03.17.2013 Journeys to the Cross - What it Means to be a True Follower of Jesus

Thank You for the example of the cross. We are not ashamed of Him or His words. Being willing to risk one’s life for following Jesus is such an example to those of us who have never faced that.
Next week is Palm Sunday – and the following week the Passion Week.
Mark 8-10, in each chapter, Jesus makes a prediction of His death – one prediction in each chapter – immediately after each prediction – He challenges the disciples what it means to really be a disciple – we will focus on each of those – Three lessons on what it means to be a true disciple/follower of Jesus.
Mark 8:31 Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke openly about this. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”
We’ve looked at Peter’s response many times – and many of us would have reacted the same way. Understand their circumstance – they had left everything – joined up with Jesus - because they had certain expectations of what would happen. He was the Messiah and would bring the Messianic Kingdom into being – to bring back the glory years of David – they would go from being ruled by Rome to being God’s powerful nation in the world. That is what they expected – and they could expect nothing else. From their understanding of the Bible and the prophets – they could only see a Messiah coming to return the glory of Israel – and Jesus is saying – nope, you got it all wrong – that is not going to happen, in fact – the opposite is going to happen.
That sets the context.
The call to discipleship:
34 Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. 36 For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?
He gathers the crowd. There are all these people there. And He says – I am going to Jerusalem to hang on a cross. They were quite familiar with that – it was a public display – do not let this happen to you!
But Jesus says – I am going to Jerusalem – to be hung on a cross – and you need to do the same thing! What this meant to them – was taking a cross to be crucified.
Now, that is clear for them. In reality – the apostles – according to tradition, were all martyred for following Jesus. They literally followed this message.
What about us – how does this verse relate and apply to us? We don’t hang on crosses here. We are free. It is okay to live the Christian faith in America. In India, that is not the case. That is the reason he is in jail. That is what he was arrested for: converting people to Christ.
Let me break it down:
If you want to make that decision to be my follower – this is for anybody – He gathered a crowd – First – deny yourself. What does that mean? To deny the natural worldly ambitions, desires, dreams, hopes – to set those aside – to give those up – for Israel – it was the desire that they become a great nation again. For all of us, it can be different – but we are called to deny self – and much deeper than just self-denial, like giving up chocolate for lent, or fasting – or living a simple life – being frugal – there are ways of self-denial – all are good and valuable and a part of this.
But He is talking about complete submission of our will, ambitions, hopes and desires to Jesus. If you really want to be a disciple, there needs to be a complete submission of who we are and what we want – to Him.
Not My will, but Thine be done. In saying that to God, once for all and daily – to be a follower of Christ, when it comes to the way we live – to commit ourselves to doing it the way god would want.
Like in the Lord’s Prayer – thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, - as it is already being done in heaven.
It is allowing God’s reign to enter into our lives and to live it out fully. That is what it means to deny yourself and take up the cross.
If you are holding on to these things – trying to save all that in this world – you will lose real life – that which really counts and matters – the life, His will, that He has for us.
Now, what we see here – is that there is a decision to be made. In this passage – it talks about a one-time decision – when it comes to Luke – the word DAILY is in there.
Two things need to take place to be a follower of Jesus – a disciple – He had tens of thousands of followers – those going to His church – and He gathers those and says, essentially, there must come a point where you make that decision to be a disciple and true follower of Christ. For all of us it has to happen all the time – we set the cross down – life gets hard or we want a new toy or whatever – we set the cross down.
When Jesus left there – He was hoping they would follow Him into Jerusalem – and about 120 did – but write your name on the card – you don’t have to – but write on the card – when you made that decision.
If you haven’t made that decision – you can say you are not quite ready –
Mark 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? 38 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
This is a way for you to identify with Christ. My friend is in prison because he was not ashamed to speak the gospel. There is little fear of prison here – but we don’t want to be ‘one of those people’
Next section –
Mark 9:30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.

Questions About the Greatest

Mark 9:33 Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Jesus tells them – they must put aside pride, ambition, and a sense of superiority. You can’t be a follower of Christ if you believe yourself to be better than your brother or sister.
We rank everything – schools, business, communities, cell phones, cars – everyone wants to win. How many stars does a hotel have? How many stars does a restaurant or a vacuum have? If we are honest, we probably do it with churches! We let the way of the world affect us.
Mark 9:36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Luke and Matthew say – you must become like a child. He is talking about rank. Children were of low status. It is a little different today – we place children in a high status – but it was different then – choose weakness and vulnerability – don’t use the techniques of the world to get ahead – rather – identify with followers of Christ who are in that position.
We have been doing this Just Sow it campaign. Just this week I was thinking about how to connect with people.
One of the guys who is homeless stopped by. He wanted money – but we don’t give money – but we do help people out. I offered to take him to the grocery store. He took some donuts and stuff downstairs – he brought a friend. It is my opportunity to share the gospel with this friend. Pray – for opportunities – maybe in your circumstances you don’t have many opportunities, but pray for them.
Mark 10 – Jesus tells them what is going to happen – going to Jerusalem to die…
33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”

The Request of James and John

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” 39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John. 42 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.
Another great reversal – the way of the world is not the way of God and vice-verse. The kingdom is not like that – in the world it is all about prominence, position, control and winning
43 But it is not this way among you.
The way to power is not this way.
Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
What He does – He uses ranking, position and value – and takes the lowest. And He uses it in relationships –
The way it works in your relationships – if you wish to be great – become a servant/slave.
Two aspects of service – both valuable and important.
First – take responsibility – in church, in ministry, or some organization – and do things that benefit others. Become a Sunday school teacher or help with worship – take responsibility to give benefit to others. That is service – that is what it means to serve. Painting – Cleaning – taking responsibility to benefit others.
Second – and this includes the first – more than that – the type of service He is asking – see yourself as a servant. There is a different step there. It is one thing to serve – it is a bigger step to say – I am a servant – not just when I am doing my responsibility – it becomes WHO you are – and is part of a healthy Christian image – to view yourself as a servant – not just, but including – your responsibility – in your family, community, work – to be a servant. This does not mean to be a people pleaser or approval addict. This is a healthy self-image to be like Jesus – to see it as your purpose in life – that is my purpose to serve – and to give our lives for many.