"Want To Know Who Jesus Really Is? Follow Him”

“Want to Know Who Jesus Really Is? Follow Him”

Mark 8:27-38

Jewish Rabbis are teachers and their students are called disciples or learners.

They hang on the rabbi’s every word.

They follow the rabbi around.

They imitate the rabbi.

They are trying to become like the rabbi.

I heard of someone who saw a Jewish Rabbi with several disciples following him.

They followed the guy so closely that when he headed for the bathroom, they followed him right in.

(pause)

Jesus is Savior, Lord.

He is God-Become-Flesh.

But He was also, when He walked this earth, a Jewish Rabbi.

And His disciples, those guys and gals who were following Him around—were His students.

And they were trying to become like their teacher.

One day, Jesus asks these students who have been following Him for probably about a year and a half by now: “Who do people say I am?”

And they came up with a list of different names they have heard people give Jesus as they have traveled throughout so many villages and towns.

But then, Jesus turns to them and asks: “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”

And Peter gives the correct answer: “You are the Messiah.”

And by saying this, what Peter means is: “You are the one who will purify our society, re-establish Israel’s supremacy among the nations, and usher in a new era of peace and holiness.

Yes.

I’m expecting big things from you.”

No wonder Peter lays into Jesus in verse 32.

Suffering?

Rejection?

Killed?

Wasn’t Jesus paying attention when Peter called Him the Messiah?

Everything Jesus describes in verse 31 would appear to disqualify Him from being the Messiah.

Good thing Peter is there to straighten Him out and show Him the path the Messiah is supposed to follow.

Peter gets the title right, but the meaning wrong, does He not?

And don’t we all?

What is our understanding of Who Jesus is?

Is He Santa Clause?

The Resident Policeman?

The Party Pooper?

A Living Vending Machine or Wishing Well?

Peter and just about everyone we’ll ever know wants a God Who heals our every sickness, brings us prosperity, guarantees our security, urges our military and sports teams on to victory, and generally keeps us happy, healthy and wise.

But that is not Who Jesus is—is it?

Jesus is not a “Nationalist” nor is Jesus a “Santa Clause.”

And Jesus is not a televangelist preaching some-kind of “prosperity Gospel.”

It’s important for us—as Christ’s followers, learners or disciples—to understand Who and What Jesus is and Who and What Jesus is Not.

“Get behind me Satan!” Jesus said, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God…”

And then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

And here, for the first time, Jesus uses the word “cross.”

And that phrase has been so misunderstood.

It doesn’t refer to the ordinary sufferings that are associated with human life in the world—sickness, pain, grief, and loss—everyone experiences that stuff as a result of the Fall.

It also doesn’t mean a contrived kind of humility.

We don’t follow Jesus by demeaning ourselves.

Nor are we to view Jesus’ language of cross-bearing and self-denial through the lens of—say—Weight Watchers.

You know, have a little less of the things you like, don’t overindulge in the things that make you happy, cut enjoyment calories whenever possible.

No.

What Jesus is saying is that the life that has been packaged and sold to us isn’t real life and we need to die to those illusions to be born into the abundant life God wants for us.

Here’s the thing, many of us tend to think that life is something we can go out and get or earn or buy or win.

But it turns out life is like love, it can’t be won or earned or bought, only given away.

And the more we give it away, the more we have.

In fact—and first-time parents experience this in a profound way—only when we love others do we most understand what love really is.

In the same way, only when we give away our lives for the sake of others do we find our lives.

Somehow, in thinking about how to fulfill the needs of others our own deepest needs are met.

Call this the mystery of life and the key to the Kingdom of God.

To “deny oneself” means to keep one’s priorities in harmony with what Jesus told us in the two “great commandments”—love God and love your neighbor.

And of course, discipleship, says Jesus, is first and always a matter of following.

It’s not just talking the talk or getting the words right—it is walking the walk.