“Carry the Cross Challenge” Matthew 16:21-28
In today's passage, Jesus is getting ready for his final journey to Jerusalem. It's important that his disciples have a firm grasp of who he is and what he is about.
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus and the disciples travel to Caesarea Philippi (a pagan place of worship built for Roman domination and venerated as a place of worship for the god Pan). Jesus asks the questions: Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?
Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
After this passage, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a mountain (Transfiguration).
Today's Scripture is what happens in between those events.
The Cross is an instrument of control, domination and death.
Faith in Christ = is about life - abundant Life and eternal life.
It's Ironic that at the very center of our Christian faith is the symbol of a violent death. Can you think of any other religion that has an instrument of death as its central symbol.
Crucifixion was used by the Persians, Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans for nearly a thousand years, from the 6th century BC to the year 337 AD when Constantine banished the use after he adopted Christianity as a religion of the Roman Empire.
In the Roman Empire the cross is used for the death penalty, a public display to warn others, “this is what happens to people who go against the authority of the empire.” It was a slow, painful, gruesome death. It was humiliating and public – to make anyone think twice before they would commit such a crime.
Here in USA, we don’t have public executions anymore.
Just the same in some instances it has become difficult to show and live our faith.
We often take our freedom to live our faith for granted. We become complacent.
There have been lawsuits in U.S. and other places
- British Airways check-in worker (Nadia Eweida) was fired for wearing a cross at work. Friday, February 12 – Appeals Courts upheld the Nov 2008 judgment. Company policy (no religious symbols) vs. religious discrimination.
- Earlier Cindy Dunn, a Target employee in Alabama, was fired because she refused to hide or remove her cross.
- In Kentucky (2002), Kimberly Draper, a librarian, was fired from the public library for wearing a cross.
Possible problem in society: Wearing a cross will not make you a Christian. Many musicians & actors wear it as a piece of jewelry or a tattoo adornment. You need a Christian life and testimony to wear the cross.
There is persecution in the world (see christianpersecution.info)
- Christians jailed on N. Korea to celebrate Kim Jong Il’s 68th birthday.
- Pakistan, Muslim radicals burned the home of a Christian family (Feb 15)
- Feb 6 – two street preachers in Boynton Beach, FL were shot and killed by a teenager who opposed their message.
- Feb 2 – the one year anniversary of the arrest and disappearance of a Christians Rights advocate in China.
- Pastor in Cuba remains behind bars.
- Every continent, almost every country.
Jesus warned about this: “They will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.” “All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair on your head will perish, by standing firm, you will gain life.”
Do we take our religious freedom for granted?
Jesus told his followers, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt. 16:24-25)
This is not an isolated instance. Jesus made similar statements on a number of occasions.
When Jesus made these statements, the disciples didn’t understand that this was the way the Jesus was going to die. After the fact, I’m sure they realized this. The disciples saw crosses all over the place. According to church historian Josephus, it was a common occurrence – a visual deterrence from disobeying the Roman authority. I’m sure the disciples wondered why Jesus brought up this particular instrument of death. Of all the ways to die, it was not heroic, but humiliating.
In verses 21ff – Jesus tells them, "I’m heading toward Jerusalem, I’m going be put to death."
Peter denies him.
Jesus tells them to carry the cross.
What does it mean to carry the cross?
The cross is a mark that we belong to God (Ash Wednesday – cross on forehead, it should not be just a tradition). What does it mean?
1. In some ways it is the myriad of inconveniences, trials, tribulations and frustrations that Christians must bear during our earthly life. Carrying the cross will bring difficulties. Carrying the cross is stepping outside our comfort zone.
2. Persecution. If we live the Christian life, we may be persecuted.
3. More than that, the deeper and more difficult things = public humiliation, pain,
4. It meant that Death was coming.
The cross is much more than stepping outside our comfort zone – it is a willingness to step so far outside our comfort zone – that we are willing to follow Jesus to the death. Mt. 16:24 (restated) “If anyone wants to come after me, he must step completely outside his comfort zone, and take up a cross that leads to death.”
It means death to self (not what I want for my life, but what God wants for me).
Here’s the rub - my ambitions, goals, desires, etc. … need to come from God, not from me.
During Lent we will explore what it means to carry the cross.
At the basic level, carrying the cross means not denying Jesus.
Peter learned that when Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan!”
After Jesus was arrested, in the courtyard of the guard. Peter was asked, “Do you know him?” (If this was today, Peter would cover his cross / or tuck it in his tunic). He told them, "I don’t know him."
During Lent we will discover what it means to carry the cross.
INVITATION
You are invitee to take the cross and carry the cross as we head toward Easter.
It’s the "carry the cross challenge."
Jesus – tells his disciples he must suffer and die, and he headed toward Jerusalem. Jesus knew what it meant for him. The cross was not an inconvenience, or a frustration, or a trial. It was a painful death. He wants his disciples to know what it means for them. It’s not a decision to take lightly.
Jesus challenged his disciples to carry the cross; We are Jesus' disciples today.
You are challenged to carry the cross.
As you carry the cross there is an inward and an outward reminder.
(Use common sense: there is no spiritual value in getting your cross stuck in a skill saw)
Personal (inward) reminder:
- I am a Christian (I belong to Jesus who died on a cross for my sins)
- I want to set aside what I want, and I want to know what God wants for me.
Outward reminder:
- We tell the world we belong to Jesus, who suffered and died for our sins.
- We testify that we want others to know the joy of eternal life that comes through following Jesus.
What do you tell others? "I made a commitment to give my life to God. I am making every attempt in my life to be like Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus."
