FOLLOWING JESUS - LUKE 9:23-26

Following Jesus
9:23-26

If you are not willing to die for something, there is a question of whether you believe it. (Steve Lawson)

In this passage, Luke records Jesus setting the conditions for becoming his followers. He said one must do three things: (1) deny him or herself, (2) take up his or her cross daily, and (3) follow him.

What does it mean to deny yourself? It means, first of all, to renounce your selfish ambitions and desires. It is a strong word in Greek. It means, in this context, forgetting oneself entirely, rejecting any thought of doing what will please ourselves rather than God.

This is a problem. This is counter-cultural. In America, we are taught to have selfish ambitions. We are taught we are special. We are taught we need to pamper ourselves. We deserve a break today. We deserve to have it our way. We deserve a safe place. We are worth it. Those are the tenets of our culture.

We encourage children to be ambitious, to seek wealth, fame and glory. We have a show called American Idol. The “idol” is supposed to be there person who wins and is looked up to. But the idol is really revealed to be fame, glory and wealth.

The apostles, however, did the very thing Jesus demanded. Levi walked away from his lucrative tax collection business to follow Jesus in poverty. (Matthew 9:9) He denied himself wealth and comfort to follow Jesus.

Simon (Peter) and Andrew abandoned the family fishing business to follow Jesus. (Matthew 4:18-20) James and John did the same thing. (Matthew 4:21-22)

Lottie Moon left a life of affluence and education to become a missionary to China. She later broke off her engagement with a seminary professor to stay in China and because of his drifting theologically.

These are examples for us.

Jesus may not call you to quit your job and follow him into ministry. He may not call you to die on the mission field. But he does call you to put him above your work and your career, to live for his glory and not your own.

Jesus also said to take up our cross daily. So many people treat this as a metaphor and cheapen the message. They will speak of any inconvenience as their “cross to bear”. But the disciples would have understood Jesus was calling them to risk death every day for him. He had just told them that he himself would be rejected and killed.

The cross was an implement of capital punishment. It was both public and painful. Bodies were often left on the cross for days after death as a warning to others.
The words “take up” are important here. Those disciples had seen criminals carrying the cross beam through town on the way to execution. To “take up your cross” meant to go out and die. Jesus is speaking of suffering for his sake. It means a willingness to accept whatever Jesus calls you to do, including suffering and death.

You can also imagine that, after seeing Jesus on the cross, the disciples would remember this saying of Jesus and feel the weight of it. Most of the Twelve were killed for their confession of Jesus as Lord.

But even if Jesus does not call you to physical death, he calls everyone to die to the self-oriented way of life. Instead of pursuing every ambition and desire of the self, we pursue Jesus and live for him. Instead of nurturing that one special sin you enjoy, you give it up for Jesus. And, we are to do these things daily.

Paul told Timothy: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (1 Timothy 2:3-5)

Paul wrote metaphorically here. He meant that Timothy should not get entangled in the affairs of the world, but instead concentrate on the work that pleases Jesus and furthers his kingdom. Granted, Timothy was called to be a minister of the word. He was not a “layman” as we call it. But the principle is still valid: Christ before all things.

In denying ourselves and taking up our cross, we follow the example of Jesus. He denied himself his glory. Philippians 2:6-7 says Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not county equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men”.

Jesus denied himself the pleasures of sin. He fulfilled the law. He suffered all the temptations we do, but without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) He even denied himself the comforts and joys of humanity: he had no wife, children or home.

Not only did Jesus give the conditions of following him, he told of the consequences of following him and the consequences of rejecting him. In verse 24, he said the one who would save his life by not following Jesus will lose it. Following Jesus will likely result in your loss of some worldly things. But not following him will result in an eternal loss. In contrast, those who lose their lives for the sake of Jesus will save it. They will enjoy eternal life.

In verse 25 he repeated this message when he asked the rhetorical question: “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” You can have everything this world has to offer and lose your eternal life to reside in hell.

In verse 26, Jesus said it a third way. If you are ashamed of Jesus and his words, He will be ashamed of you when he returns in glory. “Ashamed” here means to reject or deny Jesus.

All of those theologians and their followers who have been, and are, ashamed of the Jesus of the Bible, redefining him, denying his deity, explaining away his miracles and devaluing his substitutionary death on the cross will one day face a Jesus who is “ashamed” of them. They saved their life on earth, becoming acceptable to non-believers, and will lose their life for all eternity.
 
Even among conservatives, there is temptation to water down the word of Jesus. We sell conversion more than discipleship. We ask people to fill out cards and do not require their baptism, we have people raise their hands if they believe in Jesus, but ignore their apathy toward all things to do with the church. Sometimes this is to boost numbers. Sometimes it is just because people have been taught to do it this way. But, Jesus said, and says, subordinate those ambitions and follow me. Put me first. Obey my commands, immerse yourself in my Word and teach others about me.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book we know as “The Cost of Discipleship”. He wrote the book as the Nazis began to control everything in German life. Bonhoeffer moved to New York to study, but returned to Germany, knowing it was dangerous, because he believed he was called to preach there. He denied himself in this and followed Christ. He was killed by the Nazis.

This book was popular among growing Christians when I was in college. Bonhoeffer said you could preach about cheap grace or costly grace. He wrote: ”cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.”

Costly grace, however, "confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

This passage is somewhat shocking if you have grown up in church in the last 20 years. But it was also shocking to the disciples. Peter had declared that Jesus was the Christ. They had to wonder if this meant that Jesus would now become the warrior king of Israel. Instead he told them he would suffer and die. Then, to make matters worse, he told them they had to be willing to suffer and die to follow him.

My prayer is that you will not abstract this or simply lock it away. Rather, my prayer is that you will think about it and pray on it. Follow Christ wherever he leads.

B. B. McKinney wrote a hymn based on this passage. The first verse and chorus are:

"Take up thy cross and follow Me,"
I heard my Master say;
"I gave My life to ransom thee,
Surrender your all today."

▪ Wherever He leads I'll go,
▪ Wherever He leads I'll go,
▪ I'll follow my Christ who loves me so,
▪ Wherever He leads I'll go.

After praying about this, sing the hymn. It will reinforce your commitment beautifully

There is no such thing as genuine knowledge of God that does not show itself in obedience to His Word and will. Sinclair Ferguson

 

CONFESSION & FORETELLING - LUKE 9:17-22

Confession & Foretelling
9:17-22

After ministering to the crowds, Jesus spent time alone with the disciples. He prayed. Then he taught them. First, he drew out their understanding by questions. Then he taught them more about himself. This is often how the Lord works on us. He teaches us a little. When we understand it, he teaches us more.

Jesus first asked the disciples who the crowds said he was. The disciples named several prophets. But then, Jesus put them on the spot. He asked who they said he was. In other words, he wanted to know what they believed about him.

Peter answered for the disciples. He said Jesus was the Christ of God. (20) what did Peter mean by this? Christ is an Anglicized version of the Greek word Christos. It translates the Hebrew word for Anointed One.

If you speak and read English, you know the word Messiah. That is an Anglicized version of the Hebrew word for Anointed One. “Messiah” and “Christ” mean the same thing, they refer to the same person. You can see this in John 1:41, where John used the word “Messiah”, then explained that it meant the “Christ”. This is the one God promised in the Old Testament, the one who would come and save God's people.

Peter confessed Jesus was God's Anointed and promised One. It shows two things about Peter: (1) he understood who Jesus claimed to be and (2) he believed it.

You may be more familiar with Matthew's version, which is longer. Peter also confessed Jesus was the Son of God. (Matthew 16:16) Jesus also said God revealed it to Peter. And he went on to speak of building his church. But, we will stick with our text in Luke. Luke's shortened version actually makes a dramatic point.

That dramatic point is made when Jesus responded to Peter's confession by saying: saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." (Luke9.22)

This was a startling response. Most Jews expected the Christ to be a warrior who would restore the Jewish kingdom by force. Jesus quashed that thought immediately. He cast himself as the suffering servant as opposed to the warrior. He painted a gruesome word picture that progressed from bad to worse.

First, he would suffer many things. We know that he did. “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.”   (Acts 3.18)


Second, he would be rejected by the leaders of his own people. John 1:11 says "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." He was tried before the high priest, who rejected his claims.

Third, he would be killed. That had to be a shock to the disciples. In fact, we know they did not understand it or believe it.

At the end of this bad news was good news, though. In fact, maybe the best news in history: on the third day he would be raised. Sadly, we know the disciples did not understand or believe this, either.

Regardless of the disciples lack of understanding, Jesus had set before them a road map of the rest of his ministry. It was not victory in warfare, it was suffering. He would be humiliated. He would be tortured. He would be killed in a gruesome manner. Redemption would come through death, death on our behalf, bearing our sins, suffering our punishment, so that we might be reconciled to God.

Victory would come, though. Victory over death and the grave would come with his resurrection.

Though the disciples did not believe this at first, they did come to believe it. Peter, at Pentecost, after Christ 's ascension, preached a powerful sermon. He said:  "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' (Acts 2.22-28)

You, too, must believe in Christ's resurrection. Paul wrote: "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10.8-9)

It is this glorious truth that gives us hope for eternity. For, as we share in his death, so we will share in his resurrection.

FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND - LUKE 9:10-17

Feeding Five Thousand
9:10-17

This event occurred when the Twelve returned from their mission trip. Jesus took them to Bethsaida, evidently with the intent of listening to what they had done and having time with them. However, the crowds learned where they were and followed them. (10)

Jesus did not tell them to go away because he and the Twelve had things to do. Instead, he welcomed them. (11) He taught them about the kingdom of God. He healed the sick. He did this all day long.

At the end of the day, The Twelve told Jesus to send the crowd away for food and lodging. (12) The reason for this is not given. It may be that the Twelve wanted to call it a day, so they wanted Jesus to wrap it up. In the alternative, they may have been concerned for people who had been there all day and would have to travel home in the dark with no food and no place along the way to stay. 

Jesus did not go along with their idea. Instead, he commanded the apostles to give the crowd something to eat. They canvassed the crowed for food and came up with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Evidently, this was a kid’s sack lunch. They also brought up the idea of getting take out, going and buying food. They surely did not have enough money for that, since there were about five thousand men there, along with a number of women and children.

The apostles were trying to obey Jesus. But they only went about it in practical, physical ways. They tried to find food in the crowd. They suggested an alternative, although an untenable one. They did not look beyond the practical. They also did not think about the lesson they had just learned on their mission trip: that God will provide for those who preach and minister in his name.

Jesus, on the other hand, took what the disciples had and multiplied it into enough to feed the crowd. He also made enough leftovers to have 12 baskets, no doubt one for each of the Twelve who were still limited in their thinking.

God had miraculously provided food to his people before this. He fed the Israelites in the desert with manna and quail. (Exodus 16-18)

The Lord also fed 100 prophets who followed Elisha with 20 loaves of barley and some grain from a man’s sack. (2 Kings 4:42) These events, along with Jesus feeding the five thousand, are things only God could do.

 These events also show us Jesus’ compassion for people. He was not willing to send them away angry. He was not willing to make them fend for themselves.

It also shows us something of the nature and character of the Father. Jesus revealed the Father to us. John 1:18 says “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known”.

As Jesus had compassion on the crowds and met their physical needs, so the Father cares for us, has compassion for us and provides for our physical needs. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast or anxieties on God because he cares for us. 


God knows you. God cares for you. God will provide for you.

Rest in that. 

TRAINING THE TWELVE - LUKE 9:1-17

9:1-6 The First Mission Trip

This is the story of the first mission trip. Today we might think of this as as part of an internship. First Jesus taught the disciples and let them hang out with him, seeing how he preached and healed. Then he sent them out to do the work.

Before sending out the Twelve, Jesus gathered them together and gave them authority over demons and diseases. He could  give this authority because this authority had been given to him. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”.

He demonstrated this authority when he cast multiple demons out of 
the Garasene man. He demonstrated his authority over disease by raising Jairus’s daughter from death and healing many others.

The disciples witnessed these things. They knew his authority from experience. Thus, they could believe they could receive such authority from him. Jesus also gave them the power to heal and cast out demons. Power is the ability to do it. Authority is the right to do it.
 
Having given them authority & power, he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (2)  Thus the Twelve would preach the arrival of the kingdom and demonstrate its truth with miraculous signs.
 
Jesus inaugurated the kingdom at his first coming and will consummate it at his second coming. Jesus and the Twelve all proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom and demonstrated it by taking territory away from the present lord of the earth, Satan. They took it away every time they cast out demons and heal people.

The kingdom was not physical territory, as many Jews expected. It was, instead, God’s rule over the hearts of his people. Jesus could free people from slavery to sin, from the curse of the fall, and give them life to live for the glory of God.

Jesus also put the Twelve to a test of faith. He did not allow them to take any provisions, no food, no money, no extra clothes. They would stay with the first person that welcomed them. Jesus was telling them “go as you are”.

In other words, Jesus wanted them to learn that God would provide for them as they went out to evangelize the world. It was a lesson they would need as they continued the work after the ascension of Jesus.
 
Jesus also told them to shake the dust off their feet if a town did not receive them. This is what Jews did after leaving a Gentile land. It was a symbol of not carrying their defilement with you. In this case it was also a subtle sign of the kingdom. The kingdom of God would be composed of those who believed in and followed Jesus, not those who were Jews by physical birth. Those who rejected the message of the apostles would not have a place in the kingdom of God.

I remember once in college, two Christian groups got together to go and witness to our professors. I went with a friend to a psychology professor’s office to talk to him. He basically threw us out. In the hallway, I ceremonially dusted off my heels to the amusement of my friend.

Luke also tells us the Twelve did what Jesus commanded, preaching in the villages and healing. They expanded the ministry of Jesus with authority from Jesus. 

9:7-9
Herod Becomes Aware of Jesus

At this point, Jesus has become so well known that King Herod heard about him. He was called Herod the Tetrarch because the Romans gave him one fourth of the kingdom of his father, Herod the Great, at his death. HIs name was Herod Antipator.

No doubt, Herod heard about the healings and teachings. However, the people who spoke to Herod were confused about Jesus’ identity. They reported it was Elijah or another prophet raised from the dead. Some even said it was John the Baptist raised from the dead.
 
Herod was, understandably, confused. He wanted to see Jesus. It may well be that he was afraid Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead for revenge.

Luke does a good job here of foreshadowing trouble to come in the future by showing us Herod’s awareness of Jesus, his confusion about Jesus’ identity and his desire to understand.

Feeding Five Thousand
9:10-17

This event occurred when the Twelve returned from their mission trip. Jesus took them to Bethsaida, evidently with the intent of listening to what they had done and having time with them. However, the crowds learned where they were and followed them. (10)

Jesus did not tell them to go away because he and the Twelve had things to do. Instead, he welcomed them. (11) He taught them about the kingdom of God. He healed the sick. He did this all day long.

At the end of the day, The Twelve told Jesus to send the crowd away for food and lodging. (12) The reason for this is not given. It may be that the Twelve wanted to call it a day, so they wanted Jesus to wrap it up. In the alternative, they may have been concerned for people who had been there all day and would have to travel home in the dark with no food and no place along the way to stay. 

Jesus did not go along with their idea. Instead, he commanded the apostles to give the crowd something to eat. They canvassed the crowed for food and came up with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Evidently, this was a kid’s sack lunch. They also brought up the idea of getting take out, going and buying food. They surely did not have enough money for that, since there were about five thousand men there, along with a number of women and children.

The apostles were trying to obey Jesus. But they only went about it in practical, physical ways. They tried to find food in the crowd. They suggested an alternative, although an untenable one. They did not look beyond the practical. They also did not think about the lesson they had just learned on their mission trip: that God will provide for those who preach and minister in his name.

Jesus, on the other hand, took what the disciples had and multiplied it into enough to feed the crowd. He also made enough leftovers to have 12 baskets, no doubt one for each of the Twelve who were still limited in their thinking.

God had miraculously provided food to his people before this. He fed the Israelites in the desert with manna and quail. (Exodus 16-18)

The Lord also fed 100 prophets who followed Elisha with 20 loaves of barley and some grain from a man’s sack. (2 Kings 4:42) These events, along with Jesus feeding the five thousand, are things only God could do.

Or does it also show that the disciples could do with the authority and power of Jesus given to them?

 These events also show us Jesus’ compassion for people. He was not willing to send them away angry. He was not willing to make them fend for themselves.

It also shows us something of the nature and character of the Father. Jesus revealed the Father to us. John 1:18 says “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known”. As Jesus had compassion on the crowds and met their physical needs, so the Father cares for us, has compassion for us and provides for our physical needs. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast or anxieties on God because he cares for us.