Matthew 17:22-23 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
Jesus comments three times on his impending death to his disciples. They do not want to hear him talk about their Lord and teacher dying. This is not a subject that they felt good about, for they loved Jesus and probably had hopes of him using his power to conquer their enemies and to place himself on the throne of Israel. If Jesus’ future would be like they wanted to envision, then they, his retinue, would receive concomitant power and honor. Surely their sacrifices for Jesus would pay off. We know some left their means of making a living such as fishing. They left their homes, family, and intimate friends. Yes, Jesus was a man of miracles and power, but the disciples paid a price to follow Jesus. Even though they had great allegiance and love for Jesus, they still possessed a love of life. When Jesus talked about his coming death, they sorrowed and questioned laying their own lives down for Jesus. Peter said that he would defend Jesus to the death, and he attempted to do so when the mob came to arrest Jesus. At that time there was a chance that violence might prevent Jesus from falling into the hands of these ruffians. But later when there was no chance of freeing Jesus from the authorities, he denies Jesus, knowing Jesus taught, whoever denies me before men, I will deny him before my Father in heaven. Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33) When Jesus was arrested, they all fled, but fleeing was necessary, for the Lamb alone would take away the sins of the world. At the time of Jesus’ capture, the disciples were not willing even to be arrested and surely not to die for Jesus. Only God’s Son could pay the price for the sins of wayward men and women. The Lamb of God would pay this heavy price of delivering men from the consequence of sin: eternal damnation. Jesus would carry the sins of the world to the cross in his body, for He was a spotless sacrifice. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “HE HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE CROSS, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:23-25) Later the disciples would willingly pay a price for the redemption of mankind by carrying the Good News through many lands. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
Jesus’ admonition pertains to us today. Christians are not to hold this life more dearly than the Good News. The Good News is God’s message of eternal life to all who will put their trust in Jesus’ work, in his perfection, and not their own. The disciples sorrowed, for they expected more from Jesus’ existence here on earth, and they hoped for more for themselves in the future. They did love Jesus. They followed him with dedication and diligence, but their love at that time could only go so far, for they held their lives dear, not as Paul who said that his life was being poured out as a sacrifice to God. All he saw for his future from city to city was suffering and intimidation. He counted his life not dear in respect to the message of eternal life. In prison, Paul tells Timothy to endure through hardships and trials like a good soldier. As a disciplined soldier of Christ, he told Timothy not to get entangled with the affairs of the world, instead to dedicate his life to ministry and to follow God fervently. He wanted Timothy to know that God’s redemption plan is powerful and comes only through Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:8-13) After Pentecost and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would commit their lives totally to Jesus Christ. They did not hold their lives that dear anymore. For the brilliance of the Good News gave their finite lives little significance in comparison with their future of living in God’s household forever. As the levitical priests of old, this world and its lands were not the inheritance the disciples were looking for. They were looking to be reunited with Christ, an inheritance God had promised them, an inheritance of a close relationship with the Creator of all things. This is what they lived for, what Paul lived for, and what all Christians from the resurrection have been looking toward. The other tribes of Israel when they moved into the Promised Land received large allotments of land, but the levitical priests were not allotted a huge section of land to occupy. No, they received a few acres around their cities for their immediate survival to raise a little grain and a few animals. As Christians we are considered priests in the household of God. As Peter wrote, As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5) We have been placed IN CHRIST, in his body, to live with him forever. Our lives, spiritual sacrifices, are honored by God because of the heavy price Jesus paid for us, to rescue us from our finite lives of sin.
Since we have been rescued by Jesus’ death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection, we do not sorrow over Jesus’ death, but praise God for his wonderful plan of salvation. This mysterious plan of rescuing mankind from an implacable sinful state was in God’s heart from the beginning. When God created man, He created man with freewill to choose. This freedom led men and women to a desire to determine his or her own future. Adam and Eve fell because of this desire. We were made in freedom, but freedom led to the sin of rebellion, to be like God. Jesus came to break that hold of self-will in mankind, which can be described as sin. We who are IN CHRIST are to be carriers of that Good News: sin has been defeated, and the Evil One and his temptation cannot harm our eternal lives, for we live in Christ’s righteousness and not our own. To spread the Good News of eternal life, we must show Jesus’ nature by serving mankind. Jesus revealed his nature of being a servant to men and women by washing the disciples’ feet. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:2-8) Jesus came to serve, to rescue mankind from the condition of sin. In the above verses, we see Jesus setting the example for the church of the living God. Christ came to serve, we are to serve. Paul talked of himself as being a slave. Peter talks about us committing ourselves one to another as wives and husbands commit their lives to each other. Jesus said to Peter, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter understood later, writing how slaves are to commit to masters, people to kings, and wives to husband. To bring light to the world, we must be willing to love our neighbor as ourselves. In all these situations, a true master, a true ruler, a true husband will give their lives for those who are their responsibility. The disciples will learn through Jesus’ death that a true Lord will sacrifice for those he loves. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35) Why is this a new commandment? This commandment of love is evident in other places in the Bible. But this commandment is new because it goes further than any other love treatise, giving your one life for those who you love. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. As Jesus loved us so should we love others, even to the point of giving our lives. We are to love people in the world who hate us just as Jesus loved those who hated him. We are the one to jump on a live grenade in a room of our enemies to save them. This is what the disciples did in their lives. As the deacon, Stephen, said, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. In other words, God, free them from the responsibility of this act. Can we do that with our enemies or are we bitter, angry, revengeful, wanting to fight back. If so, we are too much in the world and its condition of violence. Initially, the disciples did not know God’s plan of redemption. They were filled with grief even though Jesus said He would rise again. They could not conceive of the second part of Christ’s mission: the resurrection, so they sorrowed. But we, Christian partners, know the second part is true: so rejoice, for God has made a way for you to be in his presence forever and ever. Amen!
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