Matthew 16:21-28 The Cost of the Cross

New Living Translation Chapter 16

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

The rejection and death of the Messiah is necessary.

We see a transition in how Jesus communicated with his disciples. He was not speaking in parables. He was being “plain” in his language yet they still did not understand. They could not wrap their minds around what Jesus was telling them about his fate.

Why?

Was it their Messianic expectation? Was it fear that what could happen to Jesus would happen to them?

Killed by the religious.

“hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law” were the ones who will kill Jesus.

Those who knew the law and the Word were the ones that instigated and demanded the murder of the Messiah.

In ministry, the people that I experience the most pushback from are other Christians. Other religious people. The ones that I have to explain why our home church model is a valid model are other Christians. Not non-religious people. The ones that I have to defend my role as a female pastor to are the religious.

Christianity is a religion, we would be identified as a religious because we are Christians. We are Christians because we proclaim and teach that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He came to earth as fully God and fully man to live, die and resurrect so that we could be restored in righteous relationship God, our creator.

Religious and non-religious persecute people.

But God calls the religious people (us) to free the oppressed, stand up and care for the widows and orphans, to be voices of hope and people of peace.

What kind of religious person in your neighbors and circle of influence?

The kind that killed Christ or the kind that shows Christ?

Even the idea of saying we’re religious is negative in today’s culture. We must ask why?

What is the history of the church and the culture of the church that has communicated directly and indirectly to the world that we are about rules instead fo relationship? That we are exclusive instead of inclusive? That we are judgmental instead of just?

The religious people of Jesus’ day wanted his death. They couldn’t see what was right in front of them because of their rules and regulation.

The cost of the cross was not a surprise to Jesus.

So we shouldn’t be surprised by the cost we need to pay follow Him. Jesus predicts the hardship that He would face and this isn’t the first or last time Jesus will allude to what must be done to reconcile humanity to God.

Verse 21 is a message of loss and hope. He would die BUT HE would come back. This is the Gospel! Our message hinges on the resurrection. It is not non negotiable.

Jesus predicts his death again in Matthew 17:22-23 and Matthew 20:18-19 and it all concludes the resurrection on the 3rd.

Peter tried to shut down Jesus!

verse 23: Jesus counter rebukes Peter after Peter pulled him aside. Peter had confidentially “taken Jesus aside,” Jesus now “turns on him” to issue a public reprimand.

Peter the rock becomes a stumbling block.

Last week we read about about how Peter was the rock that the church will be built on. Now we see Jesus publically correcting Peter with severe language “Get behind me, Satan”. The words to “get behind” is emphasizing how Jesus is disassociating himself from Peter’s ideology.

I see this interchange between Peter and Jesus as:

A look into the human condition. Peter wanted gains without pain.

Example to us. Peter shows that we can be used by God yet still be a tool for Satan to tear people down. We must abide and align in the Word of God, in prayer and worship so we do not become tools of Satan to spread false ideology.

Jesus loves us so much that He would correct us. We are willing to get into an uncomfortable conversation and navigate tension for the sake of those we love.

We easily shut down the move of God in our day because we are bound more to rules and regulation instead of righteousness, resurrection and relationship.

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

Give up your way.

Take up your cross.

Follow me.

It seems like fairly simple instructions but each part asks us to give up something: Giving up anything is hard if you do not believe that God is good and cares for you.

Control and trust

Death and life

Disobedience and obedience

What is our way?

“You must give up your own way.”

Jesus will not force you to follow Him. You get to choose to give up your way. Not your neighbor’s way or your mama’s way but YOUR way.

The building of our own kingdom of possession, power and privilege.

What does “take up your cross” mean?

The cross represents the burden of preaching and teaching the Gospel. The cross that Jesus died on is now the iconic representation of new life in Christ. The tool of execution is the symbol of resurrection.

To take up our cross is to take up the death of self in exchange for life in Christ.

To take up our cross is to proclaim the Gospel even when it is unpopular and uncomfortable.

To take up our cross is to be willing to give up our ideas and plans for our lives in exchange for the plans that God has for us.

To take up our cross is to be used as vessels for the Kingdom of God. What pours in must pour out.

To take up our cross means the heart to die to our preferences, privileges, possessions

What does it actually mean to follow Jesus?

Jesus cannot just be Savior. He must be Lord.

Jesus is not your “fire insurance” which I absolutely hate that term. He’s not the back up plan.

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

How will you lose your life?

It’s not death because death is not final in the scheme of eternity. We lose our life when we lose our way in pursuit of things that fade away.

Kingdom work is the work that matters.

Am I saying that your job does not matter? No.

I am saying that you are in the places you are in for the purpose of the Gospel. You might be getting a paycheck but you are also getting opportunities to live and love like Christ to those around you.

You are getting chances in your neighborhoods to show God’s goodness. You are not there just to live there. You are there to bring life and life abundantly through Chris.

“…according to what they have done.”

Not just what we say. Not what we post on social media as keyboard warriors. But what we actually do.

It is too easy to SAY that we stand up against injustice. Actually standing up and speaking up against injustice requires more.

Actions require more because actions have more risks.

It is too easy to SAY that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. People pay attention when we LIVE like Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.

The world is tired of hypocrites.

Do our words align with our actions? Are our actions align with our words?

Testimony of our life flows when these two things are aligned.

Takeaway Questions

What kind of religious person are you?

Is Christ Lord and Savior? Or just Savior?

What does it mean for you to follow Christ?

Do your actions align with your words?

How are you really doing?