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. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 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.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 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? 27For 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. 28 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.”
This passage begins with the phrase, "From that time on..." This is the second time that this phrase was used in the Gospel of Matthew. Some have structured the book around these two phrases. The first four chapters leading up to the first phrase were all about the Introduction to Jesus' Ministry. Then in Matthew 4.17, It says, " 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Then from Matthew 4.17 to Matthew 16.20, we have the development of Jesus' Ministry, climaxing in Peter's confession of who Jesus is, the CHRST!!! Yet, Peter had a false understanding of what this Christ, this Messiah, would do.
That is why from here to the end of the book, Matthew introduces this last section by saying:
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.
Jesus, for the rest of the book, is trying to show his disciples what he came to do, to die. He is preparing them for his death, and it all starts in this introduction in Matthew 16.21. And look how Peter reacts to Jesus:
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Peter doesn't like the idea that Jesus is going to die, that's not who he thinks the Chris is supposed to be. Yet Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!!! You don't have in mind the things of God but the things of man."
Peter was thinking the way the world was thinking, that the only way to overthrow the oppression of the Romans and of all the evil in the world was with a sword. Yet Jesus says that that is how men think, but not God. That isn't God's plan to save the world. This is God's plan to save the world, through carrying a cross.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Jesus is saying that if you want to be my disciple, part of my people, you have to live the self-sacrificed life. The involves carrying a cross daily.
And Jesus ends by telling the disciples that you will be judged on whether you live a life of carrying a cross or not. Look at what he says:
26 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? 27For 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.
We WILL be judged according to our works our actions. Now hear me clearly, I did not says that we earn our salvation by works, but I did say that we will be judged by our actions. Faith is not just holding a set of beliefs about Jesus, but it involves actively being faithful and obedient to God and relying and trusting him. James says that we are saved by what we do, not just believing specific truths about God.
And then Jesus says something that has been very confusing to a lot of people.
28 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.”
I don't want to bore you with all the different views about what this sentence could mean. Let me just tell you what I think it means. It seems like Jesus is talking about judgment, and in the lifetime of the disciples and this generation of Jews, a huge judgment befell the Jewish people. And that judgement was the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. This, I believe, is what Jesus is talking about. He is saying that he came to suffer and die, if we want to follow him we must suffer and serve others as well. If we don't we will be judged by our actions, and the destruction of the temple is a sign and an example of that future judgment.
So what about you? Are you serving others self-sacrificially? Are you bearing a cross daily for others? If not, you will be judged accruing to what you have done. So pick up your cross and follow him.
23 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.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 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? 27For 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. 28 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.”
This passage begins with the phrase, "From that time on..." This is the second time that this phrase was used in the Gospel of Matthew. Some have structured the book around these two phrases. The first four chapters leading up to the first phrase were all about the Introduction to Jesus' Ministry. Then in Matthew 4.17, It says, " 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Then from Matthew 4.17 to Matthew 16.20, we have the development of Jesus' Ministry, climaxing in Peter's confession of who Jesus is, the CHRST!!! Yet, Peter had a false understanding of what this Christ, this Messiah, would do.
That is why from here to the end of the book, Matthew introduces this last section by saying:
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.
Jesus, for the rest of the book, is trying to show his disciples what he came to do, to die. He is preparing them for his death, and it all starts in this introduction in Matthew 16.21. And look how Peter reacts to Jesus:
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Peter doesn't like the idea that Jesus is going to die, that's not who he thinks the Chris is supposed to be. Yet Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!!! You don't have in mind the things of God but the things of man."
Peter was thinking the way the world was thinking, that the only way to overthrow the oppression of the Romans and of all the evil in the world was with a sword. Yet Jesus says that that is how men think, but not God. That isn't God's plan to save the world. This is God's plan to save the world, through carrying a cross.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Jesus is saying that if you want to be my disciple, part of my people, you have to live the self-sacrificed life. The involves carrying a cross daily.
And Jesus ends by telling the disciples that you will be judged on whether you live a life of carrying a cross or not. Look at what he says:
26 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? 27For 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.
We WILL be judged according to our works our actions. Now hear me clearly, I did not says that we earn our salvation by works, but I did say that we will be judged by our actions. Faith is not just holding a set of beliefs about Jesus, but it involves actively being faithful and obedient to God and relying and trusting him. James says that we are saved by what we do, not just believing specific truths about God.
And then Jesus says something that has been very confusing to a lot of people.
28 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.”
I don't want to bore you with all the different views about what this sentence could mean. Let me just tell you what I think it means. It seems like Jesus is talking about judgment, and in the lifetime of the disciples and this generation of Jews, a huge judgment befell the Jewish people. And that judgement was the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. This, I believe, is what Jesus is talking about. He is saying that he came to suffer and die, if we want to follow him we must suffer and serve others as well. If we don't we will be judged by our actions, and the destruction of the temple is a sign and an example of that future judgment.
So what about you? Are you serving others self-sacrificially? Are you bearing a cross daily for others? If not, you will be judged accruing to what you have done. So pick up your cross and follow him.
No comments:
Post a Comment