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“Plain Talk About The Cross” St. John’s - East Moline Mk. 8:27-38 04/03/12 Intro.: Have you ever had a friend who has no filter; someone who just says whatever is on their mind no matter how politically incorrect or offensive? I find it amusing, even refreshing, at least when it is not directed against me. Most of us, however, understand that there are situations when it is best to be diplomatic; to be careful in the choice and timing of our words. Hopefully, we are equally aware of those times when it is necessary to just tell it like it is. As your pastor I have often battled over the choice between what I should and must say, and what I feel I can say in a given situation. In today’s Gospel Jesus looked into the faces of his disciples, who confessed Him as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” and knew that the time for speaking in parables had ended. His days with them were growing short, and it was important for them to be prepared for what was coming. The circumstances required some “Plain Talk About The Cross”. The first thing Jesus offered them was... I. Plain Talk About His (Christ’s) Sacrifice. (vv. 27-32) A. He spoke plainly about the difficult things that it was necessary for Him to do for His disciples and for us. He said,“the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and the teachers of the law, and the he must be killed...” Up to this point most of the disciples had failed to connect their confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, with what the prophets had said concerning the sacrifice He would offer for the sins of the world. Seeing the glory of His transfiguration, and witnessing the miracles of healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead, they knew that Jesus was greater than John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets. They believed that He was the One of whom the prophets had spoken, who had the power and authority of God to save His people. It was clear to them that the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord was upon Him, that He had been anointed to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of God’s vengeance. (Is. 61) What they failed to remember, though, was the way in which this would be accomplished; that the Christ would be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their face...”; that He would “(take) up our infirmities and (carry) our sorrows, (being) pierced for our transgressions, (and) crushed for our iniquities;” and that “the punishment that (would bring) us peace was upon him, (so that) by his wounds we are healed, (because) the Lord (would lay) the iniquity of us all upon Him.” (Is. 53) Jesus had to speak plainly to His disciples about what He must do to make atonement for their sins, our sins and the sins of the whole world. Because God is just and must punish sin, He cannot simply overlook them like a permissive grandfather, who thinks the destructive behavior of a sugared up toddler is cute. Our sin, every thought which has been contrary to the mind of God, every word which has shamed him or hurt others, every action which has violated His will for us, must be punished. This is why Christ came into the world: To live a holy life for us and then to offer Himself as the innocent Lamb of God to pay for our sins. There was no other way and there is no other way. It was necessary for the Christ to be despised and rejected, to suffer and feel sorrow. He had to carry our sins to the cross and be pierced to bring us spiritual healing and peace with God. As Paul writes in our epistle: “Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son.” B. When the disciples and many of us demonstrate our ignorance and misunderstanding regarding important matters of faith there can be no beating around the bush. It requires plain talk. Even after making his bold confession Peter still did not comprehend Christ’s mission. When Jesus talked plainly about what he must do, he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him as if His Lord were some kind of foolish little schoolboy speaking nonsense. None of the apostle wanted to hear this talk about Christ’s suffering and death. Whether Peter’s desire to avoid the cross was for his own sake or for Christ’s, whether his intentions were good or bad is not the issue. He was refusing to accept the necessity of Christ’s suffering and death for his sin. I know that there are some of you who are still unclear about the necessity of Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. I don’t doubt that you believe that He did it for you, and I do not question that you cherish His sacrificial love, but like Peter some of you would take the Lord aside and chastise Him, saying “surely there must be another way Lord! It seems so unjust that you would condemn even good people who have rejected or possibly not even heard the Gospel.” This is why Jesus had to speak plainly about His sacrifice to His disciples, and why I need to speak plainly to you this morning/evening. There is no other way that we can be saved than by trusting in the holy life, bitter suffering and death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus. He tells us plainly that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. After talking plainly with the disciples about the necessity of his suffering and death, Jesus went on to give them some... II. Plain Talk About [Their Own] Misplaced Priorities. (vv. 33-38) Jesus begins his rebuke by saying to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.” Many times Jesus had been far more gentle and diplomatic, but this was time for some plain talk. Peter, apparently, had his own plans and Jesus’ death did not fit into them. Here is Jesus, pouring his heart out, being brutally honest about what He was going to endure for Peter’s salvation and tormented at the very thought of it, and all Peter can do is think about what he wants. Recognizing the same misplaced priorities in all the disciples, Jesus continued, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 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.” A. Just as Jesus did with Peter and His disciples, I believe that today, is the time for your pastor to offer you some plain talk about your misplaced priorities. I know that some of you would rather not think about Christ’s death. Perhaps you prefer a sterile, bloodless Jesus, who will give you a good example to follow without burdening you too much. A sweet Jesus whose death was just a token of love that leaves you free to live the way you please. While most of us, like Peter, may struggle with some of the things our Lord has told us, there are an even greater number in our congregation whose idea of Christ and what it means to be a Christian bears no resemblance to what is revealed in the Bible. In many ways, we like Peter and the disciples, are guilty of having in mind the things of men rather than the things of God. Life with Christ is not about having it your own way. He has made you a new creation to live a new kind of life in the Holy Spirit – a life that is no longer lived for yourself, but for Him who loved you so much that even while you were a sinner, He died for you. B. So I want to talk to you plainly today about your refusal to put your Savior, His work, and His ways first in your lives. Look again at the words of your Savior to His disciples and to you, and ask yourself, have I been following Jesus, have I been carrying a cross for him, have I really lost anything for him, or have I been trying to gain more and more for myself. Today He is calling out to us, “Get behind me Satan”, you’re priorities are all messed up. You have in mind the things of men, the things you want, the things this world values, and you’ve left the Lord here in a cold empty room all week long. Frankly, I’m tired of sitting back and being “diplomatic” when people tell me that there are more important things in their lives than Christ, their faith and the faith of their children, and the receiving of God’s Word and living according to it. Today, the filter is gone and telling you plainly, “Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.” What good is it if you gain all the things you are seeking if it means forfeiting your soul, and just what are you willing to give and what have you been giving in exchange for your soul? Your job, your friendships, your television, your sports, your house? What are you holding onto in this life that may cause you to lose eternal life with Christ? Jesus warns us that we cannot keep going on this way. If we continue to live as if we are ashamed of Him and his words. If we are embarrassed to speak openly about His love for us or to live out our faith in this adulterous and sinful generation, He may just be ashamed of us when He returns. This is the plain and painful truth I must declare as I beg you to turn again to the cross of Jesus to be reconciled by his death. Find peace with God who gave His Son to die for you and pick up your own cross and follow Him. Let go of your life in this world and reclaim the abundant and eternal life that Christ has given you. Listen as Jesus offers you some... III. Plain Talk About His (Christ’s) Promise. (v.31; Rom. 5) A. Jesus promised His disciples that after he had been rejected, and after he had suffered and died, He would rise again in three days. His promise to them and for us is that things are never as bad as they might seem. He will not allow our hope or the love that he has given us to be swallowed up in shame or suffering or even death. According to His promise Jesus rose again in victory over all those things and more. After the agony of the cross and the loss of everything they cherished the disciples gained eternal life and a great future through their faith in the risen and glorified Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit their minds and hearts were changed and set upon the things of God. Boldly and courageously they denied themselves and picked up their crosses and followed Jesus. They became witnesses to the whole world about the salvation that comes through Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, died and rose again. B. Jesus tells us plainly that in Him we have the victory, also. Even if we begin like Peter, and are unwilling to accept the cross Jesus brings to us, through the Gospel He restores us and exalts us to be more than conquerors. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are ready to pick up and bear our crosses, because we know that on the others side of that cross is our empty tomb and after the thorns and nails we will receive the crown. With Paul we are confident that “Sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Once before, I told the story of the very successful J.C. Penney who was asked to explain as briefly as possible the secret to his success in life and in business. Penney, without hesitation, answered: “Adversity and Jesus Christ!” He went on to explain how his father had been an impoverished preacher in the hills of Missouri. When his father died, he left a will that simply said. “I bequeath you some honest debts, manly character, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Penney’s world was filled with disappointment and adversity. But he allowed Jesus Christ to use that adversity as an instrument to success. Our lives in Christ are no different. We know that even while bearing our crosses Jesus is with us, strengthening us, refining us, and teaching us to rely on the love He has poured into our hearts to bring us an abundant and eternal life. Today, in our worship we look through heaven’s open gate as we hear God’s Word and offer our prayers toward His throne of grace. We set our minds on Him as we raise our voices with the Holy angels and receive in the Supper a foretaste of the feast to come. Concl.: Just as with the disciples the time is growing short and we all need to prepare for what is coming, so listen as I tell you one more thing and tell it to you plainly: “if, when we were God’s enemies we were reconciled through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!.” That is the plain truth about the cross and about our salvation. Amen.