Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him.
And he asked them, Who did the crowd say that I am?
And they answered, John the Baptist.
But others say, Elijah.
And others, and one of the prophets of old has risen.
And he said to them, But who do you say that I am?
And Peter answered, The Christ of God.
And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying,
The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
And he said to all, If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whoever will save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save me.
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses or forfeits himself?
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words,
of him will the Son of Man be ashamed,
when he comes in his glory,
and the glory of the Father and of all the angels.
But I tell you truly,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see the kingdom of God.
This is the word of the Lord.
The weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday
are when people think about Christianity a lot more than usual.
People that are not normally church groups,
not Christians.
And a lot of people assume that they know what Christianity is all about.
But there are a lot of misconceptions about what Christianity really is,
what it means to be a true Christian.
For example, many people think of Christianity the same way
that they think about charms or talismans.
Nowadays I hear that who's, what do you call those,
the ham, the hamza hand.
Jewelries are popular.
A hand with like an eye on it.
Or an eye jewelry is supposed to protect people against the evil eye,
which is supposed to bring a curse.
It has Middle Eastern or Latin origin,
but it's very popular here in North America now.
Or if you're walking around the streets in Cambridge Street,
at the restaurants on Cambridge Street,
you probably notice the maneki deko,
the cat,
with the hand waving.
It has a Chinese character that means good luck,
good fortune written on the token.
And people believe that it brings them good luck.
It will bring more customers.
And in much the same way,
some people think of Christianity like that.
They hang wooden classes on their walls.
Or have statutes of Catholic saints in their yards,
as if that's going to war off evil and bring good fortune.
Some other people think about Christianity as like any sort of an insurance coverage.
They make sure that their children and grandchildren are baptized after they're born,
even though they pay no heed to their Christian upbringing afterward.
They attend worship services on Easter,
Christmas,
but the rest of their lives bear no resemblance to Christ and his Easter.
It's for them just an insurance coverage.
In case something goes wrong,
something's happened to me,
at least uncovered.
Some other people use Christianity as a crutch.
They feel lonely,
so they turn to church for community.
They are poor,
so they turn to church for financial support.
They rely on Christianity to provide a social network,
or a system of morality,
so that they can improve themselves as human beings,
as moral citizens.
It functions as a crutch to meet their needs.
But Christianity as defined by Jesus in this passage
is not a charm or an insurance coverage or a crutch,
but rather a cross.
A cross that we're supposed to bear every day.
And what I mean by that is that we are to follow the character of Christ
to bore the cross for us,
and follow an example of humility, submission,
his suffering.
That's what a true Christian is.
That's the main point of this passage,
that a true Christian takes up his cross daily.
To follow Jesus Christ.
And we examine this passage in three parts
by looking at the crowds,
the Christ,
and the Christian.
First, let's look at the crowds
and their speculation concerning Jesus
in verse 18 to 19.
When Jesus was away from the crowds
and alone with his disciples,
Jesus asked his disciples in verse 18,
Who do the crowds say that I am?
And they reply in verse 19,
John the Baptist.
But others say Elijah,
and others say one of the prophets of old
has risen.
These were the most popular opinions
about Jesus in their day.
And these are kind of flattering identifications,
aren't they?
They're not really bad rumors.
These are all great people.
John the Baptist,
according to Jesus' own judgment
in Luke 7.28,
in terms of his relation to God
and his privileged status
as a forerunner to the Messiah.
He is the greatest prophet
and indeed the greatest human being
that ever lived
of the time of Jesus.
Elijah, similarly,
was a great prophet,
one of the most powerful prophets
in the Old Testament.
And in fact,
Luke has been building
his comparison with Elijah
throughout the Gospel
by comparing their ministries
intentionally.
The third option
is also a great one.
It's just one of the
great prophets of old
has risen.
There was popular expectation
that a great prophet
of old would return.
And so all three of these
are really flattering options
for who Jesus might be.
The crowds are not saying
nasty things about him.
They adore him, in fact,
and they're saying
wonderful things about him.
But even though
the crowd's estimation
of Jesus is high,
it's not high enough.
as we learn
the following verses.
And there's a lesson
here for us.
Many people in our day
still have very good
opinions about Jesus.
Muslims believe
that Jesus was one
of the highest ranked
and most beloved prophets.
The Sikhs believe
that Jesus was a high ranked
holy man.
Jehovah's Witnesses
believe that Jesus
is the highest
of all God's creatures.
Christian scientists
believe that Jesus
was the first human
to manifest fully
the truth of Christian science.
Some political
and social theories
believe that Jesus
was a social
and political revolutionary
that preached liberation
and called for radical
restructuring of society.
Many Buddhists,
atheists,
and secular moral theists
believe that Jesus
was a great moral teacher.
It's a great thing
to say about somebody.
Their estimation
of Jesus is high,
but it's not
high enough.
That's the crowd.
Why?
That brings me
to our second point,
to Christ.
Look at verse 20 with me.
Then Jesus said to them,
What do you say
that I am?
And Peter answered,
The Christ of God.
Before explaining
what Peter's reply means,
let me first point
your attention
to how Jesus
rephrases his question.
Jesus is saying,
in effect,
That's enough
of what the crowd
say about me.
What do you say
that I am?
Jesus is not really
interested in the
public sentiment
or public approval.
He couldn't care less
about that.
He's asking
his disciples,
and he's asking
you tonight,
Who do you say
that I am?
Many of you
have had all kinds
of ideas
about who Jesus is.
And many of you
have had ideas
that are not your own,
but simply an assimilation
of what the crowds say,
what the masses
say about Jesus.
But you cannot
become a Christian,
a Father of Christ
be of toxic.
You must make up
your own mind
about what Jesus is.
You have to have
a personal faith
in Jesus Christ.
And I want to ask you,
have you ever
seriously,
open-mindedly,
and honestly
consider the question,
What do you say
that I am?
And tonight,
this has been
an opportunity to say.
We have Peter's answer
recorded here
in verse 20,
the Christ of God.
Even though it's
Peter alone
who speaks,
he's answering
really for all
of the apostles,
the twelve,
because he's the leader
among the apostles.
That's why Jesus'
initial question
is addressed
to all of them,
and his charge
not to speak of it
later is also addressed
to all of the apostles.
He's speaking
for them all.
And the word Christ
is not Jesus'
last name,
but the title
that means Messiah,
or anointed one,
because the Jews
believe in accordance
with the Old Testament
prophecies,
that God would raise
up a king
from the line
of David,
who would represent
the presence of God
and the favor of God
back upon his people,
and that he would
restore the kingdom
of God
to his former glory
and splendor.
He would save
God's people,
Israel.
And related to
this concept
of the anointed one
to Christ
is the idea
of the Son of God,
because prophecies
like Psalm 2
said that God
called the Messianic
King, his son,
in Psalm 2, 7-8.
And so far
in the Gospel of Luke,
this is a remarkable
profession,
because for those
who have been with us
through the series,
the profession
of Jesus
as the Christ
and as the Son of God
have been made
throughout the Gospel
of Luke up to this point
only by God himself
or by angelic beings.
In Luke 2, 11,
an angel announced
that Jesus is a Savior
who is Christ the Lord,
combining the concept
of Christ the anointed
one with the divine Lord.
In Luke 3, 22,
God the Father
said of Jesus,
You are my beloved Son,
with you I am well pleased.
In Luke 4, 41,
he brought together
the concept of the Christ
and the Son of God.
And when a demon,
coming out of a demon
of this man said,
You are the Son of God.
And then Jesus
rebukes the demons,
telling them not to speak,
because they knew
that he was the Christ.
So Jesus' true identity
has been hidden
up to this point
from recognition
by humans.
But here we see
Peter, a mere mortal,
making this momentous profession
that Jesus is in Christ
of God,
that would restore
the kingdom of God
to Jesus.
And what Peter is saying
is really amazing,
but what Jesus says next
seems nonsensical.
Because he says
in verses 21 to 22,
Jesus strictly charged
and commanded them
to tell this to no one,
saying the Son of Man
must suffer many things
and be rejected
by the elders
and cheap priests
and scribes
and be killed
and on the third day
be raised.
Jesus,
even though he is
the Messianic King,
predicts for himself
suffering,
rejection,
and even death.
And this must have been
profoundly confusing
for these disciples
who have seen him
demonstrate his authority
and power
over and over again
over nature,
over demons,
over diseases,
and even over death
itself.
So what do you mean,
Jesus?
You're the one,
you're the king
that people are supposed
to welcome
and hail as their king.
What do you mean
the cheap priests
and the elders
will reject you?
You are the one
who is supposed
to kill our enemies.
What do you mean
you're going to be killed?
Why is this the case?
It's because Jesus
is teaching us
that his path
to glory,
his path to reign,
his glorious reign
as the Messianic King
will go through
the path of humility
and suffering.
And that's necessary
because what God's people
need to deliver us from
was not primarily
the oppression
of others,
but it was deliverance
that they needed
from their own sins
and their own rebellion
against God.
Because it was their sin
and rebellion against God
that had brought them
to the condition
that they are in now
of exile,
of alienation from God,
of rejection,
of lostness
from the kingdom of God.
They had used the temple
like a charm,
thinking that just because
they had the temple of God,
no evil would be all of them.
They used the religion,
they used Christianity,
they used their faith,
the Jews,
as a crutch.
Instead of serving God
and loving God
as who he is,
they turned to another God
when they needed reign.
They turned to the God Ashtoreth
when they needed
to have children.
They used these things
because what they were after
was not really God himself.
They were not worshipping him,
but they were using him.
To get their ends.
And the situation
is the same for all of us.
We've all sinned
and rebelled against God.
We've ungratefully used
God's good gifts
instead of acknowledging
the giver of all good gifts
and worshipping him.
We are creatures,
but we have presumed
as creatures
to invent our own priorities
and purposes in life
instead of submitting
to the will of our creator.
We've disobeyed God's laws.
And because of that,
we have been separated
from God.
And we need rescuing
from our own sins.
And so even the 12 apostles
don't quite grasp
the full significance of this
until later,
after Jesus' death
and resurrection.
But that's what we're
reflecting on tonight
because Jesus'
encroachment ceremony
is his execution
on the cross.
Because that's the path
he chose
to save his people
and to gather our people
for himself
in the giving of God.
That's who the Christ is.
And Jesus chose
this path of suffering
and rejection
and death
because he loved us.
He wanted to save us.
And it's his example
that sets the path
for the Christian.
And that brings us
to our third point,
the Christian.
What does it look like
to live as a Christian?
Jesus sums it up
in verse 23.
If anyone would come
after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross
daily and follow me.
The phrase,
come after me,
is the language
of discipleship.
And so this is the essence
of what it means
to be a disciple of Christ.
That's what a Christian is.
And it involves
three things.
And the first thing
is to deny oneself.
And the second thing
is to take up
the cross daily,
once crossed daily.
And the third thing
is following Jesus.
So the first step
is self-denial.
In order to follow Christ,
there must be
a fundamental shift
in our allegiance.
We must go from
living for ourselves
to living for Christ.
We must go from
indulging our own wills
to denying ourselves
in order to obey
God's will.
Our lives are
to be God-oriented
and God-directed
rather than
self-oriented
and self-directed.
That means
everything you think,
everything you say,
everything you do,
everything you buy,
it's no longer
for yourself
but for God
and His Lord.
And denying oneself
is a prerequisite
for accepting
God's will.
Which brings us
to the second aspect
of God's
Christian discipleship.
the disciple
of Christ
must take up
his cross.
Crucifixion
was a form
of Roman execution
and it was
a picture
of a cross
and a picture
of death.
And the crucifixion
was something,
it was a punishment
so cruel
that the Romans
reserved it
exclusively
to themselves.
When they
crucified criminals,
they also forced
them to carry
their own cross
to the place
of their death
and usually
they reserved
that punishment
for people
who were guilty
of treason.
So a picture
of someone
carrying a cross
to his own death
is a picture
of that person's
total submission
to Rome's
absolute authority.
That's what
taking up
one's cross
means.
It means that
a disciple
of Christ
must surrender
completely
to the authority
of God.
This is not
a literal command
to die
for Christ.
Because Jesus
says that his
disciple must
take up his
cross daily.
And since you
can physically
die for Christ
only once,
there's a figurative
meaning to it.
You're supposed
to die for him
daily.
And that means
to acknowledge
every day
that living
for yourself
is a way
of death
and choosing
to live
and to believe
in Jesus
and to live
for him
in every
aspect
of your
life.
Paul puts it
this way
in Galatians
2.20
I have been
crucified
with Christ.
It is no
longer I
who live
but Christ
who lives
in me.
And the
life I now
live in the
flesh I
live by faith
in the
Son of God
who loved
me and
gave himself
for me.
So to
take up
one's cross
daily is
to die
to oneself
and to live
to Christ.
And but even
though the
primary meaning
here is
figurative,
because Jesus
himself was
persecuted
and killed,
he taught
that those
who follow
him too
will be
persecuted.
And this
could mean
suffering,
rejection,
and even
death for
following Christ.
Taking a
far cross
does mean
martyrdom
for some
people.
discipleship.
The third
aspect of
Christian
discipleship
is following
Jesus.
It means
learning Jesus'
teachings and
observing the
pattern of
his life and
following it.
Discipleship in
the ancient
world also
entails joining
yourself with
other disciples
who are also
following the
same teacher.
And likewise
being a Christian
involves joining
yourself to a
church, which
is the group
of disciples who
are following
Jesus together.
And having
explained the
essence of the
Christian life,
Jesus then gives
three parallel
reasons to
motivate us in
verses 24 to
26.
There's three
different things
really saying the
same thing.
The first reason
is this,
for whoever
would save
his life will
lose it, but
whoever loses
his life for my
sake will save
it.
Whoever claims
to his own
life and tries
to preserve his
autonomy, his
independence, his
own lordship
over his own
life, instead
of surrendering
his life to
God, to
Christ will
actually end
up losing his
life.
But whoever
forsakes his
or her life for
the sake of
following Christ
will end up
saving their
lives.
Second, for
what does it
prop him in if
he gains the
whole world and
loses or forfeits
himself?
What good is
spending your
entire life
earning billions
of dollars?
What good is
having all the
respect and
power you
could have
in this
world?
If you die
apart from
Christ and
perish eternally.
Third, for
whoever is
ashamed of
me and of
my works,
of him will
a son of
man be
ashamed when
he comes in
his glory and
the glory of
the Father and
of the holy
angels, who
reject Christ in
this life, will
himself be
rejected by
Christ in the
next life, when
Christ returns
with his
heavenly
glory.
Then, Jesus
gives a bonus
encouragement in
verse 26 to
assure his
followers that
denying yourself
and taking up
your cross and
telling him he's
not in vain, he
tells them, but I
tell you truly, there
are some standing
here who will not
taste death until
they see the
kingdom of God.
This is really a
preview of our
passage for
Sunday.
What Jesus is
promising here is
that what you're
doing in following
Jesus is not
wishful thinking.
In fact, there
are some among my
own disciples here,
these old disciples
among the twelve,
that will see with
their own eyes the
kingdom of God
before their death.
What are the
comforts and
pleasures of this
life that make
you cling to your
life instead of
giving it up to
Christ?
What are the
things in your
life that you
value more highly
than Jesus Christ
and the eternal
life he offers?
Whoever will
save his life
will lose it,
but whoever
loses his life
for my sake
will save it.
What are your
personal ambitions
that prevent you
from pursuing the
priorities and
purposes of Christ?
what plans have
you laid for your
life that you
are not willing
to exchange for
God's plan?
What are you
trying to gain
with all of it?
What does the
profit of man if he
gain the whole
world and loses
or forfeits his
soul, himself?
What are the
people you are
trying to impress,
to please?
A man?
A woman?
A friend?
A parent?
A boss?
The crowds?
What good is it
to be esteemed
and popular in
this world if
King Jesus in
all his glory
is ashamed of
you and will
not receive you
in this kingdom?
Have you
openly, sincerely
and seriously
weighed these
questions?
Perhaps you
have not
consciously rejected
Jesus but
you have never
seriously considered
them.
Perhaps you're
just too busy.
But what about
the 50, 60
years that you
might have left
of your life
here on earth?
It's so all
important that you
neglect the
questions of
eternity.
What about
that next
application or
grant or
paper or
project or
deadline or
client?
is so all
important that
you risk
forfeiting your
soul for it.
What does it
cost a man?
He gave the
whole world yet
loses or
forfeits himself.
Some people
mistakenly think
that the
Christian life
which calls us
to deny
ourselves and
take up our
cross, they
think that it's
mistakenly that it
must be a
drudgery.
Who wants to
live a life like
that.
But that
cannot be
further from
the truth.
Do you call
getting up the
daily latte on
your commute for
a year so that
you could save
money and buy
an engagement
bank for your
girlfriend?
Do you call
that a sacrifice?
Do you call
eating home
cooked meals
instead of
eating out in
restaurants?
Do you
could save for
your sacred
child's college
tuition?
Do you call
that a sacrifice?
Do you call
experiencing
momentary pain
a vaccination
so that you're
not afflicted
with more
serious illnesses
later a
sacrifice?
Do you call
losing sleep at
night to take
care of alien
parents who
loved and
supported you
for your
entire life?
Do you call
that a
sacrifice?
No, that's
not a
sacrifice.
That's a
privilege.
It's a
blessing.
It's an
investment for
the future.
Forgoing the
conveniences of
this life,
risking danger,
experiencing
suffering and
persecution,
giving up your
life out of
love for the
Savior who
gave himself
for you so
that you
might share
eternity in
glory with
him.
It's not a
sacrifice.
That's a
privilege.
That's a
blessing.
It's a blessing.
to gain what he
cannot lose.
On October 28th,
1949,
Jim Elliot penned a
journal entry.
He said this,
He is no fool
who gives what he
cannot keep to gain
what he cannot
lose.
Then after years of preparation, on January 3, 1956, he along with four other missionaries
landed in the jungles of Ecuador in order to share the saving message of Jesus with
the Alca Indians.
The Alca's were a notoriously dangerous tribe, and they had previously attacked all the foreigners
that had come in contact with them.
And these missionaries understood the dangers.
Their wives had already discussed the possibility of being widowed.
And five days after their landing, all five men were ambushed and speared to death by the
Alca's.
All were married.
All four of them were fathers.
One wife was pregnant.
And her three-year-old was overheard telling later the newborn baby, crying baby,
Never you mind.
When we get to heaven, I'll show you which one is dead.
The rescue party that came, only to recover their dead bodies, found Jim Elliott's diary,
and this was his last journal entry before the Alca's came for him.
All the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth.
I care not if I never raise my voice again for him.
If only I may love him, please him.
Perhaps in mercy he shall give me a host of children.
By that he means spiritual children, converts.
Then I might lead them through the vast star fields to explore his delicacies,
whose finger ends set them to burn.
But if not, if only I may see him, touch his garments, and smile into his eyes,
then not stars nor children share, not shall matter, only himself.
O Jesus, Master and Center and End of all,
How long before that glory which is yours, which has so long waited you,
Now there is no thought of you among men,
But then there shall be thought for nothing else.
Now other men are praised,
Then none shall care for any other's merits.
Hasten, hasten, glory of heaven.
Take your crown.
Subdue your kingdom.
Enthrall your creatures.
Jim Elliot died without any spiritual children among the others.
But that day he saw Jesus,
And neither stars nor children mattered,
Only Jesus.
Because he had denied himself,
He had taken up his cross to follow Jesus.
He saved his life because he lost it for Christ's sake.
He lost the world, but he gained his soul.
He was unashamed of Jesus and his words.
And Christ the King was not ashamed of him
To receive him into his glory.
It's my prayer tonight that all of you
Will take a long and hard look at the cross of Jesus Christ.
Then count the cross.
And follow him.
Thank you.
Good.
I'm enjoying this.
And drive me through it.
Thank you.
Peace.
I'm sorry.
받 ch aún
��.