Paul again and Romans chapter 8 verses 8 or 14 through 18 for all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. He's talking about disciples here, but you did not receive the spirit of Slavery to fall back into fear, but you ever see the spirit of adoption is songs by only cry Abba Father the spirit of self Bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and of children than Aires. Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ It's all sounds great so far, doesn't it? Provided we suffer with him and that in order that we may also be glorified with him for I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Deny yourself and take up your cross. The disciples life is cruciform. It is cross shape that is shaped by the cross and through the cross John Piper on this passage says, there are two great Russe in this verse when is that? We are going to receive a great inheritance, including our own glorification. And the other is that we are going to have to suffer in order to receive it. Suffering is a difficult reality of the disciples life. We need to expect it. We need to injure it and our motivation for those things of the gospel of Christ because he did it for us. You're here this morning and you're not a Believer. You've never entrusted yourself to Christ. Let me assure you that we do not promise you your best life now. That's not what we're suggesting here. We do not offer to you this morning a formula for a beautiful life live to its full potential in the Here and Now. You may hear that offer another churches. That's not what we are proclaiming this morning. in many ways following Christ the word ends in Eternal Bliss will be much much more difficult than the life you now live. And yes, we believe he is the Christ. We believe that through him we have forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the father. And through him we will have eternal joy in a life spent with him. Finally regards to hang up a cross or the word follow. The essence of discipleship is following Jesus. That's why sufferings part of it. Cuz if we follow him we live like like he live and the essence of our following is self-denial and taking up one's cross the the idea of following Jesus goes well beyond their the disciples idea of students in a rabbi a life in which a disciple could opt to travel with and learn from his mentor but still maintain a fairly ordinary life rather following Jesus is a call to have one's whole life and existence patterned after and determined by a crucified Messiah.
Play the original disciples. They were to literally follow Jesus to Jerusalem. and to experience his death
but following that for both of them and every other disciple who would follow Christ We follow him as it were metaphorically to our own death. And through that desk to Glory because of what he has done.
And following Christ. We live a cruciform life a cross-shaped life a life. Which ended as his did by death on a cross and then proceeded to Glory through Resurrection. And because of that we realize that losing our life is actually the gaining of our life. To gain your life is an explanation. The Jesus gives in regards to the ideas of denying yourself and taking up your cross and follow in your life. He's suggesting that you can be in control of your life.
Well that but that will lead to its loss Oregon can be intro in control of your life which initially seems like losing your life, but ultimately results in gaining it. You can seek to save your life by ignoring Jesus. And pursuing comfort and pursuing safety and pursuing security and worldly things. But that is a Surefire way to lose your life. However, if you surrender your pursuit of a colonel Worley gaining of your life. And entrust your life and your spiritual welfare to Christ. You will have gained your life. What are the commentators Illustrated this point by raising the idea of Investments? Particularly, if we use a financial advisor, we take our money. And we say to the financial advisor. It's yours will take our hands off of it will take our control off of it. You take it and do with it as you see fit.
That is we lose our money. Hopefully to gain it back. To gain it back and more on top of it. I was not a Perfect Analogy because you could argue that we are the rightful owners of that money. We give to the financial advisor. Whereas we're not the rightful owners of our own life. The rightful owner of my life is my creator. And yet we get that idea of handing over our lives to God's control. And letting him do with it as he sees fit and having faith that the returns will Beyond be beyond our wildest dreams. We must lose our life the game. I'm finally finished this morning crisis. Do not be ashamed. To be ashamed of Christ words and work is to reject him.
J C Ryle What are the many times already in this series on Luke? He's so good. He says in regards to this verse there are many ways of being ashamed of Christ. We are guilty of it whenever we are afraid of letting men know that we love his doctrines his precepts and his people. We are guilty of it. Whenever we allow the fear of man to Prevail over us had to keep us back from letting others see that we are decided Christians whenever we acting this way. We are denying or mastering committed a great sin. The wickedness of being ashamed of Christ is very great. It is a proof of unbelief. It shows that we care more for the praise of men whom we can see than that of God whom we cannot see it is a proof of ingratitude. It shows that we fear confessing him before man. We Fear confessing him who is not ashamed to Die For Us upon the cross wretched indeed of those who give way to this sin here in this world they are always miserable a bad conscience Rob's in a piece in the world to come they can look for no Comfort if they will not confess Christ for a few years upon Earth than in the Day of Judgement they must expect to be disowned by Christ eternity Let us be resolved this morning to never be ashamed of Christ.
I'll send Anna Worley in this let us be ashamed of those things. But of Christ in his cause we have no right to be ashamed at all.
The list three things their religious doctrines and precepts and people we are guilty of this being ashamed of Christ whenever we are afraid of letting men know that we love his doctrines his precepts and his people are we ashamed of his doctrines? Are we ashamed of unconditional election Andrea shamed of the Eternal conscious suffering of those who reject Christ ashamed of penal substitutionary atonement are we ashamed of the exclusivity of Christ?
Those are his words. Are we ashamed of them are we shamed of his precepts of his command or ashamed of what he says about sexuality and about sexual practices and we have beerus to speak about that. Tobias shamed of his commands in regards to abortion and what that is and are posture towards it. Wish end of his precepts in regards to what gender is. marriages
are we ashamed of his people? We shamed of our brothers and sisters and perfect as they are in perfect as we are.
Is a questions we need to ask ourselves.
There goes too many of these things. It's it's gut-check time. Our culture in our society is explicitly contrary to these things contrary to his doctrines contrary to his precepts country now even to his people that's new.
Are we ashamed of Christ?
If we are his disciples Our Lives will be cruciform. They will be shaped by the cross and shaped like the cross. We will deny ourselves. We will take up our crosses and we will follow him. We will lose our life in order to gain it and we will not be ashamed of our good and glorious savior. Let's pray.
Father we thank you for your word this morning on the challenge, which it contains a challenge If we're honest that is too big for us.
The challenge to deny ourselves and to take up your cross and follow you.
Lord of War honest about that is too much for us. We're challenged to gain our life by losing it will challenge to not be ashamed and then on the other selves we confess father God we cannot do it.
And yes, you can and you did. Can you demonstrate it to us what it meant to be the Messiah to be the Savior and you call us to follow you I Pray by your spirit. You would help each one of us this morning Lord is your spirit convicted Us in regards to these things that were called to I pray that you would help us to turn from the sin. And to entrust ourselves to you for the Forgiveness of those sins and for strength to walk differently. Help us to see father got the reality of who you are and what you did and what that means for our lives.
Help us to respond Faithfully to those things.
We need your help. We ask for in Christ name a minute.