40 Days of Prayer
Week 3: Becoming Like Christ
Mark 8: 27 – 38.
I. Introduction.
Thank you for praying for our church during these 40 Days of Prayer. We are in the middle of our third week of prayer. There are only three weeks remaining. In your worship bulletin, you will find the Prayer Guide for weeks 3 and 4. The Prayer Guide is the perfect size to keep in your Bible for your daily devotional time. Or, it is a perfect size to put on your refrigerator as a reminder to pray.
We have organized our 40 Days of Prayer around six weeks and have assigned a different theme to each week. These six themes are: Worship, Evangelism / Reaching Out, Discipleship / Becoming Like Christ, Missions, Fellowship / Reaching In, and Support Ministries (buildings, budget, staff, and all the things required for us to do worship, evangelism, discipleship, missions and fellowship).
Our theme today is Discipleship…And, I have bad news and good news about Discipleship. The bad news: I have written a 265 page doctoral project on the subject of Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark. The good news: I have no intention of telling you everything I THINK I know about Discipleship this morning.
When we read the New Testament, we never encounter the word “discipleship.” However, the New Testament is filled with references to disciples. I think we can make a case that the New Testament prefers to call us “disciples” instead of calling us “Christians.” Maybe we ought to take a cue from the New Testament and re-think what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian is to be a “disciple” of Jesus.
It is interesting to me that the word “disciple” did not originate as a Christian term. It was very common in the ancient world before, during and after the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. A disciple in the ancient world was a “student” or a “learner.” Specifically, ancient “disciples” were students who had a personal relationship with their master / teacher.
“Disciples” did not learn in a classroom. They learned by having a close, personal relationship with their teacher. They often lived with the teacher, or at least spent the majority of their waking hours with their teacher. They observed the teacher as he was actively engaged in his discipline. There were disciples of philosophy, disciples of religion, disciples of carpentry and even disciples of music. After observing the master / teacher practicing his discipline, the disciples would eventually begin practicing the same discipline by imitating their master / teacher under the master / teacher’s helpful eye. The goal of this kind of learning was that the disciple would become exactly like the master / teacher.
With this in mind, I think we could truly benefit from shifting our thinking about ourselves. Rather than thinking of ourselves as Christians, we should think of ourselves as “disciples of Jesus.” This means we are always going to be “students” and “learners.” We have a close, personal relationship with Jesus. We are not students of theology or religion. We are students of Jesus. We are observing the way Jesus lived his life, and we are imitating Jesus. Our goal is not to master a set of information. Our goal is to become like Jesus.
The Scripture we read this morning is found at the beginning of what some scholars call “The Discipleship Section” in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 8: 22 – Mark 10: 52).
Read Mark 8: 27 – 38.
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."(NIV)
The Greek word “Christ” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” So, Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ is his title. It describes who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish on earth. Both “Christ” and “Messiah” can be translated to mean “The Anointed One.” This means that Jesus had a specific mission and purpose to fulfill what God has chosen him to fulfill.
The Jewish people were hoping and praying for the Messiah to come and restore Israel to her rightful place among the nations. Israel was at one time a significant nation with a God-given purpose in the world. The Messiah was the Promised One, who would reestablish Israel as a prominent nation and no longer one of the many nations that served the Roman Emperor. They had hoped for a political leader who could rally support among the Jewish people. They had hoped for a military leader who would lead an insurrection against Rome. But Jesus was neither a governor nor a general. Jesus was something completely different. Jesus was the Son of God.
In fact, those of us who read the Gospel of Mark know who Jesus is just by reading the first verse. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. So, as we read the Gospel, we have an opportunity to witness how the disciples, the women and the crowds gradually begin to gain understanding of who Jesus is. But no one seems to understand Jesus.
In Mark 8, Peter gets very close to understanding Jesus. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples answer, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked a personal question: “But what about ya’ll? Who do ya’ll say that I am?” Peter was the first one to answer, “You are the Christ.”
Since you and I have already read Mark 1: 1, we expect Peter to keep going… “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” But he doesn’t go far enough. Peter stops short of confessing who Jesus really is…The Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus accepted Peter’s confession, but went on to explain that is was necessary for the Christ to suffer rejection and crucifixion in order to fulfill the role God had anointed Jesus to fulfill. Peter rebuked Jesus by saying, “No, Lord. This cannot be.”
At this point, we can make a choice between two alternative understandings. First, perhaps Peter didn’t understand what Jesus was saying and just needed a better explanation. Second, perhaps Peter really did understand what Jesus was saying and didn’t like what he had heard. I think Peter understood and didn’t like it. That is why Peter tried to talk Jesus out of being rejected and suffering on the cross. Peter’s understanding of the Messiah did not allow him to believe in a suffering Messiah.
Jesus made a bold statement to Peter. Peter has been called the Rock of the church. Peter preached a bold, spirit-filled sermon at Pentecost from which 3,000 men and women became Christians. And, Jesus looked at Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan.”
I think there are two lessons in this. First, whenever disciples of Jesus experience our highest points of spiritual relationship with Jesus, Satan is going to show up. Like right now in our church… We are praying for God’s will to be done in our church. We are asking God to do something in us and through us. We are asking for God to do more than we can ask or even imagine. This is the time that Satan likes to show up.
Second, Peter had become a tool of Satan without even knowing it. He didn’t want to work for Satan, but he was. He tried to introduce a way for Jesus to avoid the suffering and rejection of the cross. He tried to impose the Jewish system of understanding the Messiah and perhaps convince Jesus to work in a way contrary to God’s original plan. And anytime we place human expectations above God’s will, we are inadvertently doing the work of Satan...By opposing God’s will. Lord, not your will…Let my will be done.
Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me.” I think Jesus was telling Peter that he had overstepped his bounds as a disciple. A disciple is supposed to follow his or her master. Peter was now trying to lead his master. Instead of following behind Jesus, Peter was trying to tell Jesus where to go. It is impossible for us to follow, if we insist on leading the way.
An interesting thing happens in the Greek text of Mark 8. Jesus used the same words to address Peter and to address the crowds. Jesus commanded Peter: “Get behind me.” Then, Jesus invited the crowd to become disciples by saying, “If anyone wants to follow behind me…”
This tells me that the very first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus is to get into a proper relationship with Jesus. Jesus has to be the leader. You have to become the follower. In other words, Jesus is in front. We are behind Jesus. Jesus leads the way. We will only go into the places where Jesus has already gone. For disciples of Jesus, there is no such thing as uncharted waters. If we follow Jesus, he leads us to places where he is already present.
I think it is worth noting that Jesus began his invitation to discipleship by demonstrating the voluntary nature of discipleship. No one is conscripted into becoming a discipleship. No one is drafted into Jesus’ army. No one is snatched into a relationship with Jesus against his or her will. NO! Jesus said, “If anyone wants…If anyone wills…If anyone desires…to become a follower…”
Then, Jesus made three points about true discipleship…
II. Deny Self.
Again, Mark 1: 1 tells us that he wrote his Gospel to tell us about the “beginning of the Good News about Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.” The Gospel is about Jesus. Everyone else in the book of Mark is a supporting character. In other words, Mark does not tell us the story of the Twelve disciples. Mark tells us the story of how the Twelve disciples relate to Jesus.
The First Century disciples serve as a model—or perhaps a picture—of what discipleship is supposed to look like in the Twenty-First Century. This picture of discipleship began with Jesus’ very simple call: “Come. Follow Me.”
When Peter and Andrew heard Jesus’ call, they were fishing. James and John heard Jesus’ call while they were repairing their fishing nets. Levi first encountered Jesus while he was counting the money at his tax collection booth. These five men were doing the things they were most comfortable doing. Then, one day, everything changed. Their lives were never the same again.
Jesus called them to enter into an uncertain, new life of following Jesus. When faced with a choice between the certainty of their past lives and an uncertain future with Jesus, these five men dropped everything. They left their old way of life and entered into a new life.
This is what it means to deny your self. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must deny your self by leaving the things you are most comfortable doing and enter into a life that is no longer comfortable. Before you become a disciple of Jesus, you get to do anything you want to do. You are fully in control of your own life. But when you hear the simple call from Jesus—Come. Follow me.—you are no longer in control. Jesus is now in control of your life and your desires.
Discipleship is the same thing for us in the Twenty-First Century. We must leave our old way of life for Jesus. We must leave our past behind. We must give up any rights we think we have to own our future in order to hand the future over to Jesus.
III. Take Up Cross.
This is one of those expressions that has lost its “shock value” over the past 2,000 years. There wasn’t a single person in this sanctuary who was surprised when I read this Scripture. That would not have been the case in the original, First Century setting. First Century people would have immediately remembered the gruesome scene of lifeless criminals hanging on crosses on the side of the “interstate highway.” Perhaps they would even remember watching condemned men agonizing under the weight of a cross-beam, walking through the city streets.
It was a typical practice for Roman executioners to force criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of execution. It was a part of the shame of crucifixion. Everyone could watch. Everyone could ridicule. Everyone could experience the terror of the Romans. Yet, Jesus said this shame and humiliation is a part of being a disciple.
We can interpret this in two ways. I think both of these interpretations are correct. First, Jesus’ life was headed toward a literal Roman cross. And we know now that most of Jesus’ original disciples faced extreme suffering and humiliation just because they were followers of Jesus. This tells us that we will not have an easy life just because we are Christians. We can expect to face the same kind of life that Jesus and his disciples faced. We will face the sufferings of the human life, and we will suffer for our faith. Jesus never promised us an easy life. Jesus didn’t pull a switcheroo on us by telling us life would be wonderful and letting us discover otherwise on our own. No. Jesus promised us up front that the way of discipleship involves taking up a cross.
Second, we can build on the image of a condemned criminal carrying his own cross. As the criminal was marched through the busy city streets, everyone who saw him knew that he was headed to his own death. He was a “dead man walking.” That is what it means to be a Christian. Your life is over. You can no longer live for your own desires. You belong to Jesus. Your past is over, and your future is in God’s hands.
IV. Follow Jesus.
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, this is the primary characteristic of a disciple. Outside of the New Testament, disciples were students and learners. For Jesus, disciples are followers. In a very literal sense, this means that we should go where Jesus goes and always stay behind him. In a figurative sense, this means that we should do the things that Jesus has demonstrated for us. In a spiritual sense, this means that we should conform our lives to the life of Jesus.
We should live like Jesus lives…Love the people that Jesus loves…Pray like Jesus prays…Preach like Jesus preaches…Desire what Jesus desires…And ultimately, give our lives away like Jesus did…
V. Conclusion.
This is why Bible study is so important for Twenty-First Century disciples of Jesus. The New Testament was written by people who had been with Jesus. They saw him; they touched him; they heard him; they smelled him. These people experienced Jesus, and that experience changed their lives! That is the reason why they wrote the Bible. They wrote about their physical experience with Jesus so that you and I could have a spiritual experience with Jesus.
We are not supposed to read the Bible with the goal that we can learn all the information and doctrine in the Bible. We are supposed to read the Bible so that we can meet with Jesus…To experience Jesus…To know Jesus intimately…To grow closer to Jesus…To begin to imitate Jesus in the way we live our lives right here and right now.
Last week I preached about Reaching Out. We need to find ways to help people who are far from God to enter into a relationship with God. Sometimes, evangelism happens suddenly and instantaneously. A person hears the Gospel for the first time; and immediately they deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus as Lord. Other times, evangelism takes place over time, like a process. We help atheists become agnostics. We help agnostics become seekers. We help seekers become new Christians.
Sometimes evangelism is a process. BUT, discipleship is ALWAYS a process. Discipleship is the way new Christians become growing Christians…growing Christians become mature Christians…and mature Christians become mature Christians who are not complacent.
Discipleship is giving your life away for Christ. But let me warn you. Your life is not like a $100 bill that you lay down on the counter once and for all. Your life is more like $100 in quarters. You lay it down one quarter at a time…It takes time and effort and intentional process.
The Jewish people were hoping and praying for the Messiah to come and restore Israel to her rightful place among the nations. Israel was at one time a significant nation with a God-given purpose in the world. The Messiah was the Promised One, who would reestablish Israel as a prominent nation and no longer one of the many nations that served the Roman Emperor. They had hoped for a political leader who could rally support among the Jewish people. They had hoped for a military leader who would lead an insurrection against Rome. But Jesus was neither a governor nor a general. Jesus was something completely different. Jesus was the Son of God.
In fact, those of us who read the Gospel of Mark know who Jesus is just by reading the first verse. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. So, as we read the Gospel, we have an opportunity to witness how the disciples, the women and the crowds gradually begin to gain understanding of who Jesus is. But no one seems to understand Jesus.
In Mark 8, Peter gets very close to understanding Jesus. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples answer, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked a personal question: “But what about ya’ll? Who do ya’ll say that I am?” Peter was the first one to answer, “You are the Christ.”
Since you and I have already read Mark 1: 1, we expect Peter to keep going… “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” But he doesn’t go far enough. Peter stops short of confessing who Jesus really is…The Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus accepted Peter’s confession, but went on to explain that is was necessary for the Christ to suffer rejection and crucifixion in order to fulfill the role God had anointed Jesus to fulfill. Peter rebuked Jesus by saying, “No, Lord. This cannot be.”
At this point, we can make a choice between two alternative understandings. First, perhaps Peter didn’t understand what Jesus was saying and just needed a better explanation. Second, perhaps Peter really did understand what Jesus was saying and didn’t like what he had heard. I think Peter understood and didn’t like it. That is why Peter tried to talk Jesus out of being rejected and suffering on the cross. Peter’s understanding of the Messiah did not allow him to believe in a suffering Messiah.
Jesus made a bold statement to Peter. Peter has been called the Rock of the church. Peter preached a bold, spirit-filled sermon at Pentecost from which 3,000 men and women became Christians. And, Jesus looked at Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan.”
I think there are two lessons in this. First, whenever disciples of Jesus experience our highest points of spiritual relationship with Jesus, Satan is going to show up. Like right now in our church… We are praying for God’s will to be done in our church. We are asking God to do something in us and through us. We are asking for God to do more than we can ask or even imagine. This is the time that Satan likes to show up.
Second, Peter had become a tool of Satan without even knowing it. He didn’t want to work for Satan, but he was. He tried to introduce a way for Jesus to avoid the suffering and rejection of the cross. He tried to impose the Jewish system of understanding the Messiah and perhaps convince Jesus to work in a way contrary to God’s original plan. And anytime we place human expectations above God’s will, we are inadvertently doing the work of Satan...By opposing God’s will. Lord, not your will…Let my will be done.
Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me.” I think Jesus was telling Peter that he had overstepped his bounds as a disciple. A disciple is supposed to follow his or her master. Peter was now trying to lead his master. Instead of following behind Jesus, Peter was trying to tell Jesus where to go. It is impossible for us to follow, if we insist on leading the way.
An interesting thing happens in the Greek text of Mark 8. Jesus used the same words to address Peter and to address the crowds. Jesus commanded Peter: “Get behind me.” Then, Jesus invited the crowd to become disciples by saying, “If anyone wants to follow behind me…”
This tells me that the very first step in becoming a disciple of Jesus is to get into a proper relationship with Jesus. Jesus has to be the leader. You have to become the follower. In other words, Jesus is in front. We are behind Jesus. Jesus leads the way. We will only go into the places where Jesus has already gone. For disciples of Jesus, there is no such thing as uncharted waters. If we follow Jesus, he leads us to places where he is already present.
I think it is worth noting that Jesus began his invitation to discipleship by demonstrating the voluntary nature of discipleship. No one is conscripted into becoming a discipleship. No one is drafted into Jesus’ army. No one is snatched into a relationship with Jesus against his or her will. NO! Jesus said, “If anyone wants…If anyone wills…If anyone desires…to become a follower…”
Then, Jesus made three points about true discipleship…
II. Deny Self.
Again, Mark 1: 1 tells us that he wrote his Gospel to tell us about the “beginning of the Good News about Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.” The Gospel is about Jesus. Everyone else in the book of Mark is a supporting character. In other words, Mark does not tell us the story of the Twelve disciples. Mark tells us the story of how the Twelve disciples relate to Jesus.
The First Century disciples serve as a model—or perhaps a picture—of what discipleship is supposed to look like in the Twenty-First Century. This picture of discipleship began with Jesus’ very simple call: “Come. Follow Me.”
When Peter and Andrew heard Jesus’ call, they were fishing. James and John heard Jesus’ call while they were repairing their fishing nets. Levi first encountered Jesus while he was counting the money at his tax collection booth. These five men were doing the things they were most comfortable doing. Then, one day, everything changed. Their lives were never the same again.
Jesus called them to enter into an uncertain, new life of following Jesus. When faced with a choice between the certainty of their past lives and an uncertain future with Jesus, these five men dropped everything. They left their old way of life and entered into a new life.
This is what it means to deny your self. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must deny your self by leaving the things you are most comfortable doing and enter into a life that is no longer comfortable. Before you become a disciple of Jesus, you get to do anything you want to do. You are fully in control of your own life. But when you hear the simple call from Jesus—Come. Follow me.—you are no longer in control. Jesus is now in control of your life and your desires.
Discipleship is the same thing for us in the Twenty-First Century. We must leave our old way of life for Jesus. We must leave our past behind. We must give up any rights we think we have to own our future in order to hand the future over to Jesus.
III. Take Up Cross.
This is one of those expressions that has lost its “shock value” over the past 2,000 years. There wasn’t a single person in this sanctuary who was surprised when I read this Scripture. That would not have been the case in the original, First Century setting. First Century people would have immediately remembered the gruesome scene of lifeless criminals hanging on crosses on the side of the “interstate highway.” Perhaps they would even remember watching condemned men agonizing under the weight of a cross-beam, walking through the city streets.
It was a typical practice for Roman executioners to force criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of execution. It was a part of the shame of crucifixion. Everyone could watch. Everyone could ridicule. Everyone could experience the terror of the Romans. Yet, Jesus said this shame and humiliation is a part of being a disciple.
We can interpret this in two ways. I think both of these interpretations are correct. First, Jesus’ life was headed toward a literal Roman cross. And we know now that most of Jesus’ original disciples faced extreme suffering and humiliation just because they were followers of Jesus. This tells us that we will not have an easy life just because we are Christians. We can expect to face the same kind of life that Jesus and his disciples faced. We will face the sufferings of the human life, and we will suffer for our faith. Jesus never promised us an easy life. Jesus didn’t pull a switcheroo on us by telling us life would be wonderful and letting us discover otherwise on our own. No. Jesus promised us up front that the way of discipleship involves taking up a cross.
Second, we can build on the image of a condemned criminal carrying his own cross. As the criminal was marched through the busy city streets, everyone who saw him knew that he was headed to his own death. He was a “dead man walking.” That is what it means to be a Christian. Your life is over. You can no longer live for your own desires. You belong to Jesus. Your past is over, and your future is in God’s hands.
IV. Follow Jesus.
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, this is the primary characteristic of a disciple. Outside of the New Testament, disciples were students and learners. For Jesus, disciples are followers. In a very literal sense, this means that we should go where Jesus goes and always stay behind him. In a figurative sense, this means that we should do the things that Jesus has demonstrated for us. In a spiritual sense, this means that we should conform our lives to the life of Jesus.
We should live like Jesus lives…Love the people that Jesus loves…Pray like Jesus prays…Preach like Jesus preaches…Desire what Jesus desires…And ultimately, give our lives away like Jesus did…
V. Conclusion.
This is why Bible study is so important for Twenty-First Century disciples of Jesus. The New Testament was written by people who had been with Jesus. They saw him; they touched him; they heard him; they smelled him. These people experienced Jesus, and that experience changed their lives! That is the reason why they wrote the Bible. They wrote about their physical experience with Jesus so that you and I could have a spiritual experience with Jesus.
We are not supposed to read the Bible with the goal that we can learn all the information and doctrine in the Bible. We are supposed to read the Bible so that we can meet with Jesus…To experience Jesus…To know Jesus intimately…To grow closer to Jesus…To begin to imitate Jesus in the way we live our lives right here and right now.
Last week I preached about Reaching Out. We need to find ways to help people who are far from God to enter into a relationship with God. Sometimes, evangelism happens suddenly and instantaneously. A person hears the Gospel for the first time; and immediately they deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus as Lord. Other times, evangelism takes place over time, like a process. We help atheists become agnostics. We help agnostics become seekers. We help seekers become new Christians.
Sometimes evangelism is a process. BUT, discipleship is ALWAYS a process. Discipleship is the way new Christians become growing Christians…growing Christians become mature Christians…and mature Christians become mature Christians who are not complacent.
Discipleship is giving your life away for Christ. But let me warn you. Your life is not like a $100 bill that you lay down on the counter once and for all. Your life is more like $100 in quarters. You lay it down one quarter at a time…It takes time and effort and intentional process.
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