The Way of the Cross

Matthew 16:21-26

21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.”

23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?

It's easy for children to want to eat candy instead of spinach. This makes sense, if you think about it. Candy is so tasty, and sugary. I'm pretty sure that most kids would eat candy all day, if they could. And maybe some adults, too. 

But the problem is that candy isn't very good for you. If you ate candy all day, then you wouldn't be very healthy. Your body would start needing more nutrients. And the cavities! You would probably spend more time at the dentist than anywhere else. And so please don't eat too much candy. Too much isn't good for you.

I think in many ways, we want all of life to be like candy. We want it to be fun and easy. We don't want the sweet moments to end. We want to have an easy life, lots of money and everything we want, a nice family,  and perfect health. But something bad? Something that causes suffering and pain? We don't want that. That's not fun. We don't have time for that.

However, what we perceive as good isn't necessarily what God knows is good.  We want sugar. We want an easy life. But God knows better. He knows that when we go through difficult times in life, we grow closer to Him. Our faith is strengthened, even though it's hard. And even though it's tough. 

In a similar way, Jesus knew what was good, even though it didn't appear that way to the disciples. Jesus knew that it was good for Him to go the way of the cross. This is because Jesus came to suffer and die. In faith, we also follow Him. In faith we deny what we want, and instead follow Jesus, no matter the cost.

The time had come for Jesus to prepare the disciples. Jesus was going to suffer and die. And so He explained all that would befall Him. Jesus explained to His disciples that “he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again." We go into detail about these events every year during Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.

When the disciples heard this, it's clear that they didn't understand. You see, the disciples still had thoughts about an earthly kingdom. They had hopes that Jesus would be an earthly ruler. They were thinking about power, earthly status, and glory.

And so Peter took Jesus aside. He said “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.” Peter meant to be well intended. He didn't want His Lord to suffer and die. Even though Peter was misguided, He was trying to care. He was trying to do the right thing. 

But the problem is that Peter was so wrong. If Jesus didn't go to the cross, then there would be no salvation. The sins of the world would not be forgiven. The devil would win. Peter's words were a trap. Therefore, Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men." 

This is the way our sinful nature thinks. It wants the sugar. It's selfish. It doesn't want anything to do with suffering, or the cross. As sinners, the whole world revolves around "me" and what "I want." And what do I want? I want life to go my way. I don't want to have health issues. I don't want to have a difficult family life. I don't want to have pain or suffering. I want to have an easy life. I want to just live a normal life where everything's great.

And that, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is why Jesus went to the cross to die. He went to die for your selfishness. He went to die for your unwillingness to bear your crosses in life and follow Him. He went to suffer what you deserve for your sinful thoughts and actions. The pain He endured was excruciating. Death on a cross is a horrible way to die. Not to mention all the scourging and the crown of thorns. And on top of everything else, He received the punishment for the sins of the world. He suffered hell. Not just for one person. But for every single person who will ever live upon the earth. He did this all willingly, and perfectly, for you, and me.

The world looks at Jesus upon the cross and doesn't understand. It doesn't see anything good. It just sees a weak person. But you and I, as Christians, see something different in the cross. We don't see weakness, but strength. We see a hero. Someone who was strong enough to suffer and die in our place so that we live. 

This is where Lutheran theology radiates with light. We confess that God is revealed in suffering and the cross. And so if you want to know that God loves you, look to the bloody mess of Jesus, on the cross. The cross isn't what you want, but it is what you need. God the Father declares that through Jesus, the suffering servant, the sins of the whole world are forgiven. Your sins are forgiven. And it is faith created by word and sacrament that receives that forgiveness. Faith that is created not by an amazing show of power, but through humble means. Through an old dusty book, and a little bit of water with God's Word sprinkled on the head.

Jesus came to suffer and die. And in faith, we also follow Him. This is because we are connected to His suffering and death in baptism. In Romans chapter six Paul writes "do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" And also "We know that our old self was crucified with him, to make our sinful body powerless, so that we would not continue to serve sin. For the person who has died has been declared free from sin. And since we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." 

And so Jesus explains what following Him means. “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." The first thing that we want to do is deny ourselves.

This is referring to our sinful nature. The sinful nature is completely selfish. It's only thinking about its self. Not about others. Not about God. Christians are called to do something that is very hard, which is to deny that sinful nature. 

But we have help with this. Baptism has washed away your sins. Baptism is the gospel. It's because of Jesus' love that we also want to follow Him with the way of the cross. Not because we have to. Not because we're earning our own salvation. Jesus did that for us, on the cross. Instead, we follow Jesus because we want to. His love motivates us to. His love frees us to follow Him, and to love Him back. And daily, you return to those cleansing waters. The forgiveness you have received in your Baptism enables you to crucify your sinful nature and put on Christ. It enables you to deny your desire for worldly pomp and power, and instead live a life in service to God and your neighbor. 

We can't do this perfectly, of course. Jesus' forgiveness is always there. Jesus always forgives penitent sinners who come to Him. He forgives you every time you sin, and no matter what you have done. 

Christians are also called to take up their cross as they follow Jesus. Denying your sinful nature is a cross to bear. But their are other crosses as well. This includes persecution. Perhaps, even death for confessing Christ. 

Crosses can also include those things that make us question God, and wonder why He would let something happen. Perhaps it's dealing with failing health as you age. Maybe it's a mental health diagnosis. Maybe it's difficulties within your family. Whatever your cross is, it's something something that you know. 

In faith, we understand that God's ways are better. Even when we don't know why. After all, God is always closest when we are weakest. In His divine wisdom, He allows things in our life that He knows we can handle to bring us closer to Him. And so today, He strengthens your faith in the Word and assures you that He is near to the brokenhearted. We hear in Psalm thirty four "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed." In faith we say as we struggle with our crosses "Thy will be done."

Believing in Jesus requires following a paradox. A paradox is a statement that appears to be contradictory, and yet is true. Jesus says "In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?" 

You can't have it all. Those who want everything good in this life, and who are unable to deny their sinful nature, lose their life. They spend an eternity in hell. But those who "lose" their life in denying what their sinful nature wants, find their life. They receive eternal life in heaven. 

You see, our faith in Jesus has such a great value that nothing can replace it. Money and wealth pale in comparison with the great treasures we receive in following Jesus. And nothing can be given in this world to get your soul back. 

And so in faith, we gladly follow Jesus, and bear our cross. We understand that any suffering that we endure upon this earth is so small and insignificant compared to an eternity in heaven. And so we endure with a joyful, and even grateful heart of faith.

Thinking about heaven should remind us that Jesus didn't stay in the grave. On the third day He was raised again. Jesus is now exulted as our triumphant Lord and Savior over sin, death and the devil. He is the King over all. His time of suffering is over. 

In a similar way, we too will rise victorious on the last day. That's what it means to follow Jesus in faith. It means that not only do we imitate His cross bearing, but also that we imitate His victorious resurrection on the last day. Then we will have a perfect body. No more pain. No more suffering. There will be no more problems within our families. You will never struggle with sin again. And Jesus will take you home to be with Him in heaven, forever and ever. 

Many kids, as well as adults, would eat candy all day if they could. It's easy to think that we know what's best for us in life, even if it's really sugary. But the problem is, we really don't know what's best for us. Even though a fluffy, nice life filled with everything we want sounds good, it really would be harmful. We can't always have everything we want. This is because in faith we follow . He willingly went the way of the cross to suffer and die. And so in faith, we follow him. We follow Him as we resist our sinful, selfish nature. We follow Him as we bear our difficult burdens in life. And we continue to follow Him until the last day, when He will come and bring us to heaven. This is what it means to be a Christian. This is what it means to be a Lutheran. May God grant you strength through Word and sacrament as you bear your cross, and follow Him. Amen. 

Pastor Samuel Johnson

9/10/23