Uncomfortable | Part 2

The Uncomfortable Cross(Mark 8:27 – 38) Jesus went out with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They answered Him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.” “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Messiah.” And He strictly warned them to tell no one about Him.

     Then He began to teach them that it was NECESSARY for the Son of Man to SUFFER many things and be REJECTED by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be KILLED and RISE after three days. He spoke openly about this. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.

     "Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him DENY himself, TAKE UP his cross, and FOLLOW me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

1. At the Center of the Christian Faith Is the Cross—An Execution Device.

(Mark 8:34) Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

(Hebrew 12:2 NIV) “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(1 Corinthians 15:3 – 4, 12 – 19) “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ — whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

2. Following Jesus Means Denying Ourselves and Taking up Our Own Crosses.

(Mark 8:34 NIV) Then He called the crowd to him along with His disciples and said: Whoever wants to be my disciple MUST deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(Mark 10:43-44) “whoever would be great among you MUST be your servant, and whoever would be first among you MUST be a slave ofall.

3.Jesus Provides the Ultimate Example.

(Mark 8:34) Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

(Philippians 2:5-11) “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead, he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father