In many ways today’s Gospel text is part 2 of last Sunday’s text from Matthew. Jesus had asked the disciples who people were saying Jesus was. The world did not know what to make of Him. Jesus then asked them “who do you say that I am?” Peter had answered with a profound truth: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Jesus praised this confession and said that “He would build the church upon this rock, and the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against it.”
Although Peter identified Jesus correctly as the Christ, the Son of the living God, we heard today that he didn’t understand what that meant to be “the Christ”. As soon as Jesus began showing and telling the disciples what it meant to be the Christ, Peter actually rebuked Jesus! We were told in today’s Gospel that Jesus had told the disciples that He MUST go to Jerusalem and suffer MANY things, from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be KILLED, and on the third day rise again.
Peter who boldly spoke the truth moments before now boldly demonstrated that the disciples did not get it. Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” That word “rebuke” means that He was trying to correct Jesus as though Jesus didn’t know what He meant. Peter was trying to correct the Almighty Son of the living God who lives … the one through whom all things were created. It is very obvious that the title “Christ” meant one thing to Jesus and something entirely different to Peter.
What Jesus had described was not the vision that Peter had in his mind for “the Christ”. He probably had hopes that Jesus would restore the glory to Israel in one way or another. I am sure that he had hopes that he and the disciples would get some of that power and glory as well. Why do you think we are told that the disciples were constantly arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, (as we will hear about next week)?
In a way, who could blame them? After all, the ministry of Jesus seemed to be unstoppable. He was a miracle worker. Great crowds were coming after them, even foreigners knew who Jesus was, yes, the Jerusalem elders didn’t like Him, but His power was great, the crowds were large, “surely,” the disciples thought, “this momentum would never swing in the favor of those who didn’t like Jesus.”
But Jesus didn’t commend Peter for rebuking and trying to correct Him. Jesus answered swiftly, and said, “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.”
This is our biggest problem as humans; we are constantly setting our minds on the things of man. What does that mean? It means that because of our pride, we are constantly trying to live for ourselves and the world. We want to take the easy way out of difficult situations. We would rather make friends with the world and be popular rather than speak the truth and risk rejection and anger. We don’t want to deny ourselves and the things that mean so much to us.
We talked to a certain extent about the topic of identity last week. What is the Christ? What is the Rock upon which the Church will be built? What is the Church?” When it comes to ourselves, we humans like to identify ourselves in the best way possible. We are proud. We don’t want to be told when we are in the wrong. Whether it is in the way that we believe or in the way that we live our lives, we get offended when we are challenged with the reality that we aren’t all that, when the Law of God identifies us as sinners. “What? No, the problem is with someone else. But everyone else is doing it! But this feels so good.”
The Law tells us otherwise. It shows us our sin. It condemns our laziness, it exposes our idols, our desire to serve our selfish flesh and become one with the things of this world which is passing away. The Church, the Christ, the way of true life is not the easy way of the sinful flesh.
Jesus says, shows the identity of a disciple and believer: to follow Him One must deny themselves, and take up their cross. In order to find their life, they must lose it. Don’t become friends with this world, “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?” Then Jesus said, “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.”
These words don’t bode well for us. The true identity of a person, is seen in what comes out of their mouths and what is done in their lives. St. Paul in his letter to Romans identifies how Christians are to be. He says to abhor what is evil, to not be overcome with evil, to not repay evil for evil, to not be wise in our own sight, but to try to outdo one another with love and service, “Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
How many of us are zealous for doing this good and doing this consistently in hope and patience? How many of us are abhorring evil, rebuking it in ourselves, and exhorting those around us in love? How many of us instead justify ourselves and others in their sin and misbelief just to keep ourselves comfortable?
Let us deny ourselves. Let us confess our sins to God and to each other. Let us crucify ourselves, and put to death out pride and admit our faults and that we do not deserve any grace or mercy.
That is why it is good news that “The Christ” defied common misconceptions. The Christ came not to serve Himself and receive laud and earthly honor. He came to save sinners such as us. For sinners, Christ Jesus took up His cross and defeated those things which so often overpower and threaten to overpower us. He came to defeat the adversary of Satan, to overthrow death, to reconcile us to our God and Father. To accomplish this, He took your sins with Him. He denied Himself and the glory that was due Him as the Son of God, so that the punishment which you, me, and all people deserved would be taken by Him. So that we don’t have to spend eternity in hell. So that Satan the great accuser cannot prevail against God’s people. The devil is always trying to sneer at God’s Word, and He is always trying to mislead us from God’s Word. Look how Satan used Peter who so recently made the good confession to try to tempt Jesus! So, he tries to do to you and me. But be not afraid. Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
Use God’s Word to rebuke the lies of Satan and His temptations! So, you can say by the Power of the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ who has overcome the adversary: “Satan you wish for me to live in fear and hate, you wish for me to live only in the moment of my flesh and temptation, you then want to condemn me in me my failures. But get behind me Satan! I am baptized into Christ! Christ Jesus has taken my sins, the very sins that I have confessed this day, upon Himself. He has forgiven me, and now His Spirit gives me faith and hope to confess: not myself, not my good, but Him, Jesus Christ! crucified and raised for my salvation and the salvation of all who call upon His name. Satan, you are defeated. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. My hope is built not on me or my hopes, built not on the world, no my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I am even now day by day, being built up on Jesus Christ, being served His love and forgiveness, being taught all His teachings which are the paths of righteousness. I am being made strong to confess Him in my life and with my words by His power, strength, and truth.”
Dear friends, this life is not always an easy thing, but Jesus Christ has gone before us and is with us now. He comes to you and His Church here to serve us so that can confess Him in His truth as He is: Our Redeemer and Savior.
Receive His grace and His gifts here in His Church. Live by Him and through Him and upon Him: for His death and resurrection is your victory. He is your help in every need. You are a Christian by baptism and faith by His redemption. And Satan cannot prevail against your Savior, therefore for His sake, He cannot prevail against you in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas