The Cross Centered Life - Matthew 16:21-28

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.” - William Booth (1878-1912)

In today’s passage we will see Jesus rebuke Peter for ‘Satan-like’ thinking, and clarify that before the Messiah rules the world from Jerusalem He first must die on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus also makes clear that all believers also have a cross to bear before they go to Heaven.

Matthew 16:21-28

In the next chapters we will see Jesus make a “bee-line” for the cross. But first He needed His disciples to understand 2 things – Who He is, and what He is going to do in this ‘first coming.’

Jesus emphatically declares His coming death and resurrection - V. 21

All Israel was obsessed with the prophetic passages about the Messiah being the King who would rule righteously from Jerusalem. They had minimized passages about Him dying for sinners and being pierced.

Jesus states verse 21 about 6 months before it happened. Now that they knew He was the Messiah, they needed to understand what that meant. This is the first of 5 times Jesus explicitly states His coming ‘passion.’

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:28

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps for a firstborn. - Zechariah 12:10

Peter rebukes Jesus, which is never a good idea! - V. 22-23

Like so many of us, Peter could not see anything good come from suffering and death, and he was going to do everything he could to keep Jesus from dying. In a way he was doing what Satan had done in chapter 4 – tempting Jesus to avoid the cross He was predestined to die on.

Peter had just been congratulated for being a model witness to the truth of who Jesus is, but almost instantly had to be rebuked for putting what he wanted before God’s will. Let this be a challenge to you: Don’t rest on past laurels if you are presently out of God’s will!

Jesus emphatically declares that believers also have a cross - V. 24-27

What does it mean to deny yourself?

It means to say ‘no’ to your agenda cancelling God’s agenda for you.

What does it mean to take up your cross?

It means to say yes to God’s Kingdom agenda aligning your agenda for you.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

It means to live every area of your life with relational faith in Jesus.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Christians embrace the “Cross-centered” life. They evaluate everything in light of God’s word and will. They put what God wants for their life ahead of what they want for it. Ironically, they experience more peace, joy and purpose than those who constantly put themselves first.

If you don’t really love Jesus and the things of Jesus, Heaven would be Hell for you. Jesus is what makes Heaven Heaven, and if its not Him you want, you don’t want to go to Heaven. If what you really love is the things related to sin, Hell is where you belong, with the Devil and his demons.

“Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” - Thomas Watson