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March 16, 2003
2nd Sunday in Lent
Mark 8:31-38
Pastor Robert Raasch

JESUS SPEAKS PLAINLY TO HIS DISCIPLES

1. Regarding What it Means to be the Christ
2. Regarding What it Means to be a Christian

Mark 8:31-38 NIV) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. {32} He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. {33} But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." {34} Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. {35} For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. {36} What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? {37} Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? {38} If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Have you ever had a conversation with somebody in which it seemed like nothing you were saying registered with them? Maybe it was that time your husband bought you some bargain basement dress, and he's going on and on about what a great deal he got on them, and meanwhile you're trying to be polite, and dropping all kinds of hints about how you probably have enough outfits already, and that you might be able to exchange the dress, but he's just not getting the message.

So finally, you pull him aside and look him straight in the eye and say, "Dear, I really don't want to hurt your feelings, and please don't take this personally, but I'm not going to wear that dress. In fact, I wouldn't be caught dead in it. Am I making myself clear? Am a speaking plainly enough?" Your husband's response, "What? Does that mean you don't like the dress?"

Sometimes, when we want to get a message through to someone else, we have to come right out and tell it like it is. In other words, we have to speak plainly to them. Well, we aren't the only one who sometimes need to resort to some plain language. There were a number of times in Jesus' life when he had to do the very same thing for the benefit of his listeners both then and now. Our text for today is one such example. We might say that here in Mark chapter 8,

JESUS SPEAKS PLAINLY TO HIS DISCIPLES

1. Regarding What it Means to be the Christ
2. Regarding What it Means to be a Christian

First, Jesus speaks plainly about what it means to be the Christ. I think it's important to note that in the verses immediately before our text for today, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" It was Simon Peter who spoke up for the disciples and said, Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus commended Peter for that answer. Peter was right. Jesus was the Christ, that is, the annointed one, the Messiah promised by God. Because the disciples had seen Jesus' miracles, because they had heard him preach, they had attached the correct title to him, "You are the Christ."

Unfortunately, even though they had the right title for Jesus, they did not fully comprehend what that title meant. They didn't realize what the Christ would have to do. Reminds me of the guy who goes into the Army Recruitment office and signs up for Airborne, because he wants to fly in airplanes. Only later does he discover that the term "Airborne" means you have to jump out of the planes with only a parachute on your back. That was an unpleasant surprise.

Well, in a sense, that's the situation the disciples found themselves in here in our text. Yes, they identified Jesus as the Christ. But they didn't realize exactly what that term entailed-that is, until Jesus spoke plainly to them. Mark tells us, "Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." In other words, it was at this time that Jesus began to really let his disciples in on the details of this upcoming suffering and death.

Well, how do the disciples handle Jesus' view of the future? Not very well. In his parallel account of this event, St. Matthew records Peter's reaction to Jesus words. Matthew says, "Peter took (Jesus) aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Can you read between the lines there? Can you hear what Peter's saying? He's saying, "Jesus, don't be talking about suffering and dying. That's too morbid. It's depressing. Besides, that's not going to happen to you. You're a good man. In fact, you're the Son of God. You should be upbeat, positive, instead of talking about suffering and dying.

You know, I wonder if there aren't times when we display a bit of that same attitude. Especially during this season of Lent, we may find ourselves thinking, "Man, why do we have an extra church service during this time of year? Why are focusing so much attention on the pain and suffering associated with Jesus' death? Why don't we just concentrate on the good parts of Jesus' life. Let's talk about his miracles. Let's talk about his love. Let's talk about the heaven he has in store for us. But that part right at the end of Jesus life, where he's flogged and nailed to a cross? Let's not talk about that."

You know what that reminds me of? It reminds me of the lady who goes on a shopping spree out at the mall and charges everything. New clothes, new shoes, everything. Enjoys it all. But then when the bill from the credit card company comes in the mail, she refuses to open it. She says, "I don't want to look at that. I don't want to know how much all this cost. I don't want to know what it cost for me to enjoy all these things. I'm going to ignore that."

My friends, let us not fall into that same trap. Jesus wanted to get a message across to his disciples then and now. And the message is this: Our redemption came at a very high price. You and I enjoy God's forgiveness and the promise of life eternal only because Jesus Christ bled and died on a Roman cross. Close your eyes to that cross, and you miss the seriousness of your sin. Close your eyes to that cross and you miss the depth of a Savior's love. Close your eyes to that cross and you lose the reason to live your lifve in gratitude to God. That's why Jesus spoke plainly about his death. And that's why we still speak plainly about it today, especially during this season of Lent. That cross signifies the price paid to set us free.

But that cross reminds of of more than Christ's cross. It also reminds of us the crosses we carry as Christians. In the second half of our text, Jesus speaks about those crosses when he speaks plainly about: II. What it Means to Be a Christian.

Now, first let me say, in this section, Jesus is not really seeking to define what a Christian is. Jesus is not saying that a person is a Christian if he or she makes some outstanding sacrifice in his life. Jesus is not saying that there is a special spot in heaven for anybody who suffers a great deal here on earth. No, those events don't define a person as a Christian. What is the definition of a Christian? A Christian is anyone who: 1. recognizes that he (or she) is a sinner who deserves God's eternal punishment for his sins; 2. believes that because Jesus suffered that eternal punishment on the cross, God grants full forgiveness of sins, and who 3. by the power of the Holy Spirit, now desires to show his gratitude to God by living for God rather than for himself.

Well, it is that third characteristic of a Christian that Jesus expands on here. Here Jesus speaks very plainly about what it really means to live for God when he says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." In terms of everyday life, what does it mean to live for God? It means, first of all, denying yourself. You know what your "self" is? It's that little voice inside of you that says, "Me first. I want to be on top. I want to be served by others." It's the little voice that says, "I don't want to have to get up and put the milk back in the fridge. Maybe if I sit here long enough, somebody else will do it." Self is the voice that says, "I don't really care what you think or how you feel. What's important is what I think, what I want. What I feel."

There's no doubt about it. When we let "self" be in charge of our lives, they we become slaves, slaves to the selfish desires and selfish behavior. As spirit-filled Christians, Jesus offers us the choice: Either you control your self or your Self will control you. That is why Jesus, in love for you and me says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself (that is, deny his or her 'self').

But Jesus is not done there. He goes on to say, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." What does Jesus mean when he says that we must take up our cross? What is the Christian's cross? The Christian's cross is any suffering which comes into the Christian's life because he or she is striving to live for God. That, of course, does not include all suffering. For example, if you are suffering the effects of a terrible head cold, you can't can't say that you are carrying your Christian cross. (Unless maybe you caught the cold while you were out hanging doorhangers for our Easter for Kids program.) But, in most cases the suffering we endure is not the result of being a Christian. It's the result of living in a sinful world, in sinful bodies. Most of the suffering we experience is common to all mankind, regardless of whether they're Christian or not.

There are times, however, we we do experience trials and tribulations as a direct result of our living for Christ. For example, when you refuse to join in with those who are passing gossip at school, and people treat you like you are some kind of "better-than-thou"-that may be a cross you have to carry. Or when you tell your children that the family is going to church this weekend, and all you hear is moaning and whining-that too, may be a Christian cross. Or maybe you write a paper in which you take a stand for creation rather than evolution and you get an "F" because you're not telling the professor what he wants to hear. That's a Christian cross. It's a hardship which you are enduring because you are determined to stand up for what God says is right. Jesus makes it clear that being a Christian means being willing to endure a certain amount of hardship, ridicule, yes, even persecution because of your faith.

Now, please don't misunderstand. Jesus is not saying that living the Christian life is all pain and sorrow and suffering. The Christian life is not a life of drudgery. Not at all. The fact is, a life lived for Christ is a lot more joy filled than a life lived for "self,"-both now and in eternity. But that doesn't mean that living for Christ is easy. Christian discipleship is hard; it involves carrying a cross, just as Jesus did.

The real question for you and me is this. "How will we regard that cross? Will we see it as Peter once saw it? Namely, as only something bad, something to be avoided at all costs, yes something embarassing, something to be ashamed of? If we do, then we'd better mark the words of the Lord here in our text, Mark 8:38 "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Friends, there is no reason to be ashamed of the cross. The cross of Christ is not only the symbol of death. It is the symbol of life. It is not only a symbol of shame. It is the symbol of glory. It is not only a symbol of sorrow, it is a symbol of joy. If you can rejoice in the cross that Jesus carried for you, then you can also rejoice in the crosses you carry for him.

Let me close with an encouragement which the Apostle Peter, many years after Jesus' death, shared with a group of Christians just like you and me. Peter wrote in his first epistle, chapter 4, v. 12, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." Praise God that you bear the name Christian, even if it comes with a cross. Or better yet, because it comes with a cross. The cross of your dear Savior and mine, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Amen.