Sermon for the service of April 2, 2017 by Pastor Steve Hopkins[social_warfare buttons=”Facebook”]
The Secret to Life
- From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:21-28, NRSV)
- The Context – Surrounded by glory:
- “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16, NRSV)
- Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. (Matthew 17:1-3, NRSV)
- The Problem? We want the Kingdom without the cross:
- “God forbid it Lord! This must never happen to you!” (Peter)
- “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9, NLT)
- The cross is a stumbling block: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:21-23, NRSV)
- Jesus’ Answer? Take up your cross and follow me: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ (1 Peter 2:21-24, NIV)
- Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13, NIV)
Δ?: So, how can I be a disciple of Jesus today? What does this call to follow Jesus mean for me?
- So, what’s the secret to life? “Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which is in Aramaic called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZERETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (John 19:17-19, NIV)