“On the Road with Jesus”

You may remember some road trips with your family when you were younger. Perhaps back then you didn’t have your personal tablet or video player to keep you entertained. You may have even interacted with your family along the way. You probably noticed things along the side of the road as you passed by. My how times have changed. Perhaps we should get back to the way things were. We might learn some thing from one another.

Immediately after casting the unclean spirit out of the little boy, Jesus led His men on a road trip that would go through Galilee to Capernaum and ultimately to Jerusalem. Along the way Jesus used illustrations to turn the understanding of His disciple “right-side-up”. Even though they had been with Him for almost three years, their value system was still that of the world in which they lived. When a person becomes a Christian today, the same thing has to happen. They must reject the world’s values and embrace the values of the Kingdom of God.

Explanation: (Why?)

1. Obedience to God’s will is paramount (vv30-32)

“Then they left that place and made their way through Galilee, but He did not want anyone to know it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after He is killed, He will rise three days later.’ But they did not understand His statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.”

Again we find Jesus wanting to have some private time with His followers. He didn’t want to be interrupted by those who were either seeking healing, deliverance or who were just interested on-lookers. What He had to say was extremely important because He didn’t want them to be caught off guard. For that same reason, those of us who are alive today should pay particular attention to the teaching of Jesus because it helps us be ready for what is rapidly approaching. This is the second time Jesus brought up the subject of His arrest, persecution, death, burial and resurrection. However this time He mentions for the first time being betrayed. This is all part of the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. The absolute obedience of Christ is essential to our salvation. Should He have deviated even the slightest, we would remain in our sinful, condemned condition. What we sometimes fail to realize is that Jesus did have an option. He could have at any point decided not to go through with the plan that the Trinity had devised before time began. He CHOSE to be obedient. Paul wrote in Phil. 2:8 “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death---even to death on a cross.” One commentator wrote; “We must not forget: God purposely killed His Son in order that He might not kill us! The way to the crown is by way of the cross.”

The absolute obedience of Christ is our example. We must become absolutely obedient to the commands of the Father and the Son. All disobedience is sin! Even delayed disobedience is sin! When (not if) we fail to be obedient, we must confess it as sin, be forgiven and cleansed by our Heavenly Father and be filled with Holy Spirit so that we can continue being conformed to the image of Jesus. (Ro. 8:29) In 1 John 1:3-4 the “beloved Apostle” wrote, “This is how we know that we know Him: if we keep His commands. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar and the truth is not in him.” Disobedience is NOT an option for the believer.

2. Service is the path to greatness (vv 33-37)

The disciples (the kids in the back seat on the road trip) had engaged in an animated conversation, perhaps unaware that Jesus was listening in. “They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house (probably Peter’s house) he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’” Oh-oh! Busted! “But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.” Are you aware that God is listening in to every conversation you have? Do you know that He is aware of your “inmost thoughts”? I remember an old Captain Marvel comic book where one of the arch-enemies invented a machine that would make a person’s thoughts audible. The only one who didn’t get in trouble was Captain Marvel. While others would see an over-weight person and think (out loud) “What a fat slob!” Captain Marvel would think (out loud) “My what a pleasant expression on that person’s face.”

God heard the unkind thoughts you have had this morning about someone you saw here at church. You can either ask forgiveness immediately or be asked about it later when you have your one-on-one with the LORD. Paul wrote in Rom. 14:12 “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” There is a transcript of every thought & word that is not according to the will of God and that has not already been confessed.

Again Jesus grabbed a “teachable moment”. “Sitting down, (the posture of a Rabbi when ready to teach) He called the Twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all.’ He took a child (maybe one of Peter’s children) and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes on little child such as this in My Name welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me, but Him who sent Me.’”

Jesus had personified service throughout His life here on earth. His greatest act of service in the presence of the disciples was yet to come…the washing of their feet before the Feast of the Passover. The last sentence of v 37 brings to mind what Matthew recorded in his gospel 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘LORD, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see You sick, or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’” No good deed in Jesus’ Name goes unnoticed by our Father in Heaven. Who are you serving today?

3. Christ and Christ Alone (vv 38-41)

There are churches today that teach that if you aren’t baptised, then you aren’t saved. Other churches teach that if you haven’t received “the second blessing”, you are deficient in your Christianity. Still other churches practice “closed communion” which means that if you aren’t a member of that particular church you can’’t take communion. Those are just a few examples of the “groupie” mentality of many churches. To a degree the disciples had a “groupie” mentality. In v 38 we find John speaking out and saying, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

In the first place, if he were successfully driving out demons in Jesus’s Name, he was as much a follower of Christ as John was. In the second place, the disciples themselves found that they could not cast out demons on their own. If John thought that Jesus was going to say “Good job, John!” he was greatly mistaken.

“‘Don’t stop him,’ said Jesus, ‘because there is no one who will perform a miracle in My Name who can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us. And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ---truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.’”

I went to high school with a boy who lived in an orphanage that was run by a particular denomination. If he happened to go to our church with a friend, he would be punished by the leaders of the orphanage because they believed that their denomination members were the only ones going to heaven. Years ago I came to the conclusion that anyone who believed that salvation was by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone, were my brother or sister, regardless of their denomination. You and I may be surprised who we meet when we get to heaven. It is interesting that John, who brought this up to Jesus, later quoted Jesus in his gospel 10:16 “But I have other sheep who are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Jesus made a logical argument when He said, “whoever is not against us is for us.” In Mt. 12:30 He presented the alternate idea. “Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me, scatters.”

The bottom line is anyone who has accepted the command from Jesus to “Follow me” is my brother or sister regardless of what church they attend. Jesus and Jesus alone is what counts.

4. Hell is no joke (vv 42-50)

I know that I’m violating an unwritten law by having 4 points in a sermon, but this passage just kind of fell out that way. We live in a day and time when you don’t hear much preaching on Hell and eternal punishment. Jesus had no qualms when it came to teaching about Hell.

“But whoever causes one of these little ones (immature disciples) who believe in Me to fall away---it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” There are times when baby Christians are caused to stumble and even to lose faith when they see what an older Christian does, or hears what they say. By the same token, there are churches that do nothing to help a new believer grow in their faith. They fail to disciple them. In either case Jesus warns that there are dire consequences awaiting them.

“And if your hand causes you to fall away, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell, the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to fall away, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to fall away, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Jesus is not suggesting that self mutilation is the way to deal with sin. No body part can cause you to sin. Sin is a matter of the heart. There are some sexual predators that try to overcome their sin by castration, only to find that the desires are still there. There must be a rebirth…a new heart, in order for one to overcome sin. Unless and until that happens, a person is hell bound. Jesus cuts no slack when He describes hell as a place where a person never dies, and the fire never goes out. He quoted from Isa. 66:24 which described the enemies of God and their destiny. Hell is a place where people are always in the throes of death without ever dying. The pain continues without ever letting up.

The last two verses of this passage deal with “salt” as a metaphor for both preservation, flavor and persecution.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with everyone.”

In v 49 Jesus seems to be referring to the use of salt in OT sacrifices. Certain sacrifices required that salt be thrown into the fire. He is saying that everyone must experience testing and be purified through suffering and persecution. Peter, who was being quoted here by Mark, wrote in 1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed.”

In v 50 Jesus emphasized the importance of salt in that time. There was no refrigeration, therefore salt was important as a preservative. Also, it gave flavor to otherwise bland food. The salt that came from the Dead Sea would often lose its “saltiness” over time. When that happened, it was only good for being “thrown out and trampled under peoples’ feet.” Matt. 5:13

Jesus was saying to the Twelve, and through them to us that we, as disciples are responsible for preserving the faith through the spread of the gospel and for adding flavor to life by living out the principles of God’s Word. Don’t go out of your way to pick a fight with anyone, but rather, “be at peace with everyone.”

Application: (How does this impact my life today?)

Are you certain of your eternal destination or do you just “hope” that God will let you into heaven?

Have you ever surrendered your life to Jesus?

Can others see Jesus in you?

Are you dealing fiercely with sin by confession and repentance, or do you try to “cut yourself some slack”?

Are you preserving the Good News of Jesus and adding flavor to life by obeying the commands of God?

If revival in America depended on your prayer life would there be a revival?

Henry Blackaby wrote “In your church alone, there are enough of God’s people---if they were serious with God---to turn the nation back to God.” How are we doing Faith Baptist Church? How are YOU doing?

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