NEED FOR SACRIFICE

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY August 2

THE NEED FOR SACRIFICE
Matthew 16:21-28
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.and admonishes those who will follow Him to be ready to bear the cross24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

THE CONSTANT NEED FOR SACRIFICE

To be great at anything, in any sphere, one must be willing to sacrifice. Athletes must sacrifice to excel. Distance runners need to spend hours and hours on the road. Runners sacrifice when they get sore or tired, but they connect to the outside world. They feel the sun on their face, their heart and lungs grow strong, and their bodies are lean and healthy. Runners pay a price, but they also reap a blessing.In our passage, Jesus looks ahead to his sacrifice on the cross. He speaks of it more clearly than ever before and asks us to look to the cross, too. He says that just as he bore his cross for us, so we ought to be willing to bear our cross, to suffer, for him. The sacrifice he asks is great, but as he explains our sacrifice, we see that it is rather like running. It is a real sacrifice, but a sacrifice that interacts with this world in ways that guarantee that we will reap a blessing. To see clearly, we begin by setting the context for the Lord's teaching.

A TEMPORARY NEED FOR SILENCE.

Just before this passage, Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This short, inspired confession is a concentrated description of the person and the work of Jesus. Peter says who Jesus is - the unique Son of God, who has the same character, the same powers, the same rights as God the Father. Peter also declares what Jesus did. He is the Messiah, appointed and anointed by God to deliver his people from their sins.Somewhat surprisingly, Jesus immediately told the disciples to tell no one who he is. The reasons for the call to silence are clear enough.First, the term Messiah had political overtones. If the Jews heard that Jesus is the Messiah, they would expect him to come in glory and to conquer, leading armies and shedding Roman blood. Better to keep this error by keeping quiet.Second, we see that the disciples, even Peter, hardly follow Jesus. He must explain himself much more fully and the Spirit must quicken their minds before they understand enough to teach others.

JESUS DECLARES THE NECESSITY OF HIS SACRIFICE

Matthew 16:21 says, "From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things."Every phrase counts. First, "from that time" marks a change in policy. Now that the disciples know Jesus is the Messiah, he can begin to explain how he will save his people.Matthew says Jesus "began to show his disciples" because he is only starting his instruction. He will have to repeat himself. As we know, most Jews, disciples included, believed the Messiah would swiftly achieve a majestic reign over the land. Yes, they thought he might face some light, fleeting opposition. But for Jesus, "Suffering was the essence of Messiahship".

1 He needs to explain why this is so.Jesus says "he must go to Jerusalem."

He does not say he "will go." He is predicting his death, but it is more than a forecast. He is not simply examining some trends that predict a social storm leading to his death. Jesus will die because he must die. His death and resurrection are essential to God's design, from all eternity. At the empty tomb, an angel reminded the disciples of Jesus' words, that he "must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again" (Luke 24:7).This "must" reflects the eternal plan of the triune God, Father, Son and Spirit. The Father planned, the Son achieved, and the Spirit empowered Jesus. Hebrews says, "Through the eternal Spirit" Jesus Christ "offered himself unblemished to God." By his blood, he cleansed "our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (Heb 9:14).On the first Pentecost Peter proclaimed Jesus "a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signsÂ… as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by GodÂ’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the deadÂ… because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him" (Acts 2:22-24).Jesus says he "must go to Jerusalem." Later, he says "No prophet can die outside Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33). Jesus' most hostile and tenacious foes were religious leaders and they lived in Jerusalem, the home of the temple, the sacrifices and the teaching of God's word. How could this be? Good spiritual leaders love, serve, teach, and pray for their people in their needs. Yet spiritual leaders are prone to every temptation that is common to humanity. Spiritual leaders can use religion to gain respect and praise for themselves. They can use religion to gain power and glory for themselves. Spiritual leaders can be proud, since they believe they know the way to God. (Matt 23:12, Rev 13).Of course, we should never listen to anyone who entices us to worship Baal, Budda, Zeus. But it also teaches us to be wary of the false prophets and heartless priests within Israel. Jesus suffered and died "at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law" (16:21). The religious leaders of Israel, stationed in Jerusalem, killed Jesus.Why Jerusalem?Revelation says this world opposes God's people in three ways.

The foes of God have three styles and each has its city
or country. They are Sodom, Egypt, and Jerusalem.

We see them together in Revelation 11:8. It declares that two of God's witnesses will be killed. "Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." Each city has a symbolic meaning:

• Sodom represents sensuality, wantonness, and perverse self-indulgence.
• Egypt represents enslavement, oppression and injustice, especially toward Israel.
• The "great city", where the Lord was crucified is Jerusalem. It represents external religion that masks moral and spiritual decay.

Today, some of the greatest dangers to believers still come from Jerusalem – from dead religion. We know we must shun the teaching of other religions, but believers must also beware of false teaching within the church, in all its branches. Both Protestant and Catholic churches can lead us astray.On any Sunday, liberal Protestants leaders will deny almost every fundamental tenet of the faith. They will disavow the deity of Christ, his substitutionary death, his resurrection, and his status as the one Savmankind Catholicstholics do not deny the fundamentals as some Protestants do, but they often obscure the doctrines of grace. For example, the doctrine of purgatory declares that after death a great many believers must go, possibly for a very long time, to a place where their sins are burned away after their death. In essence, this purging of sin is necessary because the Catholic system doubts that the work of Christ alone, grasped by faith alone, is sufficient.Some of the finest people God has placed on earth are Christian leaders. Still, Jesus was right: the religious leaders of Israel, the priests, elders, and teachers on the ruling council (Sanhedrin) killed him.Today, his gospel often suffers at the hands of church leaders. Therefore, we must test all teachings against Scripture. We cannot afford blind trust. Yet even if we are deceived, no one can thwart the cause of Christ. The Father raised Jesus to life after Jews and Romans killed him and the Spirit still applies the gospel to our hearts today, to bring us to faith.

2. A disciple denies the need for sacrifice 16:22-23

When Jesus said he had to die, Peter reacted at once. Peter was always quick to speak, but perhaps he had even more confidence since Jesus had commended him for his good confession. Perhaps Peter gently took Jesus by the arm and as he led him aside (16:22a). He rightly called Jesus "Lord." But he quickly began to rebuke Jesus, to correct, admonish, scold. Peter knows! In the strongest language, Peter tells Jesus this must never happen. "May God show you mercy" – to spare you and to correct such ideas. This Will Never be. It seemed unthinkable that Jesus should suffer death at the hands of his own people. Yet sometimes what seems impossible happens. Sometimes the unthinkable is true.Peter is not just wrong. He is the spokesman for the twelve, who listen as he announces that Jesus is wrong. Jesus does what he must. He rebukes Peter in the strongest terms.
Jesus commands "Go away" (Greek hupago) or "Get behind me" - to an insignificant place, where I will ignore you.Jesus says "Get behind me, Satan." It is a stark rebuke. Further, Peter had just spoken with divine insight when he said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." But in this thought he takes the position of Satan. When Satan tempted Jesus, he said what Peter now tells Jesus: Forget about the cross. Lay hold of glory without enduring any suffering.Peter is a stumbling block to Jesus. The term may either mean a stone in a path over which we stumble. Or it can mean the stick that springs a trap or snare. Either way, Peter's words serve to tempt or trap Jesus. How quickly Peter fell – one moment speaking for the Lord, the next speaking for Satan. What can we learn from this?First, see how passion, ignorance, and false confidence lead to arrogance. Peter sincerely believed he knew better than Jesus!We can be exactly right one moment and terribly wrong the next. To avoid similar errors we should take care not to speak in heat and haste. We should be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry" (Jas 1:19). We should be teachable and set our minds on "the things of God" (16:23).

The cross of Christ is the centerpiece of "the things of God." There is no Christianity without the cross and the empty tomb. Christians differ on many points such as baptism, church government, and styles of worship. Some are matters of taste; in some one party is right and another wrong. "Errors on many points is only like a skin disease; error about Christ is a disease Jesus had to tell the disciples about the cross over and over. Even after the death and resurrection, they could hardly understand it (Luke 24:13-35). But eventually Peter did understand the cross; how he preached it once he did! He said "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Pet 2:24). He saw that the cross is our salvation first and our example second, "Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Pet 2:21).

3. Disciples of Jesus must sacrifice 16:25-28

The cross is offensive to so many people.

• To the Greek, a crucified man was humiliated.
• To the Roman, a crucified man was evil and powerless.
• To the Jew, a crucified man was cursed by God.
• But in Jesus' eyes the cross is a sign of loving sacrifice and discipleship. He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (16:24).

Jesus does not call us to die to atone for sin; he did that once and for all. He does call us to live for others daily, just as he did, daily (Luke 9:23). Jesus gives three commands in 16:24. Each is in the present tense, which means we must perform them continually.

1. Deny yourself. The Bible says Jesus bought us with his blood, so that we are not our own; we belong to God (1 Cor 6:19-20). The grace of Christ, who redeemed us, teaches us to say no to our passions and lusts and to live for him (Tit 2:12-14).
2. Take up your cross. Some Christians call any chronic problem – a chronic illness –their cross. But to bear the cross is to take action, not to suffer passively. We bear the cross when we care for the sick, comfort the afflicted, give sacrificially to the poor or share Christ with someone who may laugh at us. To bare the cross is to suffer loss of what is most precious to you: your money, your time.Are you busy? Do you never have time to rest? Then when you give up your time to help someone, you bear the cross. When we do these things, we follow Jesus.We retreat from self-denial.
3. Church people will heed a call to activity and to obedience. We love to hear of prosperity and comfort and joy. But who wants to bare an instrument of torture and death, as Jesus did? We give thanks that Jesus died in our place and recoil from doing the same. Yet there is no Christianity without the cross.Besides the natural inclination to avoid sacrifice, our culture invites us to avoid sacrifice another way. A large church can hire pastors and staff to do the work. When we grow weary of service, it is all to easy to look to the pastors and ministry coordinators and say "We have a wonderful staff. Trained professionals. Let them do it." But it is possible for a church to be healthier even if its staff is weak. A "wonderful staff" can entice us to sloth.Know this: the pastors are the staff, but you are the staff too - the main staff. Unpaid, as Jesus was unpaid. Without official recognition, as Jesus had no official recognition. Yet Jesus served as long as he lived and commands us to do the same.In a way, self-denial is a universal principle. To master cross country running or the game of chess, we must sacrifice. We must deny the desire to dabble in this and that if we want to be great or even nearly great at anything. Yet the self-denial of practice requires that we give up one thing to gain a greater thing for ourselves. Jesus asks for self-denial that does not bring personal benefit – at least not in the short run. Clearly the cost of following Jesus is high. But is it a bad investment? Does Jesus ask us to suffer for no reason? Will God be indebted to us? Notice that Jesus gives four reasons for us to deny ourselves.

4. Four reasons to sacrifice joyfully

First, whoever wants to save his life will lose it (16:25). We will lose our life if we live to gratify ourselves, if we live to get all that we can from this physical life, if we live for our pleasure, our happiness, and our longevity. To live for wine-tasting or exotic vacations, for golf or for mastery of video games, is ultimately self-defeating. Such things may make life pleasant, but do not make it rich.Life becomes rich when we lose it (16:25b) by serving others, by loving them and being loved by them. On the other hand, if we deny ourselves now, we save our lives forever.

Second, what is the benefit if a man "gains the whole world and loses his soul" (16:26)? The world has its attractions. Even simple things. Ice cream. To sit under a shade tree on an early summer day. And there are far greater pleasures than these. But the soul – eternal life - is worth far more than these things. What can a person trade for his soul? The whole idea of commerce is misguided.

Third, Jesus is coming and when he does, "he will reward each person according to what he has done" (16:27). No kind word, no good deed will be forgotten. No sacrifice will lack its reward.Listen: God never forgets anything we do. He remembers better than we do, he cares more than we do and his reward never ends. We do not serve to get a reward. We follow Jesus and the reward is a bonus. That is true of everything we do.

Fourth, the Lord is coming again in glory. The disciples tasted this during their lifetime. They saw it at the transfiguration. They saw it again at Pentecost, but one day we will all see the fullness of Jesus' glory. When this world and its sacrifices end, we will dwell with him in his glory forever.Let me close with a question.

What kind of a Christian are you? There are several kinds: cultural Christians, convenient Christians, committed Christians.

Let's consider two kinds:

The convenient Christian is a disciple whenever it's easy, whenever nothing gets in the way. There was a man from Maryland who attended church faithfully from December to early March. The rest of the year, he faithfully attended when it rained. Otherwise not. Why? Because the rest of the year, he played golf on sunny Sunday mornings. His church attendance was a perfect diagnostic of his spiritual health. He had one tiny area of service, one tiny area of generosity and a bite-sized time slot for church. We have to wonder if work and golf were his true gods.

The committed Christian does not live for pleasure but for the Lord. Of course, service to Christ often pays off quickly. If you help your brother in time of need, he may help you in yours. It's a blessing. But the true disciple is willing to follow Jesus wherever he goes. To suffer, as Christ did, and later to glory, as Jesus did.