Mark 8:29-9:13
I love Communism. It’s a system based on sharing, where everyone is equal, where people work out of the goodness of their heart for the benefit of their fellow man, rather than for selfish motives. It’s a great system. But it’s also a stupid system. Utterly foolish. Because it presumes that people will act for the good of others. It presumes that central leaders with unsurpassed power will not act selfishly or corruptly. Capitalism assumes that people are selfish and greedy, and harnesses that selfishness to make the system work. It is sad that communism fails, and capitalism succeeds. It tells a sad story about us.
The fall of Communism and the (relative) success of capitalism confirms what the Bible says about people: we are utterly selfish, devoted only to our own well-being. We need a saviour. We need someone to change our selfish hearts into selfless hearts. We need a rescuer: a Messiah, a Christ.
1. “I see people, but they look like trees”
Mark 8:29 is a watershed moment in the gospel of Mark. The first 8 chapters have all been leading up to this point: WHO IS JESUS? Who is this man who can walk on water, heal the sick, who has obvious awesome power, and yet is humble and kind and compassionate and never strikes back at his enemies or detractors? Who is this man filled with power and authority?
Ding! The lightbulb goes off, and Peter finally declares: You are the Christ!
Now if you look for Christ or Messiah (the Hebrew word for Christ (“kristos” is Greek, the language the New Testament was written in)) – if you search for the word Messiah in the Old Testament you won’t find it. Because Messiah just means “anointed” (oil poured on a person or thing to set it apart as holy). People anointed for service were the priests (working in the Temple, performing the sacrifices for the people before God – mediators between the people and God); the prophets (who spoke God’s word); the kings (rulers of God’s people).
The Messiah, therefore, was a prophet, a priest or a king, or perhaps all three! Someone set apart for the service of God. The Old Testament (Hebrew portion of the Bible) looked forward to an “Anointed One” who would come: A prophet like Moses; A king like David; The anointed Servant of Isaiah (e.g. Is 53).
The dominant thinking in the time of Jesus was the “king like David” Messiah. A political liberator. The Jews were ruled over by Rome, and they wanted salvation. They wanted power and influence and prestige like they had in the days of old. They wanted to be out from under the boot of Rome, and their puppet king, Herod. Herod’s taxes were heavy, and the soldiers and tax collectors often took much even more than the already heavy taxes. Life was hard, unfair. The Jews were reduced to an insignificant part of a vast Empire.
So when Peter declares “you are the Christ”, that’s what he has in mind: a warrior King like David. But he has forgotten the other pictures of the Messiah: the leader of the Exodus, Moses, and the Suffering Servant from Isaiah. And Jesus rebukes him - For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.
Peter’s words are the words of Satan, tempting Jesus to take the easy road, paved with instant glory, instead of the hard road of suffering and death.
I know which way I would have gone. But not Jesus. For he knows who he is: the Messiah. Not just the warrior king like David, but also the Prophet, Suffering Servant. Indeed the way he wages war is with the words of his mouth (Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe), and through his suffering and death.
Jesus IS the warrior King like David, the one who will fight death and sin and defeat it, the one who will overthrow the works of Satan (which means “the Adversary”/”the Enemy”), and will be seated on his throne, high and lifted up, glorious and powerful. But he does this in a way beyond the disciples’, and indeed our, comprehension. He will achieve this by dying.
31 And he began 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, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly.
In Halifax, 1917, a munitions ship was on fire and about to explode in the harbour. The train station was right next to the harbour, and the incoming passenger trains were unaware of the imminent explosion. But for one man, hundreds would have died. Vince Coleman, a train dispatcher, stayed at his post in order to broadcast a message to stop the trains coming into the city He was killed in the explosion, but saved hundreds of lives. His last words (via Morse code) were "Hold up the train. Munitions ship on fire and making for Pier 6... Goodbye boys."
Many people, like the disciples, do not understand Jesus’ words here. Many who call themselves Christians try and explain away the cross – or even deny it. Some feel sorry for Jesus. But this is the heart of the Gospel! This is where we see God’s awesome love. This is how God can forgive sinners – by bearing the cost himself. This is love: that Jesus lays down his life for us who believe in him.
1 Co 1:22–25 (ESV) For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. And therefore he must die, for there is no other way he can save his people throughout time and space. He is the faithful servant, the glorious warrior king, who dies to save us – and then demands that those who follow him must die too.
2. Following Jesus means he lives and you die.
Jesus uses shocking language here. We’re kind of used to it, so we miss the impact this would have had: 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".
Crucifixion was the worst punishment the Romans could dish out. It was reserved for enemies of the Roman state and for the worst criminals. No Roman citizen could be crucified, it was that bad. Follow him on that path? The path of rejection, humiliation, even death?
Well, if you want to be a follower of Jesus, that is what you must do. It’s choosing to follow Jesus, wherever that path may lead. For some of disciples it led literally to crucifixion. They were called upon to die for Jesus, to be crucified for him. But that’s not just what it means – it doesn’t mean we all have to get on a physical cross. No. look at verse 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
We are called to “lose” our life – not on nothing, but for Jesus’ sake. In other words, live our life as if it belongs to Jesus, and not to us. To make friends for Jesus. To work for Jesus. To serve our families for Jesus. To use our money for Jesus. We’ll talk more in the next weeks about what it means to live for Jesus.
Randy Alcorn: "“Taking up your cross” means 10,000 little sacrifices, a lifetime of often unnoticed loving acts, which cumulatively become huge" – for Jesus. It’s not just big acts – it’s all the little moments which mark you out as a follower of Jesus. Not grand gestures, but a way of living, every moment as a son or daughter of God.
Because that’s the only way to live! “This day, choose life” said Moses, the prophet of God, to the people in Deut 30:19. Jesus, the true Prophet, the better Prophet, the better Moses leading the better Exodus (rescue) is saying: “Choose life!”.
Why? Because to live any other way leads to death. Even if, by ignoring Jesus, you could gain the whole world, what a waste because you lose your very soul. V36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? Steve Jobs was on top of the world. He’d rebuilt Apple into the biggest and most successful company in the world. But he died. And he died rejecting Jesus. What a fool, says Jesus. Do you think he can offer Apple stock to God? He owns the Universe! For what can a man give in return for his soul?
Only Jesus can save us. Only his blood is sufficient to be a perfect sacrifice. Only Jesus is enough. Nothing else will work.
On Friday we received “Inspirasjon” the magazine from the local state church. The magazine goes out to the whole of Notodden, reaching thousands of non-Christians. I read it, and was firstly astounded to read that there was no gospel in it at all. No explanation that we are sinners, saved by grace, through Jesus’ death on the Cross. But then I was even more astounded when I realised that in this Christian publication, issued to every household in our town, whether non-Christian or Christian, the name Jesus was not mentioned once. Not once. Now I’m not saying that the people who made the magazine hate Jesus, or aren’t Christians – but they have forgotten what or who is of primary importance. They forgot why we exist as a church: to give glory to Jesus. They forgot how people are saved: only through the gospel of Jesus (Jesus Christ our Lord). They sent out a message that being a Christian is being friendly and good and sociable, and Jesus is irrelevant. They may not have meant to send that message, but they did.
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels
Let your life reflect your devotion to Jesus. If you have been rescued by him, let your joy shine through. Christians should be talking about Jesus, excited about Jesus, waiting for Jesus’ return, praying to Jesus, preaching about Jesus, teaching about Jesus, telling their children about Jesus, giving their money for Jesus, giving their time for Jesus, making friends for Jesus, choosing where they will live and work for Jesus. Our lives should be one big advert proclaiming JESUS! I am saved by his grace. Put your puny ambitions to death, your foolish plans for you life to death, and follow Jesus on the road to humiliation, to death, and to eternal GLORY, eternal life.
3. Following Jesus is a secure investment
We’re called to bank everything on Jesus. Being crucified does not involve holding something back for yourself! Losing your life is pretty final. These are the words Jesus uses. You cannot be a Sunday Christian.
Jesus is Lord of all, or not Lord at all. There is nothing in all Creation over which Jesus does not say “this is mine!” – there is nothing in your life over which Jesus does not say “this is mine. This belongs to me”.
So, it’s a big risk. Are the promised rewards of eternal life, real life now, the best life now, the only way to live – are these backed up by anything?
If you pull out a kr100 note it’s backed by bank of Norway. If I’d pulled out a Zimbabwean dollar bill, you’d feel a little less secure. Or the bank of Greece or Spain! Can Jesus back up his promises? Is he right about his view of the Messiah?
3 [Jesus] led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus… a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Jesus is revealed in all his glory on the mountaintop. With him stands Moses, the Law-giver, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets: “the Law and the Prophets” being a way to describe the Old Testament. Them appearing with Jesus is saying “We testify to Jesus”. The Old Testament, the Holy Scriptures, say that Jesus is right. This is my son, listen to him.
Additionally, Elijah and Moses are the only two people to whom God revealed himself. Both on mountains, God passes before them and reveals himself. And here Peter, James and John are led up onto the mountainside to see the glory of Jesus revealed. Jesus is Almighty God, revealed in his glory before them. Here then is the Name of God, his very nature, standing before them in human form.
Jesus is God, LISTEN TO HIM. What he says about the Messiah is right. What he says about his death and resurrection is true. His words bring life, since he is the One who speaks life into existence. Listen to him.
I started off by saying that looking around at this world reveals that we need a saviour. The Jews, the disciples wanted a political saviour, a Barak Obama to swoop in and rescue them – but they misunderstood the problem. The problem is not circumstances, but deep in our heart. Jesus did not come to rescue them (or us) from physical oppression, but spiritual oppression. They saw the burden of Rome, but not the burden of sin! Jesus came in order to rescue us from our sin, taking the punishment upon himself, the warrior King, fighting by dying, the suffering servant upon the cross, faithful to the end.
The rescue is available to everyone, but the cost is a change of allegiance – instead of the kingdom of ME, you know belong to the kingdom of God. Instead of you pretending to control your life, you now bow to Jesus and let him control your life. You die to self and live for Christ. You are not your own, you belong to him.
But that’s worth it, because he is the life-giver. In Jesus, and him alone real, joyful, free, life is found; eternal life. And he can guarantee it because he is the Creator God, maker of heaven and earth, vast in his glory and majesty – yet so full of love and compassion that he becomes as nothing, the servant king, willing to suffer and die in order to rescue a people for himself. If you belong to Jesus, bear his name with joy and gratitude, and live for him, no matter what the cost.
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