Introduction
An estimated 113 million viewers watched the Super Bowl. What do people always talk about after a Super Bowl? Ads! Most expensive ever - at $7 million per 30 seconds. The most memorable ad I saw? Tubi - the one where everyone scrambled to find their remote control. Also, this year there were two ads of interest - the ones that made the effort to tell America about Jesus: He Gets Us. This one showed scenes of conflict that definitely stir emotions - ending with the slogan Jesus Loves the People We Hate. According to Christianity Today this is thought to be the biggest-ever Christian advertising campaign (Baer). The video ads have accumulated millions of views on YouTube. This is a national campaign that will run through the end of this year. Although it is not without some controversy, it is an effort to get a new generation of unchurched people to think about the question: Who is Jesus?
Jesus once asked a question about identity: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Interestingly, he got several responses. John the Baptist - Elijah - Jeremiah - one of the prophets. Isn’t that interesting? That people would identify the living Jesus with prophets who had passed? There’s one crucial question, though, when it comes to the identity of Jesus: Who Do You Say that I Am?
Who is Jesus to you? (Wallace)
Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet held in high regard.
Judaism acknowledges Jesus existed and had a mother named Mary. He is respected, but not the Messiah.
Hinduism and Buddhism teach that Jesus was a holy man / enlightened teacher and one of the gods.
I think those ideas are pretty much embraced by many today. Peter’s answer:
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:16
Jesus: “...Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "Matthew 16:18 Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) is the foundation of our faith. Jesus says he will build his church upon that confession. Nothing - not even death - can destroy it. Jesus is our Savior - and we have committed our lives to follow Him. Matthew tells us what it means to follow Jesus.
1. Follow His Interests (Matthew 16:21-23)
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 And 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.”
Jesus communicates his Kingdom Mission:
He is a teaching Savior - he shared with them his plan.
He is a Suffering Savior - at the hands of the religious elite he would experience suffering, the cross, and death.
He is a Risen Savior - on the third day!
Peter goes from making the confession of a lifetime to telling Jesus what he will and will not do! The response from Jesus is that this will not be tolerated. The interest of Discipleship is always the Jesus Agenda.
2. Carry His Cross (Matthew 16:24)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
If we are ever under the impression that Christianity is the place where all our problems are solved and we just get to feel good all the time - we are living in a dream world! Just listen to what Jesus is saying here - it cost him his life. The cost of discipleship is our life. And that’s what makes it hard for many to follow.
Three realities of Discipleship
It is about self-denial. Barclay: “To deny oneself means in every moment of life to say no to self and yes to God. To deny oneself means once, finally and for all to dethrone self and to enthrone God … The life of constant self-denial is the life of constant assent to God.”
It is about Carrying the Cross. We say “that’s just my cross to bear” pretty lightly. For Jesus, it was a death sentence.
It is about following Jesus wherever He leads us.
3. Experience His Reward (Matthew 16:25-26)
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus offers us life that is really life. YOLO - you only live once - a saying meant to free us from constraints or worries about consequences.
“…I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” - John 10:10
The world cannot give us what Jesus does.
Guidance to the life God has given us.
Grace so we do not have to be anxious.
Mercy so we can move on after we mess up.
The Holy Spirit to help us in our prayers.
God’s presence brings us comfort.
Power to avoid the traps of the enemy.
Sometimes Christians are trying to live worldly lives while clinging to some form of religion. “Just enough religion to make them miserable!” (Billy Sunday). Discipleship has a reward - life here and eternal. What reward do we have if we chase the world? Piercing question: What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
4. Have Hope in His Destiny (Matthew 16:27)
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.
As the disciples hear this, the resurrection and coming of the church were immanent. For us, the return of Christ may be today or not in our lifetime, but we anticipate the renewal of all things.
Conclusion
It is true that Jesus Gets Us. On the other hand, are we spending our lives getting Jesus?
On a hot summer month in Midtown Manhattan, the Church of the Holy Cross was broken into twice. In the first break-in, thieves stole a moneybox that was situated near a votive candle rack. Three weeks later, the church was burglarized a second time. But this time, the thieves escaped with something much more valuable. They stole a 4-foot tall, 200-pound plaster statue of Jesus from the crucifix, but they left His cross behind. When interviewed by the media, the church caretaker, David St. James, expressed his bewilderment at this. "They just decided, 'We're going to leave the cross and take Jesus.'" (Andrew)
If we want to have Jesus, we have to have the cross as well. That’s what discipleship is.
Follow His Interests, not our own.
Carry His Cross, it’s not always easy.
Experience His Reward, real life now and eternal.
Have Hope in His Destiny - Jesus is coming again.
Who is Jesus to you? Can we tell by looking at what you study, what you pray? When you meet? How you serve? What your attitude is like? What your decisions are? If you are willing to obey Him?
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Resources
Andrew, Paul. Sermon located HERE.
https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/take-up-your-cross-and-follow-him-paul-andrew-sermon-on-suffering-210568
Baer, Maria. Christianity Today: HE GETS US AD CAMPAIGN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5x1RyJOwP8
Tubi Super Bowl Ad
https://youtu.be/73p4lL1iq7w
Wallace, J. Warner. Relevant Magazine: WHAT OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS THINK ABOUT JESUS.
https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/what-other-world-religions-think-about-jesus/
