Matthew part 28
Learning to Follow Jesus
Today, we are going to return to Matthew 16. Before we begin, let’s take a look at the first part of the chapter we discussed a couple of months ago. In verses 1-4, Jesus tells the Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign from Jesus, but Jesus says the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah. This sign is in reference to his death and resurrection. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, Jesus will be in the grave for three days. Then, beginning in verse 5, Jesus warns them to avoid bread from the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples are little confused, but Jesus explains he is talking about their false teachings—not literal bread.
Last, verse 13 begins the transition piece of Matthew. This previous section has been Matthew chronicling the miracles of Jesus to support the validity of Jesus’ identity and mission. In 13-20, Jesus asks the disciples who they believe he is. Peter gives the winning answer, “Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” And this confession is the basis for the church—or “gathering”—of Jesus.
Now, at this point, you might think the disciples are fully ready to embrace the mission of Christ. You might even believe the disciples understand the mission of Christ. Unfortunately, they will quickly prove otherwise. In fact, it will be Peter who ironically speaks up with a wrong answer.
Good Ideas Gone Bad | Matthew 16:21-23
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Matthew 16:21-23
Jesus begins explaining exactly why he came to the earth, and Peter chastises him for it. Jesus says that his mission is going to take him to Jerusalem, but he will not go as the conquering hero. He will go as the Suffering Servant. He will go to his death, but on the third day of his death be raised up. But rather than hear the “raised from the dead” part, Peter only hears “suffer and die.” Peter rebukes Jesus saying, “This can’t happen to you!”
Jesus’ reply is astonishingly harsh, but that is because it is directed at the real problem, not Peter. Peter may have just acknowledged the Lordship of Christ, but Satan has quickly come and confused Peter. Peter believes he is standing up for what is right, but it is only what is right in his own eyes. Jesus calls Peter ‘Satan’ because it is Satan that has given Peter this attitude.
Peter’s reaction actually makes sense when we look at it from an earthly perspective—which is ultimately the problem. Satan puts in Peter’s head indignation at the idea of Jesus suffering at the hands of the religious leaders. After all, if Jesus is the Son of God, why would the religious people be the ones to harm him?
Well, there are two reasons. 1) They may be religious, but their hearts are far from God. They are more concerned about their relationship with Rome and maintaining power than they are their relationship with God. 2) Because Jesus came to this world to suffer and die. His first coming is to save humanity from their sins, and this can only happen with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.
Peter’s reaction could be considered noble, even godly, except for the fact it goes against the plans of God.
Sometimes even good ideas can be satanic when they go against God’s plan.
The problem here is not Peter’s desire to defend Jesus. The problem is Jesus needs no defense. In fact, Jesus is going to accomplish his mission despite Peter’s indignation. Ironically, Peter will fall away along with the other disciples when the soldiers come, but even this cowardice is part of God’s plan. Success for Jesus is death on the cross, because through his death, He will be raised and we will be forgiven.
There is a principle here that we can’t overlook. God’s mission is always priority 1. And sometimes God’s mission doesn’t seem to line up with what the world would consider “good”. Jesus must suffer and die. Well, that doesn’t seem very good, and yet that is exactly what we needed. Peter wanted to defend his teacher and Messiah. That seems very good, and yet that is exactly what no one needed. Rather than thinking in terms of what seems good or bad, perhaps, if we are to truly know God’s will in a situation, we should think in terms of “what will draw us closer to God.”
We can discern between a godly idea and a satanic idea by asking, “Which option will draw me (and others) closer to the Lord?”
We can see this principle at work in a variety of circumstances today. My first thought is with Christians who picket at different events—whether against abortion, LGBT events, or something similar. It seems like they are doing the right thing—they are defending Jesus. But, as we just saw in Scripture, and will see throughout the Bible, Jesus needs no defender. Yes, we should “contend for the faith,” but our contending should be for the purpose of drawing people to Christ. If we are not persuading others to Christ, then we aren’t contending for the faith, we are just be contentious.
I have also seen this principle at work in churches who debate over programs or music. Each party believes they are defending the cause of Christ with their agenda, and yet, whenever churches are driven in opposing directions, they are not drawing people to God. They are driving themselves apart. There are times when opposing opinions will emerge in a church. But rather than asking, “How can I fight the opposition,” we should ask, “How can we resolve this conflict while drawing each side closer to Christ?”
Interestingly, Jesus answers this question in the next verse.
Bad Ideas Gone Good | Matthew 16:24-28
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:24-28
If we are to draw closer to Christ, we must be willing to put to death our old way of life and old way of thinking. There is a bit of wordplay here that doesn’t appear in English. The word for “life” and “soul” that Jesus uses is the same—psyche. There are 4 words that can be translated “life” in the New Testament. The first, hēlikia, is the span of someone’s life. It’s the word used in Matthew 6:27 where Jesus asks how worry can add a single hour to someone’s life (hēlikia). It is actually rarely used in the New Testament. The second, bios, refers to physical life, whether plant, animal or human. It’s the same word for the English root bio-, as in biology. The third, zoé, is the word used in reference to eternal life. When Jesus speaks of eternal life, or heavenly life, he uses zoé.
The last word for “life” is used about the same as zoé, and it is the word in question for today. It has a bit of a nuance tied with it in that sometimes it may be similar to eternal life, but more often it still has an earthly connotation. That is why sometimes it is translated as “soul”. This ‘life’ is the life that describes the essentials of the person. It is their “way of life”, their “inner being”, or their “identity”. It consists of those things that we would say, “This is me. Without this, I would not be me.”
It is far more than just the physical life of a person. If Jesus only meant our physical life, he would have used bios. If he just meant for the time we are on earth, he would have used hēlikia. And we do not wait until we’re dead to make the decision to follow Christ, so it’s not finding or losing our zoé. No, Jesus is telling us that if we are to truly follow him, we must be willing to lose everything that makes us who we are.
At this point in the Bible, Peter has been known as a zealot. He is a warrior for the Temple of God. He has identified himself with those who would overthrow Roman rule if given an opportunity. When he says to Jesus, “Far be it! This will never happen to you,” he isn’t saying, “We will avoid Jerusalem to keep you safe.” He is saying, “I will kill anyone who tries to harm you.” Later, Peter makes good on this promise by cutting the ear of one of the soldiers.
Jesus is telling Peter that Peter must get rid of this violent identity. If Peter is to truly follow Jesus, then Peter must deny himself the righteous indignation, deny the impulse to defend his homeland, deny his identity as a zealot. That old life must be put to the death (take up thy cross). When Peter loses this way of life, he will find the true way—a life-giving way.
If we are to truly follow Jesus, we must be willing to sacrifice our whole identity and lifestyle in order to discover our true purpose and design.
Jesus quickly addresses two main arguments people have against this idea of self-denial. The first is about worldly gain. Many will say, “I can’t get rid of who I am, because it is tied to my livelihood.” How is a person to make it in this world if they are one of those ‘Jesus people’?
Jesus replies, “What does it profit to gain the whole world but lose your soul?” What does it matter if you have all the riches of this world but spend eternity in hell? What does it matter if you are the richest, the most powerful, the most popular, the most whatever, if you lose the soul of who you are?
And this warning is not just for the rich. In 21st century America, we enjoy a level of comfort and luxury that was undreamt of in previous centuries. But for all the technology, all the production, and all the comfort, what have we lost? We are far more disconnected in our relationships. We are far more depressed in general. We are far more untrusting of neighbors. Sometimes it feels like we might be losing what makes us human. It’s because many are losing their soul in favor of some artificial life that is unsustainable.
The second argument is related to seeking justice or revenge. How can I follow Jesus in peace and forgiveness when so many have hurt me, or some oppressive system is bearing down on me? I am sure Peter had much to say about the puppet religious leaders and their Roman overlords. Jesus, don’t you know they overtax the poor? Don’t you know they try to establish idols in the Lord’s Temple? Haven’t you seen them attack families?
Jesus replies, “When the Son of Man returns with his angels, there will be a great retribution for all that people have done.” Do not be overly concerned about justice or breaking oppression when it is more important to follow Christ. First, prepare your own soul for the Son of Man’s Return, then you can help others prepare their own.
As Christians, we can sometimes become overly concerned about social issues. There is certainly a time and place for such discussions, but I return to my earlier point. In our concern for justice, we cannot lose sight of what people need the most—they need Jesus! Whatever we do in response to culture, it must be to draw people closer to Christ.
Following Jesus means denying what you think you “deserve” in favor of what God calls you toward.
Last, let’s tackle Matthew 16:28 which has plagued Bible-readers for centuries. Theologians have offered several different interpretations, some more plausible than others. The problem appears to be that Jesus says some of the disciples would not die until He returns. Interestingly, there is a similar confusion mentioned at the end of John’s Gospel about something Jesus said. It will help us to interpret this verse by looking at its parallels.
Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:28
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
Mark 9:1
But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:27
And just for further illustration, here is the confusion in John.
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
John 21:21-23
Now, in each of the Synoptics, Jesus makes this statement just prior to the Transfiguration. Thus, many believe he is talking about the vision that is about to occur on the mountain. In fact, when Medieval scribes broke the Bible into chapters and verses, notice they put this statement at the beginning of Mark’s chapter and the end of Matthew’s. They recognized this statement to be a transition statement. In Luke’s Gospel, it is actually towards the middle and is sandwiched by teachings and stories related to the idea of denying one’s self to follow Jesus in Kingdom work.
Second, notice how each gospel writer phrases the statement. Matthew leans towards a “Second Coming” phrasing, Mark is a bit more general stating the kingdom of God coming in power, and Luke even more general with just “see the kingdom of God.” Theologians have argued that seeing Matthew as a “Second Coming” reference is actually mistaken, because when compared with the other two, it may just mean the same as kingdom of God coming in power. While this argument is a little weak, when coupled with the occurrence of the Transfiguration after each instance, it makes a little more sense.
So, one option is simply that Jesus is referring to the Transfiguration.
The other option has to do with our understanding of the word “see”. Typically, when we “see” something, we perceive it with our eyes. But, sometimes we might “see” in the sense of “understanding.” This option still points us to the Transfiguration as the meaning behind Jesus’ words, but it also may refer to Pentecost when the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and experience first-hand the power of the kingdom of God. The unfortunate problem with Pentecost as the event in question is Matthew specifically says “Son of Man” which is never a title for the Holy Spirit, only Jesus. While they may be the same God, they are not the same Person which adds a problem rather than solving one.
Jesus is most probably referring to the Transfiguration in Matthew 16:28.
Now, this theological rabbit hole is not just for kicks. There is an important point here that we may overlook if we lose sight of the forest for the trees. Jesus tells the disciples some of them won’t have to die in order to see and experience the Kingdom of God. We know Peter, James, and John will see the kingdom, along with Elijah and Moses, in the next chapter. We know the other disciples, except for Judas, will experience the power of the Kingdom at Pentecost. We also know John will see the Kingdom in his vision that is recorded in Revelation (another interpretive option, but not a great one for the context). The point is simply this:
It is possible to experience the kingdom of God before dying.
How? We can experience it through a closer walk with Jesus.
Sometimes Christians wonder why they do not have the same ecstatic visions or closeness with Jesus as other disciples. Or they may wonder why God does not work the same way in their lives as He has in the past or in other places. Rather than wondering why God doesn’t seem to be the same, perhaps we should ask, “Are we doing the same things as those disciples?”
How can we expect to have the same relationship with Christ when we do not have the same lifestyle as those disciples? How can we experience the kingdom of God in our lives when so many of us fail to even open the Bible during week? Or how can we expect our prayers to be answered in powerful ways when we fail to even take time to pray?
I had a classmate that was on this topic a long time ago. I’m not even sure I remember the guy’s name, but I will never forget what he said one day. “Instead of worrying about why we can’t accomplish what those guys accomplished, maybe we sure worry about doing what those guys did.”
As we consider what it means to follow Christ today, let’s take a moment to stop worrying about the cost or whether we will see the same effects as the disciples and just simply pause. Pause to ask, yourself these questions:
Is my comfort or wealth more important than my soul? Think: what good will your money and barcalounger do in eternity?
Is revenge or ‘being right’ more important than the kingdom of God? Think: what good does it do to win an argument if it drives people away from Jesus?
Last, if you have struggled to experience the kingdom of God at work in your life, ask yourself: Have I tried doing the same things the disciples did?
Have you turned away from the sinful lifestyle that defined you in the past?
Have you given up a job, a family member, a friend, or some other part of your identity in order to follow Jesus?
Do you walk daily with him? Have you prayed and listened for God’s response? Have you read and studied the Bible which is God’s Word for you—the primary way in which He still speaks to us today?
Are you known for following Jesus or for something else?
As we close today, let’s read Matthew 16:24-25 just one more time. And this time, let’s read it carefully and understand the call that is given to each of us.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24-25