February 28: The Cross Must Come First
Read: Genesis 17:1-7; 15-16; Mark 8:31-38
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
In this passage from Mark’s gospel, he tells us how Jesus began teaching his followers about what was going to happen to him in the future. Jesus will repeat this teaching two more times in Mark’s gospel. Here, the first thing we notice is the word “must”. These things he’s talking about aren’t possibilities or probabilities; they don’t make up one potential story arc among many. They must happen.
Jesus tells the disciples he must suffer; he must be rejected by the Jewish leaders; he must be killed; and he must be raised from the dead. Verse 32 tells us that Jesus told them these things “plainly.” It wasn’t in a parable or in figurative language. He wasn’t using a metaphor or simile hoping they would get it. He told them straight out – he must die and be raised from the dead.
Then we read, “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” Peter hears the words of Jesus and he is incredulous. “This cannot happen. It will not happen. You are a prophet! You are the Messiah, the Son of God! We’ve left everything to follow you!”
Jesus answers with a rebuke of his own! “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” By setting himself against what God has said must happen, Peter is cooperating with Satan. He is resisting God’s plan. Satan doesn’t want Jesus dead; he doesn’t Jesus to die and pay the ransom that will set those who believe free.
Jesus says in verse 34, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” To be his followers and to experience the life and the forgiveness in his blood; to have his death pay the ransom my sin and your sin, we need to value Jesus more than anything. Rather than protecting our comfort or our safety or our reputations, we must die to self. We must be willing to lose everything for him. He must be our greatest treasure.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. If we spend our energy trying to protect our lives; trying to keep things the way we like them; treasuring the life we’ve created or the things we amassed, there will be no ransom for our sin. Though we may avoid hard times and suffering, we will ultimately lose our lives. We are wise to heed the words of the late missionary Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? It’s possible to value the things of the world so much; valuing them even above Jesus; so that when it comes time for your sin to be paid for, you have nothing to offer. There is nothing you can offer for your soul if you have not trusted in the one who came to give his life as that ransom. Nothing else will ever be enough.
37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? There is nothing you or I or anyone else can pay that will gain our souls. Jesus alone can do that.
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” If a person is embarrassed of their connection to Jesus and the gospel; if the cross seems like foolishness to them and they don’t want people to know they believe it; then the day will come when Jesus separates the sheep and the goats and that person will be judged with the goats. Whoever values their status and reputation in the world more than the scandalous price Jesus paid to ransom them, that person will have no hope on the last day. They will have gained the whole world and lost their souls.
Questions for Reflection
Whose approval do you crave most? Whose praise are you most desperate not to lose? In whose presence do you fear most being shamed? Which relationship is most precious to you?
When you hear the call to “die to self” and to “deny” yourself, how do you respond? What feelings or thoughts come to mind? Why is it so difficult for many of us?
Take a few moments to think about how God has made something of beauty and hope out of the sufferings, rejection, murder, and resurrection of his Son. If we deny ourselves and die to self, can we believe he will make out of the torn pieces and the tangled threads of our lives something beautiful for his glory?
Readings for this week:
March 1: Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 1:8-12
March 2: Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:1-3; 13-19
March 3: Jeremiah 30:12-22; John 12:36-43
March 4: Exodus 19:1-9a; 1 Peter 2:4-10
March 5: Exodus 19:9b-15; Acts 7:30-40
March 6: Exodus 19:16-25; Mark 9:2-8
March 7: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 18-25