Give Your Life Away Series

Our lives tell a story—a story about who we are and what we value, where we’ve come from and where we’re going, what we want and what we’ll do to get it. And what most of us do is, we make “the story” of our lives about us.

But God makes “the story” of our lives about Christ. Someone has said, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last” (C. T. Studd, 1860-1931). Is that true? And if it is, what will we do?

If we want to be authentic disciples—if we want to grow spiritually—what we’ll do is: We will exchange “our story” for “His story.” How? By living to show three truths about life: (1) life is not about self but about the Savior, (2) life is not about survival but about sacrifice, and (3) life is not about getting but about giving.

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT SELF BUT ABOUT THE SAVIOR

First of all, let’s affirm that life is not about self but about the Savior. Not everybody thinks that. In fact, most people don’t think that. But it’s true. The big question in life is not “Who are you?” but rather, “Who is Christ?”

The Question Is Not “Who Are You?”

One day, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Luke 9:18). In other words, What’s the word on the street about my identity? There were a lot of opinions. The disciples reported what people were saying: “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen” (v. 19). You have to admit: all those answers were pretty far-fetched. Makes you wonder what prompted people to say such things. Could it be that we like to make Jesus what we want Him to be? And why would we do that? Because, maybe, if we can customize Jesus to suit our own tastes, our made-to-order Jesus will validate our personal agenda. We twist Jesus’ question from who is He? to who am I? We make “the story” of our lives about us.

The Question Is “Who Is Christ?”

But “the story” is not about us. The issue isn’t who are you? The issue is who is Christ? When you look back at our text, do you see how Jesus pressed this question? Whatever others say about Me, “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 20). And it was Peter who answered, “The Christ of God.” Right answer! Christ is another word for Messiah, and both words—Messiah and Christ—mean “the anointed One,” that is, the One specially set apart by God to redeem His people.

So, I am not “the one.” You are not “the one.” Jesus is “the One.” We are always trying to make “the story” about us. God always makes “the story” about Jesus. Life is not about self but about the Savior. That’s the first affirmation we must make.

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT SURVIVAL BUT ABOUT SACRIFICE

And there is a second affirmation. Since life is not about self but about the Savior, we must then affirm that life is not about survival, but, rather, it is about sacrifice. That’s what Jesus’ life was about, and if my life is not about me but about Him, then what?

Our First Concern Is Not the Cost to Us

Here’s what: My first concern is not the cost to me. Look at verse 21. When Peter correctly identified Jesus as the Christ of God, what did Jesus do? “He strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one.” Notice the intensity of Luke’s words: he uses terms like strictly, and it’s not enough that Jesus simply charged His disciples to tell no one. He commanded them! This must not get out. Not yet. Why not? Why couldn’t people know that He was the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One, who would save them?

Because they wouldn’t understand what His messiahship entailed—not without the cross. The cross makes it clear that life is not about survival but, rather, about sacrifice. And people prefer survival over sacrifice. So the people of His day would seek to make Him a king—an earthly king, you see, with an earthly agenda, which would not include a cross. They would make the story not about Him but about them. Remember how Matthew treats this incident? When Jesus tells the disciples that He “must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things…and be killed,” Peter, who has just correctly identified Him as the Christ, now “rebuke[s] him” and says, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (Matt. 16:21, 22). What’s Peter doing? He’s making his first concern the cost to himself—and, secondarily, to Jesus. He’s doing whatever he can to avoid sacrifice for the sake of survival. But survival is not Jesus’ first concern. And it cannot be ours either.