Suffering, then Glory

This morning we’re gathered before Jesus rose from the dead. Do you believe that? Do you believe he’s the Messiah? Do you believe that he offered himself to be a sacrifice to pay for our sins? A propitiation - a sacrifice that appeases, satisfies, and removes the wrath of God? Do you believe that by faith in him you can be forgiven your sins? That the same power that raised Jesus from the dead can bring you to life? Spiritual life, eternal life?

We believe that. And we believe that though we are guilty sinners, Jesus death, burial, and resurrection is a door for us to be reconciled to God. And we are redeemed through him, and look forward to eternal glory in heaven.

But we’re not there yet, we still got a life on earth to lead. And I wonder what you expect this life to be like? What are your expectations of a Christian life?

It’s hard not to have expectations, we always do. And then we compare our experience with our expectations. As kids, we stay up late on Christmas Eve with high expectations. We can’t wait to get married because we have high expectations. Then maybe you got pregnant, and you have expectations for what it might be like to have a child.

And often our expectations are dashed. We didn’t get the Christmas gift we wanted, marriage is much harder than we thought, having a child is exhausting and demanded. There’s a let down.

But what are your expectations for your life as a follower of Jesus? Let down? Surprised?

In our text, Jesus is shaping his disciples’ expectations, and as he instructs them, we will see that we are instructed along with him. And I wonder if there are any here who have thought they were following Jesus, only to realize they’re not. What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Mark 8:31-9:8.

If the book of Mark is a mountain, Mark 8:29 is the pinnacle. That’s where Peter declares the true identity of Christ: “You are the Christ.” Everything before Mark 8:29 is leading up to it, everything after it flows from it. Jesus has been attempting to increase his disciples' understanding of who he is, and here, finally Peter gets it right: “You are the Christ.” The Messiah. What would the Messiah be? 5 things: 1) He was God’s chosen one. 2) He was God’s sinless servant. 3) He would be God incarnate; both God and man; 4) He would be established as king. And 5) He would rule the world in righteousness.

But in verse 31 Jesus begins to “teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed.” This rattled the disciples in a way hard for us this side of the cross to understand. Peter rebukes Jesus, he’s so distraught - “This cannot happen!” I think they were devastated.

The Messiah would usher in would be glorious, and it would lead to the glory of God covering the whole world. Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This was the expectation of Peter and the disciples - the glorious Messiah, setting up his glorious kingdom, and ruling the whole world.

But now, this talk about suffering? This talk about rejection? Death?

In this section, Jesus is providing the disciples with a set of expectations. And he has two major themes, like ballasts on both sides of the boat, keeping balance - suffering and glory. And we need to take these expectations and make them our own.

Anticipate suffering.

These events are happening about 6 months before his crucifixion, so now we’re coming to the home stretch, and Jesus really needs to prepare his disciples for his departure, and so he’s teaching them that he has to die. But it was so utterly foreign to them, so astounding; they did not have a category for it. They couldn’t grasp it. They struggled with it.

But then, it gets worse for the disciples. Look at verse 34: “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” In other words, Jesus not only starts telling his disciples that he’s going to suffer, he starts telling them that they’re going to suffer.

Now I want to point out that there are two forms of suffering in verse 34. The first is self-denial, the second is take up your cross.

First, self-denial. Self-denial is the kind of suffering that we bring upon ourselves. It’s the kind of suffering that is produced by love. This is the father who turns down a promotion to be more available to a responsible father who trains up his children. This is the business owner who makes a lot of money, and out of love gives generously to his church and those in need. This is the young person who defies the promises of the American Dream in order to be poured out for the poor and unreached people.

Self-denial is when we would rather suffer than someone else. That’s at the heart of the cross, isn’t it? Jesus deserved glory, we deserved wrath. But Jesus, out of love for his own, set aside his glory and took upon himself our guilt.

This lifestyle magnifies the glory of Christ. Self-denial proves to the world that Christ has satisfied me, and I need nothing else. I am content in him, he is my treasure! Self-denial means you use your money to show that Christ is more valuable than money. Enjoy comfort, but treasure Christ and his purposes more than comfort. Convenience is fine, but you’d rather join Jesus on the calvary road. Self-denial.

Second kind of suffering: “take up your cross.” “I am going to be rejected. I am going to be killed. And if you want to follow me, get ready to die with me.” One commentator writes, “Jesus’ saying evokes the picture of a condemned man going out to die who is forced to carry on his back the cross-beam upon which he is to be nailed at the place of execution.” I am going to suffer, and if you follow me, be prepared to take that cross-beam, place it on your back, and walk the same road I will walk.

And sometimes these two sufferings come together. Because we are filled with love, we move toward people with grace and truth, and we are rejected and maligned for it.

One of my favorite examples of this is in Acts 21. Paul’s on his way to Jerusalem and a prophet named Agabus comes and warns him that if he goes there he’s going to get into trouble. And he warns him in a graphic way. He takes off Paul’s belt, ties up his own hands and feet, and says, “If you go to Jerusalem, this is what they’ll do to you.”

Paul: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Self-denial - I’m not living for myself, my plans, my dreams, my accomplishments; I’m living for Jesus, on his mission, so that God would be glorified and people be saved.

But also, I’m willing to take up my cross. Imprisonment is nothing. I’ll die if I need to.

This is one thing the modern American church is ill-prepared to do. Christians are too often coddled, churches are too often pampered. The gospel becomes another self-help program. The affluence and relative peace we’ve experienced will soon give away, and Christians who do not know how to deny themselves and take up their cross will flounder.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in the face of increasing Nazi oppression, called the church not to cave to the cheap, nominal, superficial, shallow Christianity. He was eventually captured by the Gestapo and hanged - April 9th, 1945. But one of the books he wrote was called The Cost of Discipleship, in which he wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die!”

This is what Jesus taught. This is what Paul lived. In Acts 14:22 when Paul and Barnabas went back to encourage the new churches they planted, what did they say: it says they were “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Church, do you realize that in following Jesus, you have chosen to deny yourself? And you have chosen to take up your cross? Some want Jesus as savior but reject him as Lord. This is a false salvation. Bonhoeffer again: “The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ.”

This is not some radical form of Christianity, some super-serious, cult-like thing. This is literally what Jesus taught, what Paul lived, and what Christians down through history knew. It’s our rich, placid, affluent context that has made us uniquely vulnerable to forgetting this reality.

The disciples are hearing this stuff. They’re rattled. And so Jesus wants to encourage them. Jesus wants to show them that it will all be worth it. He’s going to show them something: 9:1 “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” Jesus is not talking about the full establishment of the messianic kingdom, he’s indicating that some of his own disciples will get a glimpse of the kingdom. They’ll see the king, in the land, in his glory.

He’s going to show them his glory. He’s going to skyrocket their understanding of who he is, he’s going to give them a preview of the coming glory, he’s going to give them an experience that they will never forget. This is what they need to make it through the coming suffering - and this, church, is what we need - a vision, a grasp, a heart full of awe before the glorious Christ!

Anticipate Glory

The visible glory. “After six days” - six days after Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ. “Peter, James, and John.” Jesus had 12 disciples, but three of them were particularly close, Jesus wanted them with him. “And led them up a high mountain.” They’re north of Galilee now, were just in Caesarea Philippi, and the most likely mountain is Mt. Hermon. So the four of them head up. Luke includes the detail that they were going up to pray.

And then Mark just says. Doesn’t try to explain it, just briefly mentions it as a historical fact. “And he was transfigured before them.” Luke says it happened while Jesus was praying. So they’re up on a mountain praying, and as they’re praying, something incredible begins to happen - Jesus begins to transfigure.

Now what in the world does that mean? The Greek word is “metamorpheo” - of course, it’s the word we get the word “metamorphosis” from. “Meta” means change, “morpheo” means form. The word literally means to change one’s form. His nature doesn’t change, but his appearance does. Matthew says, “his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light.” Luke says, “his face became different.” Mark here says the clothes were “radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”

All the gospels include the fact of the brilliant, blazing, radiant light. Which is important.

When God first speaks to Moses in the burning bush, there’s a form of light. When God reveals his glory to Moses, it is in blazing light. When God leads the Israelites, it’s a cloud and it’s a fire by night. Paul says to Timothy that “God dwells in unapproachable light.” In heaven, there will be no need for sun or moon, because God’s glory will be the light.

And here, with just three men on a mountain in north Israel, the light of God is breaking through in the person of Jesus Christ. In other words, this is Jesus' way of helping them visualize who he actually is. Jesus is God in the flesh, the Creator became a man, the glorious God of heaven who became a man on earth.

The historical witness. Now he’s going to make a point by bringing forward two of the most important figures in Jewish history: Moses and Elijah. “And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.” What’s going on here? First: these are witnesses.

According to the Bible, a disputed matter must be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If one accuses a sin against an elder, the Bible says there must be two or three witnesses. When there’s a church discipline case, it must be established by two or three witnesses. These two men - Elijah and Moses, are witnesses to the glory of Christ.

Why these two men in particular? It’s an interesting question, and the text isn’t clear, so all we can do is come up with an educated guess. The traditional view is that Moses represents the law, Elijah represents the prophets, and Jesus standing up with them is presenting himself as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Jesus will perfectly fulfill and obey God’s law, and he will also be the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. Maybe.

I’m more persuaded by the idea that Moses and Elijah were both people who, in service to God, suffered greatly because of the ungodly people around them. Moses was called by God to go before Pharaoh, stand against him, and deliver God’s people from Egypt. And then once he led Egypt out of the wilderness, he became the object of derision by his own people. They complained against him, blamed him, and even wanted to be rid of him.

Elijah’s life was a constant face-off with false prophets of Baal and wicked kings in Israel. Ahab called him a “troubler of Israel,” Jezebel wanted to kill him, and as he fought for truth and righteousness he became a target for the hatred of those who were rejecting God.

Now Mark says they were talking. What were they talking about? Luke includes this detail, that they “spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.” What’s his departure? He’s talking about his death.

It’s hard for us to fathom what this would be like for Peter, James, and John. To see Moses? To see Elijah? Those were the people he read about, heard about, studied, and emulated. And here they are not on the page but right in front of them. It’d be like one of us seeing George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Jesus is bringing out witnesses to this fact - the Messiah will suffer, but that does not undo his glory. Elijah, Moses, and Jesus are all talking about Jesus’ death - something the disciples couldn’t grasp. But the fact that they’re all there talking about it also proves that death is not the end. Look, Moses and Elijah are fine. Consider how they suffered, and here they are!

Now verse 5: “And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”

There are some people who when they don’t know what to say, they don’t say anything. That’s James and John. And there are others who, when they don’t know what to say, they blabber. That’s Peter. He just starts talking.

He talks about building three tents. Why? He’s thinking of tabernacles - he’s thinking about creating new tents of meeting, where Moses can deliver his law to people, where Elijah can give prophecy, and where Jesus can teach. In other words, he still doesn’t get the death thing. His suggestion to build tents is another clue that he’s hoping the kingdom glory comes now. But it’s not going to come, not yet. He needs to die.

The audible confirmation. Verse 7: “And a cloud overshadowed them,” - the one “overshadowed” has the idea of coming into existence, appearing from nowhere. Clearly supernatural, again, reminding us of the glory cloud that led Israel out of Egypt.

“and a voice came out of the cloud” Here’s the third witness. And it’s God the Father. ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’ You want a kingdom without a cross, but listen to my son. He’s telling you about his death, he’s telling you he must die, but he’s also showing you that he will overcome death, that he will be glorified, that he will conquer.

Listen to him. Trust him. He does have to die. He will rise from the dead. And if you follow him into suffering, you can be sure that you will share in his glory.

It took Peter a while, but eventually he got this. 1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

“And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.”

So will it be worth it? Turn to Revelation 5.

Is he worthy?

So here we are. 21st century Christians. And we know that God’s word is for us; Jesus invitation to gain our lives by following him into self-denial, suffering, and death is set before us. We can almost imagine Morpheus with two pills in front of us. Choose the blue pill, and go on living in that imaginary world where Jesus is a kind of cosmic hippie who can get you into heaven if just just believe hard enough. Or you can choose the red pill - the truth presented here: that Jesus is the king of the whole universe, that he is the most glorious reality we can experience, that he is worthy of all honor, and praise and glory, and might - and that it will be our highest joy to follow him into self-denial and sacrificial love, and that if we do suffer for his name, it will be infinitely worth it.

Will you follow him?