THE WAY OF THE CROSS.
Matthew 16:21-28.
MATTHEW 16:21-23. When Jesus began to openly teach the necessity of the Cross, Peter - of all people - took Him aside, and began to rebuke Him. This brought to the lips of Jesus what is perhaps the sternest rebuke that He ever gave. Jesus' rebuke of Satan echoes His response to His temptation in the wilderness (cf. Matthew 4:10).
The way of the Cross grates so, that men will hardly receive it. Peter, who had so recently made confession of faith, found the notion unpalatable. Jesus' rebuke warns us all of the danger of becoming too puffed up by our spiritual experiences. The enemy of our souls tries to snatch away the words of our confessions of faith while they are still in our mouths, robbing us of our newly received blessing.
Of course, the Cross is the bit which we all like to leave out - ours, if not His. It is amazing to observe as well, that the shock of learning that Messiah must die rendered His disciples deaf to the “and be raised again the third day” at the end of the lesson (Matthew 16:21). So Jesus used this as a platform for further teaching.
MATTHEW 16:24. Without taking away from the efficacy of His Cross, the example of Jesus sets us upon the path of self-denial (cf. Mark 10:45). The Christian life involves choosing the way of God rather than our own path. We must follow the example of Jesus, who surrendered Himself to the will of His Father (cf. Luke 22:42).
We must each “take up (our) cross.” Those who lived under the tyranny of Rome would have understood this! We should each die to self, and live for God.
For some disciples, this does involve following Jesus to physical death. Such should be the level of commitment for those who are serious about being Christians.
If we would follow Jesus, we must be willing to walk with Him, and to go wherever He leads. Jesus has walked the road of rejection before us. He will also be with us when we follow in that lonely path.
MATTHEW 16:25. Paradoxically, the path of life is through death and resurrection. We must die to self: to the world, the flesh and the devil. Then we shall rise to new life in Christ Jesus.
MATTHEW 16:26. There are many ways in which a person can ruin their eternal soul. What use is worldly gain if it causes us to forfeit our soul?
MATTHEW 16:27. The teaching is rounded off by showing that the disciples and their contemporaries were not wrong to expect that the Lord would come to receive a crown: but that they had the timing all wrong. Messiah was not come to overthrow the Romans, but to set up His kingdom in the hearts of His people.
Yet there would come such a time, when He would appear in His glory with all His holy angels, and reward every man according to his works. The question will then be: did these works arise out of a pure heart, full of faith?
MATTHEW 16:28 does hint that there would be some anticipation of this great event in the meantime. This may refer to the Transfiguration (cf. Matthew 17:1-2), or to the fall of Jerusalem. The coming of the kingdom was also anticipated in the Cross, and more particularly the resurrection (Matthew 16:21).
And in the lifetime of some of those standing there, another manifestation of the kingdom of God would also be seen at Pentecost.
