Not the Christ or the Life We Want
Mark 8:27-38
February 25, 2018 – Redeemer
Who do people say that Jesus is? In the days of Jesus they thought he might be John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the Prophets. John the Baptist lost his head for one of his sermons. Elijah was despised for condemning the erotic worship of his day and Queen Jezebel put a contract on his life. The prophets were rarely welcomed and often labeled the troublers of Israel. If that’s how the men of God fared how would the Son of God fare?
Peter knows who Jesus is, “You are the Christ,” but Peter did not yet know what that meant. We should not be surprised by Peter’s ignorance. The great majority of people in the United States say they believe in God, but ask them a few questions “Tell me about the God you worship” or “What does it mean to have a god?” How would you answer? A common set of answers goes like this. God helps me when I have troubles. I pray to Him and I know He is with me. Or some might answer with a label, “Well, I’m a Lutheran.” What does that mean? “I was baptized and confirmed Lutheran.” Why? “Because my parents were.” Yes, but what does that mean? Does it make any difference? Does it mean anything for your life? Is it like a membership card for the VFW or Rotary or is it something more? At that point they would say, “Stop asking questions, you’re bothering me, and my brain is beginning to hurt.”
It is Jesus who is asking, “Who do you say that I am?” He wants to know because it is a matter of life and death for you. “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the Holy angels.” Jesus wants you to know Him, as He wanted Peter and the Apostles to know Him so that they and you can live.
Jesus teaches clearly what God’s Christ will do. But be warned – you’re not going to like God’s Christ and you’re not going to enjoy what it means for you. Watch Peter’s reaction when Jesus begins to teach the disciples and the crowd. The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Jesus isn’t speaking in parables or using analogies. The Kingdom of God isn’t like suffering, death, and resurrection it is suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus would suffer, die until He was dead, and three days later come back to life in His body.
Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ but rebuked the Christ Jesus was. In the same way people want God, but they don’t want God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.
Who do people today say Jesus is? He’s many things to many people. A few months ago I shared with you some of the false Christs from Pr. Matt Richard’s book “Will the Real Jesus please stand up?” (It’s in the Resource Center if you want to check it out.) Jesus the Giver of Bling. Jesus the Social Justice Warrior. Jesus the Teddy Bear. Every false Christ takes away the one thing Jesus made crystal clear in His own teaching about Himself. He came to suffer and die.
We make up false Christs because we don’t want to see our true problem. Your chief problem is not oppression, or poverty, or unhappiness. Your chief problem is you (now you know why you aren’t going to like the Christ God sent.) Something is wrong with you – that is why God became a man – for us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven. (Please remember when I use man in the Biblical sense I mean all humanity – men and women come from one man – Adam.) Something is wrong with you, that is why God in the flesh must suffer and die. God’s Word says your human nature is corrupted and twisted with sin. Even though you know what is right you do what is wrong. You hurt those who love you most. You easily see someone else’s mistakes, while you remain blind to your own. Sin is killing you and so God’s Christ, Jesus of Nazareth is the best news you can hear – Jesus Christ came to suffer and die for your sins.
This is what is necessary for you to live. It is necessary for the Law to be fulfilled. It is necessary for sin to be punished. It is necessary for God’s wrath to be quenched. Since God is love it was necessary for Him in love to rescue you. This is what love does – it doesn’t insist on its own way. Love makes sacrifices. Love dies to self so its beloved can live. That is why God preserves murderous Cain, saves drunken Noah from the flood, gives old Abraham a son even though he volunteered his wife in the sex trade, delivers His adulterous Israel out of Egypt, and keeps unforgiving Jonah alive – everyone a sinner on par with you and yet God in His love saves them. And every act of selfless love and rescue and sacrifice points to Jesus who took up His cross, carried your sins, and laid down His life for you. The God of Holy Scripture denies Himself, He loves you by saving you from yourself and your sin.
What does this mean for you? This church, your baptism, the forgiveness you heard this morning, this sermon, that table, the body and blood of Christ, the communion of Saints, the resurrection of your body. You don’t deserve any of it, but you have all of it, free and full, with God’s good pleasure, because Jesus suffered, was rejected, and killed for your sins.
What does this mean for you if you believe that? Your life will be like Christ-like. If anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up His cross and follow me. Deny yourself – now there’s a popular sermon. That’ll bring in the crowds. How would you spin that into a marketing campaign for our congregation? Join Redeemer where it’s not about you. Join Redeemer and get off yourself. Join us and die.
Deny yourself. During this season of the year many Christians deny themselves by fasting. By denying yourself food or chocolate or alcohol or the internet for a time you are confessing one simple truth to the world, “This isn’t essential for life – Jesus is.” I can live without food but I cannot live without Jesus. Self-denial is also your confession that you worship the God who denied Himself for you.
Self-denial is as unpopular as John the Baptist, Elijah, and the prophets. It is as undesirable as Jesus’ dying. But that is His way – to die for our sins that we might live in His forgiveness. So He calls us to follow Him — dying to self to live in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
24 February 2018 anno Domini