The Messiah Foretells His Death and Future Glory: Total Commitment

Introduction

A new stage was now launched by Jesus. Note the words. “From that time on.” More plainly than ever before and without reserve, Christ revealed that the Son of the living God was going to be killed and raised again from the dead. Never before had so phenomenal an event happened, and never again would it happen. History would be made. “Jerusalem...that killed the prophets” was going to commit the ultimate crime — they were going to kill God’s own Son (Mt. 23:29-31). Note two facts.

1.   Christ had already been telling His disciples about His death and resurrection for some time, but they had not understood. There were two primary reasons for their blindness. First, the idea of a suffering Messiah differed radically from their own idea of the Messiah (See Mt. 1:1; Christ, Messiah, Mt. 1:18; Baptism of Jesus and John, Mt. 3:11; Notes 11:1-6; 11:2-3; Prophesy Fulfilled, Mt. 11:5; Messianic Judgement, Mt. 11:6; Jesus, No Publicity, Mt. 12:16; See Mk. 8:30; Lk. 7:21): and second, the revelation had been hidden in pictures and symbols.

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Now, however, there was a significant switch in how Jesus went about preparing His disciples for His death. The difference was that Christ no longer spoke in pictures and symbols. He now taught them in simple and direct words (Mt. 20:18-20: Lk. l8:31-33). A new stage in the revelation of God’s plan for the world was now taking place: God’s Son was to die and be raised again for the sins of the world. God’s plan for saving the world was to take place through a suffering Messiah, not a conquering Messiah. God’s Messiah was not going to deliver a materialistic world into the hands of His followers. God’s Messiah was going to die; and through death, He was going to usher in the Kingdom of God, making it possible for His followers to live eternally in the very presence of God Himself (See Kingdom of Heaven, Mt. 19:23-24; Jn. 3:16; 5:24f).

2.   The disciples now understood more fully that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). They had taken a great leap forward in their understanding of His nature, just who He really was. Now they needed to learn two things: that the real way into God’s kingdom and glory was through death, sacrifice and self-denial. The path of suffering had to be taken not only by God’s Messiah but also by the followers of God’s Messiah (vv. 24-28).

Just imagine the radical difference between the two concepts...

•   a suffering Messiah vs. a conquering Messiah

•   a suffering believer vs. a conquering believer

Seeing the radical difference helps a person understand Peter’s behaviour and the reason why the disciples were so slow to grasp what Christ was saying. In fact, they never completely understood until after the resurrection (See Mt. 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mk.8:31-33; 9:30-32; 10:32-34).

The lesson of Christ is clear: God’s plan to save the world is through the death of His Son, His sacrifice and self-denial, and the way of salvation for man is the same. Man must undergo personal sacrifice, self-denial and death (Mt. 16:24-26).

I.   His death required total commitment on His part (vv. 21-23).

II.  His death demands total commitment on our part (v. 24).

III.  His death offers four reasons for total commitment (vv. 25-28).

I.   Mathew 16: 21–23   The Death of Jesus Christ

Jesus’ death required total commitment on His part.

1.   His death was necessary: He “must go to Jerusalem and suffer.” The words “must [dei] go” are strong: a constraint, an imperative, a necessity was laid upon Christ. He had no choice. His death and resurrection had been planned and willed by God through all eternity. The prophets had predicted it; He must fulfill the will of God, for God had ordained His death (see Mt. 26:54: Lk. 24:26, 46).

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was also necessary. Jesus’ prediction of His resurrection is clear to us because we can look back upon it, but it was never clear to His disciples. Why? Very simply, it was to be a new experience. No one had ever risen from the dead never to die again. It was unprecedented. The apostles believed perhaps somewhat like Martha — that there was to be a future resurrection of all men (Jn. 11:24-26). Such a belief is an expression of the hope that is within every man, the hope to continue on in some form of existence. Such a belief is easy to hold, but to think of a resurrection now, to think of a person’s arising from the dead today is difficult. The actual resurrection of a dead person would be inconceivable to those who had not been grounded in its teaching.

Just what they thought Christ meant by being raised again is not known. The fact that they did not fully understand is clear from the fact that their spirits were crushed when He was killed. However, some of His followers seemed to grasp more of a real bodily resurrection than others. This is clear by an immediate remembrance of His words after His resurrection. There was John who believed immediately (Jn. 20:8-9). Mary Magdalene was shown that He had risen just “as He said” (Mt. 28:6), and she understood after seeing Him. But others were slower to understand and believe. (Mk. 16:11; Jn. 20:24-25).

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

John 3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.”

John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Acts 26:22-23 “But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen — that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

1 Cor 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

2 Cor 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

1 Pet 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.

Thought 1. Christ revealed His death and resurrection in stages — revealed it only as the disciples were able to receive and bear the fact. Christ always teaches us gradually and moves us along as we are able to learn. There is great truth in the saying that He does not put more upon us than we can bear.

Thought 2. Note that Jesus spoke of His resurrection when He spoke of His death. It was for the joy that was set before Him that He endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). The joy and hope of spending eternity with Christ and His followers is what encourages us to bear our cross while here on earth ( Lk. 9:23).

2.   His death arouses natural man. Natural man rebels at the idea of the cross. Natural man wants another way other than the cross. This is what Peter was doing: rebelling against the idea that God’s Son was to die, that His blood had to be shed for the sins of the world (1 Pet. 2:24). Peter could accept Jesus as “the Son of the living God’’ but not as the suffering Saviour. Such an idea was repulsive and unacceptable to him. Therefore, he tried to stop the idea. Note the words, “Peter took him aside” (proslabomenos). The Greek is strong; it means caught hold of. Peter took hold of Christ; he grabbed Christ and took Him aside for a conference.

Note also that Peter “began to rebuke [epitiman] Him.” This again is strong. It is not just a wish but a forcible attempt to stop the idea of the suffering Saviour. “This shall never happen to you.” This must not and cannot happen to you. God forbid it is the equivalent idea. The point is this: Peter was out to stop the cross. He was urging Christ to be the Messiah of power, fame and sensation whom the Jews were expecting (See Mk. 8:27-9:50; 8:30; Mt. l:l; Christ, Messiah, Mt. 1:18; Baptism of Jesus and John, Mt.  3:11; See Mt. 11:1-6; 11:2-3; Prophesy Fulfilled, Mt. 11:5; Messianic Judgement, Mt. 11:6; Jesus, No Publicity, Mt. 12:16; See Lk. 7:21-23). Peter was urging Christ to follow his own human schemes instead of God’s way; and by such urging, he was tempting Christ with the very same compromises that Satan used to tempt Christ — the compromises of power, fame and sensation (Mt. 4:l-11). Peter was zealous for God, but he was mistaken and ignorant in his zeal. He did not understand that God was planning to save the world through the death of His Son (See Mk. 8:31).

Such behaviour is the way of the world. It is the natural, carnal mind. Man rebels and recoils against the idea of a suffering Saviour who had to die for the sins of the world — a Saviour who demands the same sacrifice and denial of His followers. Such an idea is unacceptable and repulsive.

Thought 1. The natural man’s idea of God and of God’s plan for man is seen in three concepts.

1)   Some think the path of life is love, so they live showing interest and care for others. God is seen as a giving, loving and indulgent grandfather type of person — the indulgent grandfather who tolerates even the worst behaviour, no matter how much human suffering and devastation is wrought by the hands of a person. To think of the cross and the blood of Christ as an emblem of suffering is repulsive and repelling. The cross is viewed only as an emblem of love, not of sin and shame. The way of love is thought to be the path of life which man is to follow.

2)   Some think that comfort and pleasure is the path of life. God again is viewed only as an indulgent grandfather type who gives man the good things of life and helps man when he gets in trouble. God’s will for man is thought to be comfort and pleasure, ease and plenty, health and leisure. Again the cross is only an emblem of love and care for the world, not of suffering and sacrifice and self-denial. The shame, pain and agony of the cross and its purpose of reconciling a world lost in sin and reeling in desperate need is overlooked.

Luke 8:14 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”

Luke 12:19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

1 Tim 5:6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

2 Pet 2:13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.  

Isa 47:8-9 “Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’ Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells.”

3)   Some feel that triumph, victory, position, authority, power and reigning supreme is God’s way. This was the idea of most Jews in Christ’s day. It was Peter’s concept of the Messiah (See Mt. l:l; Christ, Messiah, Mt. 1:18; Baptism of Jesus and John, Mt. 3:11; 11:1-6; 11:2-3; Prophesy Fulfilled, Mt. 11:5; Messianic Judgement, Mt. 11:6; Jesus, No Publicity, Mt. 12:16; See Lk. 7:21-23). The concepts of power, position and authority are clearly seen in movements that stress self-image, self-improvement, and personality development. Developing one’s self-image as much as possible and achieving all that one can are said to be God’s plan and path for man. However, the idea of suffering and sacrifice and self-denial is rejected.

Mat 20:25-27 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.”

John 5:44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 

1 Cor 8:2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

1 John 2:16 For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world.

Rev 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Psa 49:12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Prov 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

3.   His death shows man to be an adversary of God. The literal meaning of Satan in the words “get behind me, Satan” is “adversary” (See Rev. 12:7-9). Calling Peter “Satan” is stern, yet such sternness was necessary. Peter was tempting Christ with the very same temptation that Christ had faced in the wilderness (See Mt. 4:8-10). All the worldly glory that could be His flashed across His mind.

The loyalty and allegiance of men without the cross was again being suggested to Him. How this must have cut Christ! This time the temptation was coming from one of His own disciples! When a man refuses to accept God’s plan for life, he becomes an adversary to God. He opposes God’s will. In essence, man says that he knows what is best; that he is wiser than God. Think! When a man does not accept God’s plan for life, the crux of what he says to God is, “The cross is not necessary. Jesus’ dying to save the world was a useless plan. It was not needed.”

This is what Peter was doing and saying. He was opposing God’s plan for life, that is, saving the world through the death of His Son. He was saying that he was wiser than God. Note: Christ abruptly turned to Peter before Peter could say anything else and stopped him in his tracks. He charged Peter with being Satan, with being under the authority of Satan, with speaking as Satan. He had become as Satan, an adversary to God and God’s plan for His Son and for the salvation of the world.

Acts 13:10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?”

John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Eph 2:2 In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

1 John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 

Thought 1. No man should instruct or counsel God. Our task is not to force our ideas upon God but to surrender to His will.

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

4.   His death reveals man’s true nature. Note the words “You do not have in mind [ou phroneis].” This means to think; to mind. Peter did not have his mind or his thoughts in line with God’s mind and thoughts. His tastes were different from God’s tastes. Peter’s thoughts and tastes were worldly and self-pleasing, not spiritual and pleasing to God. He was using human reasoning not God’s reasoning. The thought that God’s Son had to die and shed His blood for the sins of the world was disgraceful to Peter. In his mind, such a concept was unfit for God.

Note how true Christ’s words to Peter are! “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” The death of Christ reveals man’s true nature, a nature that uses natural and carnal reasoning instead of spiritual reasoning.

Rom 8:5-7 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

Eph 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

Phil 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Col 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those  who  are  corrupted  and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Psa 94:11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

Jer 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbour wicked thoughts?

Thought 1. Man feels a little more humane, a little more civil by denying “the blood of Christ” for the sins of the world. To reject what is sometimes called a “blood religion” makes a person feel more acceptable in a so-called civilized society. Two things need to be noted.

1)   The cross should be viewed as repulsive. The cross is a symbol of sin and shame. Hanging upon the cross, God’s very own Son bore our sins and the sins of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:l-2). Sin and shame are always repulsive, and the fact that God’s Son hung there becoming sin for us is abhorrent. Nothing could be any more distasteful than what actually happened.

2)   The cross should be viewed as glorious. The cross is a symbol of life and of forgiven sins (1 Pet. 2:20). Through the cross, God gloriously reconciles man to Himself and to one another (Notes, Eph. 2:13-18). So much comes through the glorious work of the cross that Paul just exclaimed, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

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Mathew 16: 21   Jesus Christ, Opposition

Note the three Jewish groups who were to take the lead in killing Jesus. These were the three groups who made up the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Jewish justice. It was comprised of seventy members (see the historical basis for this structure. 2 Chr. 19:5-11).

1.   The elders: these were the older and most respected men of a community. The elders were judges of the civil courts and of temporal affairs (See Exo. 3:29; 12:21; 24:9; Num. 11:25; 1 Sam. 16:4; Ezr. l0:14; Mt. 27:12).

2.  The chief priests: these were primarily the leaders among the Sadducees. They held most of the high offices of Jewish government under Roman rule (See Sadducees, Acts 23:8). The chief priests were judges of religious affairs.

3.  The Scribes: these were primarily Pharisees who held the teaching positions of the nation (See Teachers,  Lk. 6:2).

Thought 1. Note the three groups who opposed Jesus. They were the very people who should have been following Jesus, the very leaders who should have known God. They should have known God well enough to have recognized His Son the Messiah. But, as with so many in every generation, they were blinded by their own religion, power, wealth, fame, and position. ♠

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II.   Mathew  16: 24   Death of Christ Demands Commitment

Jesus’ death demands the total commitment of a man. Christ gives four steps that are involved in total commitment. (See  Mt. 16:25-28.)

1.   A person must will to follow Christ. The word “would” (thelei) means to desire, wish, design, purpose, resolve, determine. It is a deliberate willing, a deliberate choice, a determined resolve to follow Christ. If a person really wills and deliberately chooses to follow Christ, then he has to do the three things mentioned. Note: the choice is voluntary; it is made by the person. It is the individual who wills and chooses; therefore, it is the individual who must act and do the three things mentioned.

2.  A person must deny self. The word “deny” (aparnesastho) means to disown, disregard, forsake, renounce, reject, refuse, restrain, disclaim, do without. It means to subdue, to disregard one’s self and one’s interest. Very simply, it means to say “no.” But note: the call is not to say “no” to some behaviour or thing but to self. A person is to deny self, and this means much more than just being negative, that is, giving up something and doing without something. It means that we are to act positively, to say “yes” to Christ and “no” to self. It means to let Christ rule and reign in our hearts and lives, to let Christ have His way completely. Of course, if a person allows Christ to rule in his life, all negative as well as positive behaviour is taken care of (See Would, Deny and Follow, Mk. 8:34). In the Greek the word “deny” is an ingressive aorist which means that the person enters a new state or condition. It means, “Let him at once begin to deny self.”

3.  A person must take up the cross. (See Self-denial, Lk. 9:23.)

4.  A person must follow Jesus. The word follow (akoloothei) means to be a follower or companion, to be a disciple. It has the idea of seeking to be in union with and in the likeness of. It is following Christ, seeking to be just like Him. Again, this is not a passive behaviour but an active commitment and walk. It is energy and effort, action and work. It is going after Christ with zeal and energy, struggling and seeking to follow in His footsteps, no matter the cost. Note that the steps of Christ led to death before they led to glory (See Mt. 16:21).

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Mark 8: 34    Would (Thelei)

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8: 34

To desire, wish, design, purpose, resolve, determine. It is a deliberate willing, a deliberate choice, a determined resolve to follow Christ. If a person really wills and deliberately chooses to follow Christ, then he has to do the three things mentioned. Note, the choice is voluntary. It is not forced upon the person. It is the individual who wills and chooses; therefore, it is the individual who must act and do the three things mentioned. ♠

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Mark 8: 34   Deny (Aparneomai)

To disown, disregard, forsake, renounce, reject, refuse, restrain, disclaim, do without. It means to subdue, to disregard oneself and one’s interest. Very simply, it means to say “no.” But note: the call is not to say “no” to some behaviour or thing, but to self. A person is to deny self. This means much more than just being negative, that is, giving up something and doing without something.

It means that we are to act positively, to say “yes” to Christ and “no” to self. It means to let Christ rule and reign in one’s heart and life, to let Christ have His way completely. Of course, if a person allows Christ to rule in his life, all negative as well as positive behaviour is taken care of. In the Greek the word is an ingressive aorist, which means the person enters a new state or condition. It means let him at once begin to “deny self.” ♠

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Mark 8: 34   Follow (Akolootheo)

To be a follower or companion, to be a disciple. It has the idea of seeking to be in union with and in the likeness of. It is following Christ, seeking to be just like Him. Again, this is not passive behaviour, but an active commitment and walk. It is energy and effort, action and work. It is going after Christ with zeal and energy, struggling and seeking to follow in His footsteps no matter the cost. Note that His steps lead to death before they lead to glory (Mt. 16:21). ♠

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Luke 9: 23    Cross and Discipleship

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9: 23

People in Jesus’ day knew what it meant to “take up” a cross. They saw scores of criminals bear the cross to the place where they were to be executed, and they witnessed scores of crucifixions, some even by the side of the roads that led in and out of the cities.

The cross does not mean merely bearing one’s particular hardship in life, such as poor health, abuse, unemployment, invalid parents, an unsaved spouse, a wayward child. The cross is always an instrument of death, not just an object to carry or bear. The Christian is to die mentally and actively. He is to deny himself daily. He is to let the mind of Christ, the mind of humbling himself to the point of death, be in him and fill his thoughts every day (Phil. 2:5-8;  2 Cor. 10:3-5). He is to put his will, his desires, his wants, his ambitions to death. In their stead, he is to follow Jesus and to do His will all day long. Note this is not negative, passive behaviour. It takes positive, active behaviour to will, to deny self, to take up one’s cross, to follow Christ. A person has to act, work, get to it, be diligent, consistent, and enduring in order to die to self.

There are several ways the believer dies to self. Romans 6:11-13 spells out the ways as clearly as they can be.

Rom 6:11-13 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (see Rom. 6:2-10)

1.   The believer reckons or counts himself crucified with Christ.

Rom 6:11a  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin.

Rom 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

2.   The believer reckons or counts himself dead to sin, but alive to God.

Rom 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

1 Pet 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

3.   The believer does not let sin reign in his body.

Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Col 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

4.   The believer does not yield the parts of his body to sin, as instruments of wickedness.

Rom 6:13a Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness.

Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

5.   The believer yields himself to God — as much as those who are alive from the dead are yielded to God.

Rom 6:13b But rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.

Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

Rom 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

6.   The believer yields his body members as instruments of righteousness.

Rom 6:13c And offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

Gal 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

It should be noted that one’s hardship or burden can bring a person to the place where the Lord can deal with him. It is then that the hardship becomes the cross and denial of self that Jesus is talking about. With an act of self-denial, the Christian can then count or reckon himself alive to God (Rom. 6:13). He can then follow Jesus. This is an act which can be described as committing all that one is and has to Christ. It is an act that needs to be repeated every day (see Mt. 10:38). ♠

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III.   Mathew 16: 25–28   Reasons for Total Commitment

Jesus’ death offers four reasons for total commitment.

1.   An abandonment of this life saves a person. What does it mean when Scripture says that a person saves his life by losing it and loses his life by finding it? The key is in the words “for me.” Christ says that “whoever loses his life for me will find it.” The person who abandons this life — who sacrifices and gives all that he is and has for Christ — shall save his life.

But the person who keeps his life and what he has and seeks more and more of this life, shall lose his life completely and eternally. The person who “saves his life”...

•   by seeking to avoid the aging of the body and death and yet denies Christ — that person shall lose his life eternally.

•   by seeking to make his life more and more comfortable, easy and secure (beyond what is necessary) and neglects Christ shall lose his life eternally.

•   by seeking to gain wealth and power and fame by compromising Christ shall lose his life eternally.

•   by seeking the thrills, excitement and stimulation of this world by ignoring Christ shall lose his life eternally.

As said above, the person who loses his life for Christ — who sacrifices and gives all he is and has for Christ — saves his life, and he saves it eternally. The person who keeps his life and what he has for himself shall lose his life, and he loses it eternally. The call of Christ is just what He says: a life of denial that takes up the cross and follows in His steps.

Mat 20:28 “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Rom 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

2.  A man’s soul is worth more than the whole world. The word soul is the same word translated “life” (v. 25). Christ uses the word life in two senses.

There are two stages, two beings, two existences to the same life: the life that exists on this earth and the life that shall exist beyond this life. Once a person (life) is born into this world, he shall exist forever. It is just a matter of where he goes after this world: to be with God or to be apart from God.

No man can gain the whole world, but what if he could? All the pleasure and wealth and power and fame are nothing compared with his soul. There are four primary reasons why the soul is far superior to the things of this earth.

a.   Everything fades and passes away. A person possesses something only for a short time.

b.   Everything cannot be used all at once. Everything sits and remains unused most of the time.
=>  Clothes sit.
=>  A car sits.
=>  Power goes unused.
=>  Popularity and fame quickly pass and are forgotten.

c.   The human soul is eternal. The soul never dies and never ceases to exist. It shall live forever either with God or apart from God.

d.   The human soul is of more value than the whole world.

Once a man has lost his soul, it is lost. It cannot be bought back. The man forfeits and suffers the loss of it forever. Imagine! Even if a man possessed all the wealth of the world, he would not be able to buy back his soul. Why? Because it is gone; it has passed on forever. The man will never return to earth, not even for one day. He is gone forever.

Luke 9:25 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Mat 8:11-12 “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Mat 22:12-13 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

1 Cor 9:27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 

Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

3.   A day of judgment is coming. When Christ returns, the true value of sacrifice vs. self-satisfaction will be clearly seen. Sacrifice for Christ will be abundantly rewarded; self-satisfaction will be condemned. Man is to be judged according to what he has done. The word done means doing, working, acting. It is not isolated acts, but continuous behaviour. A person is to be rewarded on the basis of his continuous behaviour, not isolated acts.

Mat 7:23 “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Mat 25:12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’” 

Luke 12:9 “But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.”

Luke 13:27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ ”

4.   A promise is given — a promise of never having to taste death. This verse is much clearer when it is compared to Mark’s account: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power’’ (Mk. 9:1). It is the power of the kingdom to which Jesus refers; that is, His death and resurrection and Pentecost and to the many, many converts to His kingdom that resulted. After Pentecost the power of His Kingdom came — power beyond anything the disciples could have ever dreamed. ♣

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Mathew 1: 18   Meaning of ‘Christ’ and ‘Messiah’

The word for “Christ” and “Messiah” is the same word: Christos. Messiah is the Hebrew word, and Christ is the Greek word. Both words refer to the same Person and mean the same thing: the Anointed One. The Messiah is the Anointed One of God. Mathew says that Jesus “is called Christ” (Mt. 1:16); that is, He is recognized as the Anointed One of God, the Messiah Himself.

In the day of Jesus Christ, people feverishly panted for the coming of the long-promised Messiah. The weight of life was harsh, hard, and impoverishing. Under the Romans, people felt that God could not wait much longer to fulfill His promise. Such longings for deliverance left the people trusting. Many arose who claimed to be the Messiah and led the trusting followers into rebellion against the Roman State. The insurrectionist, Barabbas, who was set free in the place of Jesus at Jesus’ trial, is an example (Mk. 15:6f).

The Messiah was thought to be several things:

1.   Nationally, He was to be the leader from David’s line who would free the Jewish state and establish it as an independent nation, leading it to be the greatest nation the world had ever known.

2.   Militarily, He was to be a great military leader who would lead Jewish armies victoriously over all the world.

3.   Religiously, He was to be a supernatural figure straight from God who would bring righteousness over all the earth.

4.   Personally, He was to be the One who would bring peace to the whole world.

Jesus Christ accepted the title of Messiah on three different occasions (Mt. 16:17; Mk. 14:61; Jn. 4:26). The name Jesus shows Him to be man. The name Christ shows Him to be God’s anointed, God’s very own Son. Christ is Jesus’ official title. It identifies Him officially as: Prophet (Deu. 18:15-l9), Priest (Psa. 110:4) and King (2 Sam. 7:12-13).

These officials were always anointed with oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit who was to perfectly anoint the Christ, the Messiah (Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10-11; Lk. 3:21-22; Jn. 1:32-33). ♠

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Mathew 11: 5   Prophecy, Fulfilled

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Mathew 11: 5

Jesus was referring to Scripture here. He was telling John that He was fulfilling the predictions of the prophets (Isa. 35:5-6; 61:1-2; see Psa. 72:2; 146:8; Zech. 11:11). Note, however, that Jesus stressed the personal ministry and not the political. He omitted the phrases of Isa. 61:1 that could have been interpreted as implying He was a political leader: “proclaiming freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” He needed to get John’s attention away from the wrong concept of the Messiah to the true concept. He was reaching out in the power of the Spirit to individuals, saving and restoring them, not reaching out to mobilize people for the deliverance of Israel from Roman enslavement. ♠

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Mathew 3:11   The Baptism of Jesus and John

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Mathew 3: 11

The word baptism (baptizein) means to dip, to immerse, to submerge, to place into. John’s baptism was with water, but Jesus’ baptism was “with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

1.   John’s baptism was both a preparation and a symbol of the spiritual baptism that Jesus was to bring. John’s water baptism meant two things.

a.   It symbolized cleansing from all sin. A person was being prepared for the cleansing that Christ would provide.

b.   It symbolized separation or dedication. A person was setting his life apart to God in a renewed spirit of dedication. He was committing himself to the Christ about whom John was preaching.

Note: John’s baptism is called “the baptism of repentance”; that is, the person who repented was baptised. There could be no question; it was understood: if a person repented and actually turned to the Lord, he was baptised.

2.   Jesus’ spiritual baptism was a double baptism. (Only one preposition is used in the Greek for “the Holy Spirit and with fire,” the preposition “in.”)

a.   Jesus baptises the person in the Spirit. He dips, immerses, and places the person in the Spirit. Whereas the person was carnal and materialistically minded, he now becomes spiritually minded (Rom. 8:5-7). The Jews had looked and longed for the day when the Spirit would come. The prophets had predicted His coming time and again. Therefore, the people knew exactly what John was predicting. The Spirit was expected to awaken and excite the people to such a degree that they would mobilize behind the Messiah, following Him in the overthrow of all oppressors. The Spirit was to lead the people in freeing Israel and establishing it as one of the greatest nations on earth (see Eze. 36:26-27; 37:14; 39:29; Isa. 44:3; Joel 2:28).

b.   Jesus baptises the person in fire. Fire has several functions that graphically symbolize the work of Christ. It illuminates, warms, melts, burns, and utterly destroys. The difference between baptism with water and fire is the difference between an outward work and an inward work. Water only cleanses the outside; fire purifies within, that is, the heart. Jesus Christ separates a person from his former life and purifies him within by the fire of His Spirit. It should be noted that in John’s mind the “baptism of fire” meant that the Messiah was to destroy the enemies of Israel. It was “the messianic fire of judgment” that was to come from the throne of David. ♠

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Mathew 12: 16   Jesus,  No Publicity

Warning them not to tell who he was. Mathew 12: 16

Why did Jesus withdraw and charge the people not to make Him known?

1.   Jesus wished to avoid confrontation with those who sought His life. His hour had not yet come. He did not wish to provoke the religionists to a deliberate conflict putting Himself in premature peril.

2.   Jesus did not wish to be pushed forward by public acclaim to assume kingship of the nation. He understood His mission. He had come first to be the Suffering Servant, and He knew that the people were inflammable, aching for deliverance from the Roman conquerors. Too much promotion of His miracles might have caused an uprising. He had to prevent an uprising so that He could carry out His mission of dying for the world as the Suffering Servant. Jesus needed time to teach the people what true Messiahship meant. The people thought the Messiah was to overthrow the Roman conquerors and establish Israel as one of the great nations of the world. Jesus had to show that the Messiah’s kingdom was spiritual, not material; present and future, not just present; permanent and eternal, not just mortal and temporal.

3.   Jesus needed to teach humility. He refused to make a spectacle, to “be seen of men” (v. 19).

4.   Jesus wished to give an example of the principle He had laid down: “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another” (Mt. 10:23). ♠

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Mathew 11: 6   Messiah and Judgment

“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” Mathew 11: 6

Jesus was saying that the Messianic blessing and judgment were coming. Today is the day of salvation, the day of Messianic blessing. Tomorrow will be the day of Messianic fire, the day of judgment against all those who are offended in Christ. The Messianic fire of judgment was John’s concern. He did not see Christ’s judging the world. But Christ assured John: “Blessing is coming; and judgment is coming. Do not be offended because you do not understand everything about me.” ♠

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