You'll never grow in your faith as a casual Christian. To grow you need to be a dedicated disciple of Christ.
But what does that really mean? Today on Turning Point, Dr David Jeremiah addresses that question by first considering what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah. From his teaching series in search of the Savior, here's David. To introduce today's message, so you want to be a disciple? Friends, we're finishing up the study of the book of Mark.
This is part three of Mark. We have taught the first two sections of this book, and now we finish up with these last verses in the last chapters of the book. Today we're going to talk about what it means to be a disciple. We'll get to that in just a few moments as we open our Bibles to the eighth chapter of Mark. Well, let's get started with so you want to be a disciple. Mark chapter 8.
If I were to ask you this question, what would you answer? Does the Bible have more to say about being a Christian or being a disciple? Before you answer, most of us are really more into being Christians, and disciples, that's something for the people who really get serious about their faith. But it's interesting when you open the Scripture to discover that the word disciple is in the New Testament 297 times, and the word Christian is in the New Testament three times. The New Testament is not about being a Christian. The New Testament is about being a disciple. It's a book written primarily by disciples to teach us how to be disciples. When we miss that, we miss the core of everything God wants us to know about living the Christian life. You say, well, Pastor Jeremiah, what is a disciple?
Well, it's a very simple word. It just means to be a learner, someone who's a follower, someone who is an avid learner from another teacher. It's going from the unknown to the known, and often through an experience that is a part of the learning process. A disciple didn't just study out of a textbook and then take a test on what was in the book. A disciple attached himself to his leader and followed that leader and learned from that leader. The leader role modeled the truth, and so a disciple became someone who went from not knowing anything about that person to being very much involved in that person and following the teaching of that person.
One definition of a disciple, it goes like this. It's learning through the stretching of confusion. Isn't that what happens to the disciples? They learn by being stretched in the confusion, and we watch that. We learn that they almost know something about Jesus now, but their vision is clouded.
They still don't know who he is. The Lord Jesus is bringing them along, leading them. They're his followers, his disciples, and he's teaching them.
He never misses an opportunity to teach them something. Here in the book of Mark, Jesus asked his disciples, who do men say that I am? They came up with a standard fare of Elijah, John the Baptist, some Old Testament prophet. Then he asked them the most important question.
He said, who do you say that I am? Peter, you know Peter, he jumps to the front, and without any hesitation at all, he says, you are the Christ. We learned that when he said you are the Christ, he meant you are the anointed one, literally Jesus. You are the Messiah.
At first blush, it almost seems as if finally they get it, but there's no finally they get it in this story. Because what we're going to learn is they got the Messiah they wanted, but they didn't get the Messiah that they hoped for. They got the Messiah they thought was going to come and lift the yoke of the Romans off of them, set up his kingdom right then, rule from Jerusalem, and they'd be at his right hand, and the glory would continue. But Jesus said, you don't understand. You want the Messiah?
That's who I am. But let me tell you who the Messiah really is. So in verses 31 through 33, he begins to tell them what it means to be the Messiah. First of all, he tells them the Messiah is recognized as the Son of Man. Verse 31 says he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. In Mark, the Son of Man is the only title that Jesus ever uses for himself, and almost in every instance when he uses that title about himself, he's telling his disciples about his impending death. Remember, this is the first place here in this text where he begins to clearly unfold that, no longer through parables and stories and clouded words. He's coming right out now, and he's going to say it like in this text in the 31st verse of chapter 8. If you go through the book of Mark, you will see it often.
Let me give you a spattering of the places where this happens. In Mark 9, 12, the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt. In Mark 10, 32, and 34, he took the 12 aside and began to tell them the things that would happen to him. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests, and on and on he goes. Mark 10, 45, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 14, 41, the hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. The first thing Jesus wanted his disciples to know was that he was the Messiah, but he was the Son of Man who was about to be crucified.
As you're going to see in a moment, they weren't quite ready for this information. Not only was he to be recognized as the Son of Man, but in the same verse, he's going to be rejected by the Sanhedrin. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes.
In Jerusalem at that time, there was a reigning body of elders called the Seventy, and the Sanhedrin, which was made up of the Seventy and the chief priests and the scribes and all the aristocracy of the Jewish community. And the Bible says that Jesus came before them, and the word rejected in the text means to be scrutinized. And the Bible says Jesus came before this august body of religious leaders, and they scrutinized him. They put him through the test, and they rejected him. It is interesting, is it not, that in the rejection of Jesus Christ, it wasn't the wicked men who rejected him. It was the religious people who rejected him. As one man said, it is not humanity at its worst that crucifies the Son of God.
It is humanity at its absolute best. So you want to be connected with the Messiah? Well, he is the Son of God who is going to suffer, and he is the Son of God who is going to be rejected by the Sanhedrin. And he is going to be required to suffer, notice. And he must suffer many things, verse 31.
That little word must in there is very important. It occurs in the Bible many times, but here it is an interesting text because a lot of people think that means he must suffer. In other words, they are going to get him. He can't do anything about it. They are coming after him. They are stronger than he is, and it is going to happen.
It is inevitable. He must suffer. Of course, that is not what it means at all. It doesn't mean either that he must suffer so that we will have an example of some godly man who lived a good life, died a noble death, and left us an example. What does it mean when it says, in the words of Jesus, he must suffer? He must suffer because there is no other way. He must suffer because there is no other plan. There is no other hope.
There is no other way for you and me to be renewed. There is no other way for sin to be forgiven. He must suffer because it is God's only plan.
How many of you know God doesn't have plan B? In any part of his will, and certainly not for his own son, the only way that the world could be reconciled unto God, God's plan could be filled in you and in me, was for the suffering of Jesus Christ to happen. He must suffer many things. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth knowing exactly what he was up to. He knew that he was born to die. He knew that he would have to die in order for you and I to have a chance to live. He was destined for the cross.
He must suffer. And then he is to be resurrected in splendor. Don't forget that, Jesus adds, and after three days rise again. If all he does is suffer, he is a failure, but if he suffers the death on the cross, overcomes the grave, and then he can stand with his hands lifted up high, having accomplished the purpose for which he came to die on the cross, buried in the third day, rise again in victory over death. And Jesus is explaining this.
The Scripture says later he openly is explaining this to his disciples. And you have to stop for a moment and ask yourself, you're a disciple and you're sitting there and this is kind of all new to you. This is not what you thought you were getting. You wanted a Messiah, but not one like this.
You're thinking soberly now, perhaps for the first time, that you had no advance notice on this story. It's unfolding as Jesus is speaking. And so, again, Peter steps up. Good old Peter. You remember that the book of Mark is Peter's story dictated to Mark and he writes it down. Peter makes sure he shows up several times in the story.
Here he shows up again and notice what he does. Jesus is going to be rebuked by Satan. Notice Peter's part in it. Verse 32, Jesus spoke this word openly and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Jesus speaks about his future suffering openly.
He's bold about it. And when Peter learns that Jesus is going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, he's really upset. This doesn't fit the agenda that Peter had for Jesus. He wants a strong Messiah, not a suffering one. He wants his Messiah to dominate, not to die. And so Jesus is not cooperating with Peter's agenda for him. And I envision Peter taking him aside and putting his arm around his shoulder and saying, Jesus, I got it. You're the Messiah.
I understand that. But you've got to quit talking about this dying and death and stuff because you're going to lose your credibility with everybody. And he begins to rebuke him. Whatever reason Peter had for rebuking Jesus, we know it is a very serious error because Jesus says that this is the result of Satan infiltrating Peter's life and literally Peter being the voice of Satan in that context. So after Jesus was rebuked by Peter, Peter's going to be rebuked by Jesus.
Notice verse 33. So when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter saying, Get behind me, Satan, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men. Now the text is very clear that Jesus didn't look right at Peter and say, Get behind me, Satan. He's not calling Peter Satan. He turned away from Peter and then, so everyone could hear, he said, Get behind me, Satan. Peter wasn't Satan, but Satan was there.
He was hovering in that moment. Jesus had been here before. He remembered what had happened to him in the wilderness when Satan had tried to get him to bow down before me.
He said, If you bow down before me, I'll give you the kingdoms of the world. Jesus had heard this before, and he knew this was Satan's stuff that was happening. Warren Wiersbe writes in his little commentary that in spite of his devotion to Jesus, Peter was still ignorant of the relationship between the cross and the crown. Peter was following Satan's philosophy, glory without suffering.
Instead of God's philosophy, suffering transformed into glory. Jesus said it this way, Peter, you are not mindful of the things of God. You are mindful of the things of men.
So if you just back up for a moment, let's just rewind a minute. Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that I am? You're the anointed one. You're the Messiah.
Oh, yeah? Let me tell you who the Messiah is. He's going to suffer. He's going to be rejected. He's going to die. He's going to be resurrected. He's going to be ridiculed.
He's going to be the focus of the attention of everyone trying to rid the world of his presence. He's your Messiah. Could we think this over?
Could we have some time to consider whether we want to join this club or not? And before there can ever be any discussion about this whole issue, Jesus moves from what it means to be a Messiah to what it means to be a follower of the Messiah. Verses 34 through 38, notice the Scripture's broken down this way. Verses 31 to 33 answer the question, what does it mean to be the Messiah? And verses 34 to 38 answer the question, what does it mean to be a follower of the Messiah?
And Jesus doesn't begin to answer this question with promises of success or material wealth or the admiration of others or being able to be seated at the right hand or the left hand of the King. Instead, he insists that his disciples have to be aware of the cost. If you're going to follow this Messiah, you're going to have to be aware that there is a cost involved in following this Messiah. As soon as the disciples find out who Jesus is, they begin to understand who they must be if they're going to follow him.
Jesus is saying to us, since I am a king on a cross, you might want to think about the fact that there'll more than likely be a cross in your life if you decide to follow me. And so he begins with three requirements of disciples in verse 34. And when he had called the people to himself with his disciples also, he said to them, whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. So he lays down these three conditions.
He says, you want to be a follower of this Messiah? The first requirement is the requirement of self-denial. He said to them, whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself. What does it mean to deny yourself? In this world where everybody is in self-promotion, what does it mean to deny oneself? It means to deny your desire for immediate and selfish gratification and take up your cross and follow the Lord. It means to understand that all the rewards don't have to be in the here and now, that many of them are in the future. It's giving up something you can never keep so that you have room for something that will last forever. It means to surrender ourselves to Christ and to determine to obey his will no matter what the cost.
One writer has put it this way, self-denial takes shape in many ways. For some, it may mean leaving job and family as the disciples did. For the proud, it means renouncing desire for status and honor. For the greedy, it means renouncing the appetite for wealth. The complacent will have to renounce their love of ease, and the faint-hearted will have to abandon the craving for security.
The violent will have to repudiate the desire for revenge, and on it goes. Individuals know best what hinders them from giving their lives over to God. And Jesus says, if you want to be one of my disciples, it can't be about you. From now on, it's about me. You've got to put your stuff on hold. You've got to say, look, I want it to be this or that, and my goal was this or that, his goal.
Willing to say no to yourself so they can say yes to him, and you say, well, what good is that going to do? Hang on. There's a reward passage coming here in a moment.
Here's the second requirement, the requirement of suffering. Whoever desires to come after me, let him take up his cross. Now, that's really an interesting thing, because in our culture today, what we know about the cross is that it's a piece of jewelry we hang around our neck. I've seen some of the most ungodly people that I've ever met in my life with a cross hanging around their neck. Have you ever noticed that?
What a disconnect that is. You know, we buy crosses for everything and for everybody. They have them on steeples. But I need to tell you, that wasn't the cross in Jesus' day. The cross in Jesus' day was the Roman cross. It was the most humiliating experience that an individual could ever go through in the days of Jesus. The cross was dehumanizing. It was deadly.
It was defeating. And if you talked about the cross in his day, you knew it was the form of execution for the poorest of the poor and the most wicked of the wicked. It was saved for special occasions to make a statement.
And it was the most cruel of all of the punishments known to man. Jesus said, you've got to take up your cross and follow me. So often today we think, we understand what the cross is. For instance, take up your cross.
What does that mean? Well, I've got all these aches and pains. I'm taking up my cross. Take up your cross. Oh, I've been bearing some heavy burdens throughout this life. Take up your cross.
I've been married to this woman for 50 years. That's what some people think it is. They think it's some little issue. Take up your cross is not hanging in there. Taking up your cross is not enduring verbal or physical abuse. Taking up your cross is not putting up with a nutty boss, an unfair teacher, or a bossy mother-in-law. Taking up your cross is not suffering with an incurable disease or a debilitating handicap.
It's none of those things. We use the words kind of in a colloquial way. We use it kind of as a slang. Oh, she's just bearing her cross, they say. But in the Bible, to take up your cross means to suffer particularly because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. To bear your cross is to suffer abuse because you are a Christian. We know very little about that in our culture.
We're learning more about it as the years go by. But go to some of the places where they really have to stand up and be counted for their faith. That's what it means to take up your cross. It means not to try to get out of identifying with the person who's accusing you, but willingly say, yes, he's my Savior, he's my Lord, I'm one of his.
And then when you get the abuse that comes from that, that particularly connected abuse to your connection with Jesus, that's what it means to take up the cross. Because you see, Jesus doesn't offer his disciples of self-fulfillment or intoxicating spiritual experiences or intellectual stimulation, although that may come in the process. He offers us a cross. He doesn't invite us to try the cross on for size to see if we like it.
He doesn't ask volunteers to carry one for extra credit. His demand separates us from deciders or disciples. You know, the Bible doesn't make discipleship sound easy.
Frankly, it sounds rather difficult, doesn't it? It's all in. It's everything you have. It's no holds barred. It's no looking back.
It's 100% total commitment to the call. And we'll have more about that tomorrow as we continue our discussion of So You'll Want to Be a Disciple. And be sure to join us tomorrow, right here on This Good Station. . For more information on Dr. Jeremiah's current teaching series, In Search of the Savior, please visit our website, where you'll also find two free ways to help you stay connected, our monthly magazine Turning Points, and our daily email devotional. Sign up today at davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. And when you do, be sure to ask for your copy of O. S. Hawkins' new book, The Bible Code, finding Jesus in every book in the Bible.
It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard Version, the New International Version, and the New King James Version, filled with helpful notes and articles by Dr. Jeremiah. Visit davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio for details. I'm Gary Hooke Fleet. Join us tomorrow as we continue the series In Search of the Savior. That's here on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. . Thanks for taking time to listen to this audio on demand from Vision Christian Media. To find out more about us, go to vision.org.au.
