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Mar 30, 2014

At the Corner of Prophecy and Jerusalem

Passage: Matthew 16:13-24

Preacher: Eric Stapleton

Series: Road to the Cross

Category: Road to the Cross

Keywords: cross, calvary, jesus, trial, hardship, sacrifice

Summary:

What was it about 'the cross' that made Jesus sweat blood? What was it that helped him to move forward to endure it? What does that mean to us? What is the difference between the trials that everybody bears and the cross that Christ asks us to carry?

Detail:

At the Corner of Prophecy and Jerusalem

Matthew 16:13-23 (NASB95)

Peter’s Confession of Christ

  13      Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

  14      And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

  15      He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

  16      Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

  17      And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

  18      “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

  19      “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

  20      Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death

  21      From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

  22      Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”

  23      But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

 

Prayer

We’re kind of in between sermon series right now. I thought it would be appropriate to kind of have a pre-Easter season kick off and get us all thinking ‘cross minded.’ Just as Jesus at ‘cross purposes’ with Peter, so should we be with the World.

The Apostle Paul and Agabus Revisited

In this passage, Jesus ‘prophesies’ how the wearer of his clothes will go to Jerusalem and suffer. Does this sound familiar? It was just last week that pastor John was talking about how Agabus in Acts 21 had a prophecy that if Paul went to Jerusalem he would be arrested. Paul, in a sense, responds the same way Jesus did but without the sharp rebuke. Paul accepts that Jerusalem is going to mean suffering for the gospel.

There is a theme here. It is a fact that those who choose to follow Christ are going to suffer for the gospel. I just read from Matthew 16 verse 23. But in the next verse Jesus says:

Matthew 16:24 (NASB95)

Discipleship Is Costly

24       Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

 

When Jesus tells his disciples that they must take up their cross to follow him, they know what that means. He didn’t mean a necklace that they’re going to put around their neck. He didn’t mean a piece of furniture or a crossroads. They were under Roman rule and they knew public execution and being hung on a cross of wood and part of that process was getting to carry your cross (or at least the cross beam) to your place of execution.

Now I’m thinking the only reason that they didn’t just leave Jesus at that point is because they didn’t take him literally. Jesus had a flair for the dramatic I can appreciate that. He spoke in parables and analogies. He referred to himself as the bread of life and as a door but his belly button didn’t have a brass knob on it. Jesus took poetic license. Maybe, to the disciples ears it meant they were going to go through some hardship or ridicule.

I doubt they really believed that Jesus was literally going to carry a cross beam of execution. Now we know that Jesus was literal. The disciples themselves didn’t all get crucified but their suffering for the gospel went beyond ridicule and bullying, they were martyred.

Body

Now, if you’re like me, your question is still, “how can they, Paul and Jesus, be okay with that?” I mean, it sounds noble, it is noble to die for a cause that you believe in but if I have to die for a cause, I’d better be pretty darn sure that it’s going to be worth it.

Jesus own words testify:

Luke 14:28–30 (NASB95)

28       “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

29       “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

30       saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

Now, we know Jesus is going to finish what he starts. We know he’s going to go to Jerusalem, he is going to die for everybody’s sin, and on the third day rise from the dead. He’s pretty sure.

As we read the gospel, it plays out. Jesus suffers, dies, and rises from the dead. So, Paul comes in later on and is able to follow in Jesus footsteps in a manner of speaking, as are the other disciples. They know that victory will come even at the expense of their earthly lives and they are okay with that. In fact, Paul almost seems cheerful about it. I don’t think he was actually cheerful about it when the time came. I don’t imagine that he traced out a dotted line on his neck where they could cut. But then neither did Jesus. Jesus stressed out about the cross.

Luke 22:39–46 (NASB95)

The Garden of Gethsemane

39       And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

40       When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

41       And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,

42       saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

43       Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44       And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

45       When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

46       and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Jesus was so stressed out that he sweat blood. I’m sure many who’ve read the text over the years probably doubted that was possible or thought that must’ve been some holy miracle or something. It’s actually a medical condition called Hematidrosis Blood usually oozes from the forehead, nails, umbilicus, and other skin surfaces. In addition, oozing from mucocutaneous surfaces causing nose bleeds, blood stained tears, and vicarious menstruation are common.[1] The episodes may be proceeded by intense headache and abdominal pain and are usually self limiting. In some condition, the secreted fluid is more dilute and appears to be blood tinged, while others may have darker bright red secretions resembling frank blood.[2]

Etiology

It may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress, for example, facing his or her own death. Several historical references have been described; notably by Leonardo da Vinci describing a soldier who sweated blood before battle, and men unexpectedly given a death sentence, as well as descriptions in the Bible, that Jesus experienced Hematidrosis when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43-44).

Understandably, Jesus wasn’t looking forward to the cross. And granted, the disciples didn’t have to go through what he went through, not the same amount of suffering. I doubt that anybody since Christ has had a earthly suffering like Christ had..Asterisk.

It wasn’t a path that was set before him here in the garden of Gethsemane when he started sweating blood. Jesus probably knew about it all his life. Maybe the idea that came during his teen years, maybe early adulthood maybe even knew it as a little boy. Can you imagine that?

I suspect he knew it or had an idea that by the age of 12. He was known for being smarter than the scribes when it came to understanding the Scriptures. I think of them studying the Scriptures and he runs into the one about where he was going to be born:

Micah 5:2 (NASB95)

    2            “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago,

From the days of eternity.”

 

Maybe Jesus goes all the way back to the beginning in Genesis and sees that not only is he Israel’s hope that he’s the hope of the world.

Genesis 3:15 (NASB95)

  15            And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

 

As he reads that passage, does he realize that he’s the reason why so many cultures that were birthed from Adam and Eve and subsequently Noah after the flood, hoped for a male child instead of a female child. Does he know that he’s the legendary underdog hero who’s going to conquer death, sin, and evil?

You see, we know from hindsight. We know that the image of a mother with her Savior child has been worshiped since long before Christ was born. We know that the Egyptians tried to manufacture a deity, Osiris who died and was reborn through Isis hence the baby Horace, the Greeks with Aphrodite and Dionysius, in India that it will be Isi and Krishna.

We know from comic books and mythology the desire for an underdog hero who seems to die but then rises from the grave, the ashes, the bloody boxing ring floor and conquers who is both human and somehow superhuman and inspires those who hear the story to live the worthy life.

 

Does Jesus know at the age of 12 that he’s that guy? Does he get it when he reads Genesis 3:15? Or does he skip ahead to Isaiah 53:

 

Isaiah 53:1–12 (NASB95)

The Suffering Servant

   1       Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

   2             For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

   3             He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

   4             Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

   5             But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

   6             All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

   7             He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

   8             By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

   9             His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10             But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

11             As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

12             Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

There are more than 44 prophecies in the Old Testament that speak of Jesus, who he is, where he is going to be born, whose descendent he is going to be, that he’s going to be betrayed (and for how much money), that he’s going to be rejected, that he is going to be beaten and killed. Jesus would read about himself that the soldiers would gamble for his clothing, that he be buried in a rich man’s grave, that he would rise from the dead, that he would ascend into heaven, and that had he would have many spiritual “offspring.” He also knows after reading the prophet Daniel that he will come back and judge the world.

So, when Jesus takes that left turn at Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem he knows what’s in store for him because he’s read the book all the way to the end.

 

The question is kind of out there. I want you to go with me on this one: why in particular, if he knows the end from the beginning, he knows he wins, is he in such anguish over this? I’m not questioning his need or proclivity to be in anguish. I guess what I’m saying is I’ve read some commentators who say that one particular reason was that God the father was turning his back abandoning him. They say that pain was what was causing a major part of his anguish. I can’t even connect to that because I don’t have that kind of relationship with the father. But even if that were the case it’s only for three days and not even three full days at that. I don’t think that’s enough. By now you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. Bear with me. I’m not at all trying to imply that Jesus was in any way less than perfect in the way he handled all this. I’m actually trying to point out another aspect of his suffering and focus on little bit because it has to do with the application of the message to our lives.

Earlier in the gospel narrative, there is a story of Jesus in the boatwith the disciples and there’s a storm at sea:

Luke 8:22–25 (NASB95)

Jesus Stills the Sea

22       Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.

23       But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.

24       They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

25       And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

The disciples in the scene are experiencing a little bit of a trauma, they are fearing for their lives and Jesus is sleeping. They are convinced they are going to die. Jesus gets up rebukes the wind and the waves and then says to them, “Where is your faith?”

And I doubt that the disciples even felt ashamed because there’s still stammering of the fact that he told the storm to stop and they did. Jesus had the faith to make this happen and it happened. The implication of his question though is that they doubted their safety when they are with him, they doubted that God was in control and they also were ignorant. They didn’t know that they could have done the same thing that Jesus did if they had enough faith. Because remember Jesus didn’t use magic, when he came to earth he wasn’t using superpowers, he was using faith coupled with a perfect relationship with the heavenly father. But that’s another sermon.

Fast-forward back to the garden of Gethsemane. Here Jesus at the corner of prophecy and Jerusalem with all the promises of scripture at his back and an eternal kingdom in his future. Does he really believe enough to endure the cross? He is in a situation where he doesn’t merely think that is going to die, he knows it and he knows it’s going to be horribly painful. But in a sense it’s a “storm” of fear. So, after he’s done praying he goes the disciples and asks them why they are sleeping. This time he’s the one going to the storm and they are the ones sleeping. Now if all things were equal, which they’re not, Peter could have woken up and said, “where is your faith?”

I don’t believe he would have been justified in doing so. Not only would it have been grossly disrespectful, we’re talking about two completely different situations here. And I only bring it up to point out one of the most important differences between the two situations. There’s the obvious, the magnitude of what he’s about to face is bigger than just his death and suffering, he’s taking on the sins of the world, he’s not merely taking on his death but death in general. And it’s not merely that God is turning his back on him, it’s God’s wrath that it’s being poured out on him. There’s a scene from the movie The Passion of the Christ where Jesus is portrayed as being whipped and as I looked at the rage on the actors face that was whipping Jesus, my first thought was that man must be filled with Satan and then I remembered that Satan wants Jesus to die on the cross even less than Jesus wants to die on the cross. The wrath that torturing soldier is filled with is God’s wrath. Then, of course there’s the physical bit, the pain, the humiliation, the fact that all his human friends desert him, adding on top of that the pain that he knows they are now going through because of what he’s going through. So yes, there’s all that but that’s not what I’m pointing to, there’s something on top of all that that makes this so much worse than the situation with the storm on the lake. That is free will.

On the lake Jesus had the faith and authority to stop the storm. In Gethsemane he still has that. He still has the faith and authority to make it go away. Check it out:

And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

52       Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

53       “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve alegions of angels?[1]

 

When Jesus was arrested, he still had the authority to call down angels to make the guards go away. It’s one thing when circumstances are out of your control and you can’t do anything about it. And what I’m talking about is an accident, sickness, natural disaster, the death of a loved one, your own death, your spouse up and leaves, stuff like that, that you don’t have a lot of control over. But what if you do have the ability to control to make it go away yet you know you must not, you must choose the pain. If I were to pick up a stick and come at any one of you with a stick wielded what would your very first reaction to be as I swung that stick down? To defend, right? That’s our natural human reaction, to avoid pain and preserve our life. It would be difficult for you to not react if I was wielding a stick at you, it would take a lot of discipline to not react.

If you ever watch any movie where someone is being tortured for information, etc. If you’ve ever watched the TV series ‘24’ you get it. In those scenes what one phrase that the torturer usually says? Anyone? “You can stop this at any time.” “It doesn’t have to be like this.” The idea being that the one being tortured has the power to stop the torture just by giving up the information being requested or recanting information.

I can imagine those types of phrased are running through Christ’s head while he is going through the ordeal. And while it was happening, at many points along the way he could have ended it, stopped it. I’m going to take some dramatic license here to illustrate Jesus’ resolve to stay obedient to the Father.

Luke 22:63–65 (NASB95)

63       Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,

64       and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?”

65       And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

Now Jesus could have said, “who hit me? Oh, that would be the guy who now has a leprous hand.”

Luke 22:66–71 (NASB95)

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

66       When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying,

67       “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

68       and if I ask a question, you will not answer.

69       “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

70       And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.”

71       Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

Jesus answered truthfully, but if he WANTED to convince them which he didn’t, he could have  added a little something something to it like calling down the Holy Spirit and letting THEM testify who Jesus was.

Is this making you feel uncomfortable? It should because what I’m describing is not Jesus. It’s this guy. Unlike a selfish guy who is given God’s powers to show how selfish he is, we don’t want Jesus to make a snappy comeback. When Jesus is taunted at the cross to come down off the cross and save himself, we need him to stay up there Jesus chose this path of compliance and we should not feel sorry him. We don’t. We need him up there on that cross. Those who mourned him at the cross didn’t understand. We understand.

Neither would I say that there shouldn’t be a profound emotional response. There should be, but not pity. More like unworthiness, gratitude, grief and regret over our sins that put him there, affection, and humility, I think these are the emotions we should feel when we more accurately understand what choosing the cross was for Jesus.

Pity is for victims. A victim is one who doesn’t have enough power to defend himself. Jesus was not a victim.

3 He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

   4             Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

When someone is stricken by a perfectly just God, we may still feel pity but there is the sense that they must have earned it. Justice is being done on sin. We want that.  We need that.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)

21       He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

It’s as if Jesus committed all the sins of humanity and was being judged for them. He willingly accepted this without argument or defense when he had all rights and power to do so.

That’s what the cross was for Jesus it was something he agreed with, signed off on, chose. That’s what the cross for you and me, too.

And that’s what I really want to point out today. The cross is a choice. It can’t be and it’s not primarily about growing in faith, bearing the fruit of the spirit, or even your personal testimony. The cross is simply about obedience and glorifying God. And it will be related to choosing God’s way over another way.

In Hebrews 5:8 it says that Jesus learned obedience through sufferings. It strikes me odd that Jesus needs to learn anything. Remember though, he is still human at this point. He is human and he is aware of his mortality and pain. Up until the cross, God the father hadn’t probably asked his son Jesus for something really difficult. At the cross, Jesus humanity was put to its limits. It was here that Jesus both learned and modeled perfect submission. It wasn’t unquestioning submission. Jesus wants the cup to be taken away and for it to be perfect submission it must be something that he does not want to do. It doesn’t have to be something that he completely disagrees with it just has to be something he doesn’t want to do.

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Application

Jesus says that if anyone wants to be his disciple, he must take up his cross. He must choose a path that will eventually lead to suffering because of following Christ.

The cross is not just any hardship that you endure. For instance, even a major illness like cancer isn’t a cross it’s not a something you’re able to choose or refuse and it doesn’t have to do with you following Christ, however, carrying your cross might mean continuing to live a life of self-sacrifice and ministry to others in spite of the cancer. The cross is not a car accident, but it might be driving your wrecked car to visit someone else in the hospital. The cross isn’t hassle from the IRS for cheating on your taxes, but rather honestly reporting your earnings for the year even when doing so is going to cost you what you can’t afford to pay.

If your spouse leaves you because you’ve become a Christian, sure, going through a painful divorce can be a cross but if she’s leaving you because you’ve become a Christian and you’ve been cheating, beating, or abandoning her and your family, maybe not a cross, that might be a different type of trial that we call consequences.

It also includes spiritual warfare which is another sermon. I only bring it up because there are many things included under that banner-- sickness, losing things, technical difficulties, dealing with nasty people--that normally wouldn’t really be considered ‘carrying a cross.’ But that’s another sermon.

Practically speaking, taking up your cross means dying to yourself which means living as a Christian even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard. There are probably some instances where a physical or mental illness really is a result of spiritual warfare because of your choice to follow Christ. Other examples might include:

  • Keeping your word even when it hurts
  • if you’re a waiter it might mean declaring all your tips instead of just 8% like all the other waiters, even if it makes them look bad and wins their angst
  • If you’re at a bachelor party it may mean leaving when somebody pops in an inappropriate movie or the birthday cake has a different kind of surprised in it.
  • It might mean sharing your faith with someone even though it could mean the loss of your job
  • it could mean sacrificing your preferences to help someone else because God wants you to
  • for one young woman whose friends were bragging about stuff they had shoplifted it meant her going to the store and paying for the items
  • maybe it means going on a short-term mission trip instead of fishing in Alaska
  • Sometimes it’s speaking up and others its shutting up or giving mouth a hug.
  • Sometimes it’s taking stand and others it’s taking a seat

 

Now, do nonbelievers and other religious groups also sacrifice their desires? Sure. We read about all kinds of people who suffer persecution and go without for a cause that is bigger than them. That is not the cross Jesus is talking about. Jesus bears his cross for the Kingdom of God specifically. Jesus cross is not about civil rights, saving whales, gun control, or the national right to life association UNLESS those causes are a means to reach those who don’t know Christ. What good is it if someone lives with the same freedom as others on earth if they spend the rest of forever imprisoned in hell? What good does a healthy ecosystem do when the elements are burned up with a fervent heat anyway? What good is it for your child to be safe at school when his eternity isn’t secure? What good is it to save the unborn when  the mother who would shape that young life, doesn’t know Christ’s love? I’m not saying those causes are bad, Sacrificing yourself for a cause bigger than yourself is a good thing, it’s just not necessarily an eternal thing. I’m not saying they’re bad, I’m saying they are less and not specifically what Christ means.

As for other religious groups outside of Christianity, goodness and sacrifice are encouraged in those religions so that one may earn their eternal life, Nirvana, whatever.

Christ didn’t earn heaven by carrying His cross, he was already righteous. Christ did earn something by carrying His cross. He earned you. Likewise, you don’t earn heaven by carrying your cross, doing so though may win some souls to Christ. Do you see the difference? We are to sacrifice ourselves not to get something but because by faith we believe we already got it. Our cross carrying is responsive.

Taking up your cross is going to involve resistance—spiritually, relationally, physically, psychologically and that resistance is going to come from non-believers, family, friends, fellow believers, Satan, his demons, and biggest enemy…anyone, yourself. That’s why the cross must be about obedience.

The cross will involve feelings of loneliness, fear, temptation, betrayal, estrangement, like Jesus experienced, loss, discomfort. And although it’s not primarily about personal growth or bearing fruit it is going to involve that as well as a much closer relationship with Jesus. It’s going to result in a greater sense of peace and desire to see God’s work done in this world. It’s always rewarding.

We can choose not to follow Christ and very often we can choose not to suffer for our faith simply by keeping it a secret and living like everybody else around us.

1 Peter 4:12–16 (NASB95)

Share the Sufferings of Christ

12       Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;

13       but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

14      If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

15       Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

16       but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

What is it for you? Have you taken up the cross? Have you shunned it?

I was out running the other week and I was thinking about various situations I know about that are coming up that I kind of dread and they are because I’ve chosen to follow Christ. I’ve been experiencing some resistance. I was thinking, I really don’t want this anymore. I don’t want to continue pursuing this if it’s going to be so hard? I can choose to not do it or do it another way, etc. I hate it when it’s hard. But then as I’m running, I have music playing on my headphones, it’s the Overture to Rocky II. If you’ve not seen the Rocky movies, they are centered around this average boxer from Philadelphia who has a lot of heart and who in the first movie, Rocky, gets a chance to fight against the heavy weight champion of the world and he unexpectedly goes fifteen rounds with the guy and nearly beats him. They both go to the hospital and Rocky II is the rematch where he comes back and wins the fight.

We love stories like that not simply because the good guy wins but because it’s against the odds for him to win and he doesn’t give up until he does.

What is your cross? Jesus, as a human, could read and see that had all these prophecies written about him. He had a written guarantee that everything was going to work out.

What about you? Do you have a written guarantee that if you take up the cross, endure its hardship and suffering, that you will experience victory?

That’s actually a rhetorical question. We do have a written guarantee.

John 17:13–26 (NASB95)

The Disciples in the World

13       “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.

14       “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15       “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

16       “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17       “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

18       “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19       “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20       “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21       that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Their Future Glory

22       “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

23       I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

24       “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

25       “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;

26       and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jeremiah 29:11 – for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord plans for good and not for harm to give you hope and a future.

Philippians 1:6 –For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.[2]

Ephesians 2:4–10 (NASB95)

   4       But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

   5       even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

   6       and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

   7       so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

   8       For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

   9       not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10       For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Yes, you have a written guarantee that you will be victorious if you believe in Christ. Does it mean you won’t suffer? No, you will, we will, but it will be worth it.

 

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995). Mt 26:51–53.

[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995). Php 1:6.