The Way Of The Cross

The way of the Cross

Mark 8:34-38

Mark chapter 8:34-38

Prayer-

Introduction-

Last week we looked at some of the words of Jesus to his disciples.

We found that He had the nerve to eat with sinners and associate with people that even the religious thought should be avoided.

We saw the setting is political unrest, spiritual decline, and people had no loyalty to anything.

That sounds every bit of today as we try to journey through this polluted world of selfishness.

Jesus used two words to Matthew- “Follow me” Matthew rose up and followed Jesus giving up all that was necessary to follow Him.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

It means some will give up everything because of where the call of God takes them.

Some will be asked to give up the things that are in disobedience of God’s Word.

Some will even be asked to give up things not necessary wrong but given up because it is a bad witness and could cause someone else to stumble.

This morning the text falls within that same vein. Jesus giving us directions on what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

Remember that all of us are called by God to do what He has asked us to do.

The Christian journey begins where we are and should end where God wants us to be- both in this world and for eternity. He desires to help us journey here with the hope that we will desire to spend eternity with Him. In that journey of ours, we are to impact people’s lives that God brings in our path.

Matthew 7

“The way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Why?

Because our greatest joy should come from serving God and others. That means that we have to deny ourselves and follow the ways of God.

Jesus in this chapter talks about His death and that was confusing to the disciples, especially Peter.

Peter had this great revelation from God that Jesus was the Messiah!

Death could not be the path of victory. Victory had to be life, conquering the enemy, and bringing Justice to a wronged people.

Peter rebuked Jesus and thought that Jesus must have had a breakdown or something.

Jesus rebuked him back and called his actions Satan working through him. Peter was stunned.

“Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The mindset of denying self and following God is that He’s first! What does Jesus want from us and for us?

Anything less is putting yourself first.

Jesus gathered the crowd, he gathered the disciples and he gathers us this morning … “ If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

He doesn’t say we pick up other people’s cross- take up our cross.

He doesn’t say… when you get around to it, it says if you are a follower of Christ, pick up your cross and follow me.”

Luke’s account of this passage adds the word daily- we are to pick up our cross daily and follow Him.

In context, the crowd that heard him say “Deny yourself and pick up your cross” were baffled- they understood the cross one way- Romans put people on the cross and tortured them in an unimaginable way till they died and were ridiculed and mocked till they died. They were hoping that Jesus asking us to pick up the cross would not have such pain and death to it. That it would not involved total sacrifice.

Jesus leads by example-

We see it all through scripture. Jesus does not ask us to do something that He has not done and He promises that when we go through it that He would be with us.

Think about it-

He tells us that to live for God that you must die to self.

To be more like Jesus would involve dying to self and seeing more of Him than you and the world.

Jesus showed us that we must move toward death of ourselves to be more like Christ.

Those disciples present – most paid the ultimate sacrifice- they were martyred for their faith. They choose to live out their faith even if it cost them their lives. How many are willing to do that today?

Death to self

Death to self-glory

Death to worldly desires that go outside of God’s will.

Death to the easy life that centers only about you and your immediate family.

Death to unhealthy desire for money.

Thousand deaths that would speak to us saving ourselves without God’s help.

Observation than a thought-

Observation-

Christian life is hard! Really hard! That is why Jesus said that we do not have to do it alone.