Stand Firm, Carry Your Cross

Part 3: Carry Your Cross

 

Matthew 16:13-28

 

by Samuel E. Ward

 

July 21, 2013

 

View PowerPoint slides at http://www.slideshare.net/samward1/stand-firm-carry-your-cross-part-3

 

Introduction: 

 

Matthew begins his record of Jesus' public ministry in Matthew 4:12-17.

 

(Mat 4:12-17 NIV)  When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. {13} Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- {14} to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: {15} "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- {16} the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." {17} From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

 

Within a short time Jesus was drawing crowds through his teaching and healing, Mat 4:23-25.

 

(Mat 4:23-25 NIV)  Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. {24} News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. {25} Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

 

His popularity continues with growing opposition from the Pharisees, but the first mention of their desire to find a way to kill Jesus appears in Matthew 12:14.

 

(Mat 12:9-14 NIV)  Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, {10} and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" {11} He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? {12} How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." {13} Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. {14} But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

 

Matthew's gospel begins to focus increasingly on the polarization of views concerning Jesus' identity, which leads us to Matthew 16:13-28.  Soon sides must be chosen.  Was Jesus the Christ, the Messiah and promised King of the Jews. Or was He a false teacher sent from Satan to lead the people astray.  Or was He just a crazy man with a "god-complex."  This is the crux of Jesus' life and ministry.  One's view of Jesus' identity will determine whether or not and to what degree they respond to His invitation to enter His kingdom. 

The core of Jesus' message when He began His public ministry was to repent and become His disciple, Mat 4:13-17.

 

(Mat 4:13-17 NIV)  Leaving Nazareth, [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- {14} to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: {15} "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- {16} the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." {17} From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

 

The conduct of Jesus' disciples was to be governed by obedience to His teaching, Mat 28:19-20.

 

(Mat 28:19-20 NIV)  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

In our series, "Stand Firm, Carry Your Cross," we now come to observe the level of commitment demanded of a disciple of Christ.  He does not ask us to commit to Him without knowing three important facts.

 

I. Who Jesus Is, Mat 16:13-19

II. Why Jesus Came, Mat 16:20-23

III. What Is Necessary to Be Jesus' Disciple, Mat 16:24-28

 

I. Who Jesus Is, Mat 16:13-19 

 

(Mat 16:13 NIV)  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

 

A. The Opinion of Some Jews, Mat 16:14

 

(Mat 16:14 NIV)  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 

1. John the Baptist – Herod Antipas, who executed John the Baptist

2. Elijah – Mal 4:5-6

3. Jeremiah – Due to the similarities in ministry between Jeremiah and Jesus

4. One of the other prophets

 

Note:  None of the disciples said that the people were saying that Jesus was the Messiah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA5Bh8Zk0Xo

 

B. The Belief of the Disciples Expressed by Peter, Mat 16:15-16.

 

(Mat 16:15-16 NIV)  "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" {16} Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

 

C. The Affirmation of Peter's Confession of Jesus' Identity, Mat 16:17-19

 

(Mat 16:17-19 NIV)  Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. {18} And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. {19} I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

                                                                  

1. Peter's belief in Jesus as the Son of the Living God was the Father's revelation to him.  He hadn't comprehended this on his own.

2. Peter, as the first confessor of Christ as the Son of the Living God would be the foundation, with others, upon whom the church would be built.  As such they would testify with that same confession that Christ was indeed the Son of the Living God. 

 

There is absolutely no need, nor justification, to grant Peter and his successors a status as physical proxy for Christ with absolute  authority to rule in Christ's stead over the church.

Let us say, with the support of Scripture, that Peter was never considered infallible, never appointed supreme representative of the church by God, and was even open to being challenged by other church leaders such as Paul.

 

(Gal 2:11-13 NIV)  When Peter came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. {12} Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. {13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

 

Note what Revelation 21:14 says about the foundation of the Heavenly New Jerusalem which will one day come down from heaven.

 

(Rev 21:14 NIV)  The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 

3. The power of this confession will never be overwhelmed by even death itself.

4. The keys of the kingdom of heaven to bind and loose on earth and to have it ratified in heaven is best to be taken as temporary to Peter in a general way until the fullness of God's Word became the final authority for the church. 

 

History has shown us the danger of placing absolute authority in the hands of either political and/or church leaders.  The teachings and principles by which the church would minister were evolving by direction of the Holy Spirit.  By the end of the first century and through the testimony of eyewitnesses, the order, unifying principles, and doctrines of the church will have been established for all time.

 

II. Why Jesus Came, Mat 16:20-23

 

A. Simply, He Came to Suffer, Be Killed, and to Be Raised on the Third Day, Mat 16:20-21.

 

(Mat 16:20-21 NIV)  Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. {21} From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 

B. Incredibly, Peter's Knowledge of Jesus' Messiahship Was Not Compatible with Suffering and Dying, Mat 16:22.

 

(Mat 16:22 NIV)  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

 

C. Amazingly, Jesus Saw Peter Turn in an Instant from God's Confessor to Satan's Cohort, Mat 16:23.

 

(Mat 16:23 NIV)  Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

 

Selective hearing is what some people might say was the cause of Peter's reaction.  He had heard Jesus talk much about the Kingdom of Heaven and even believed that Jesus would be the One to usher it in Peter's lifetime.  Peter was thinking about an earthly Messianic Kingdom,  This was the general consensus of what the Messiah would do when He came.  The Messiah would get rid of the oppressors and give Israel their own kingdom in the world, forgetting all that Isaiah had prophesied about the suffering and death the Messiah must endure first.

Entering the Kingdom would not come without a cost.  Being Christ's disciple does not mean to make a profession and wait for the reward.  It means, rather, to make a commitment and live for Jesus while in enemy territory.  The words of Paul in Ephesians 6:10-13 are clear.

 

(Eph 6:10-13 NIV)  Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. {11} Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. {12} For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. {13} Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

 

III. What Is Necessary to Be His Disciple, Mat 16:24-28

 

The commitment of Jesus' disciple must be absolute.  The disciple of Christ must be willing to suffer as His disciple even to the point of death. 

 

A.  What Must a True Disciple Do?, Mat 16:24

 

(Mat 16:24 NIV)  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

 

B. What Is at Stake?, Mat 16:25-27

 

1. What is there to lose or win?, Mat 16:26-27

 

(Mat 16:25 NIV)  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

.

2. What could possibly be worth more than a person's soul, Mat 16:26-27?

 

(Mat 16:26-27 NIV)  What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? {27} For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

 

Conclusion:  

 

A Promised View to a Privileged Few, Mat 16:28-17:8

 

(Mat 16:28 NIV)  I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

 

Six days later . . .

 

The Transfiguration

 

(Mat 17:1-8 NIV)  After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. {2} There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. {3} Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. {4} Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." {5} While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" {6} When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. {7} But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." {8} When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

C. S. Lewis was an Oxford medieval historian, popular writer, and Christian apologist. He used the argument outlined below in a series of BBC radio talks later published as the book Mere Christianity.

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."^[5]

Lewis's trilemma is based on the view that, in his words and deeds, Jesus was asserting a claim to be God. For example, in Mere Christianity, Lewis refers to what he says are Jesus' claims:

• to have authority to forgive sins—behaving as if he really was "the person chiefly offended in all offences."^[6][7][8]
• to have always existed,^[9] and
• to intend to come back to judge the world at the end of time.^[10]

Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity, London: Collins, 1952, p54-56