Everything in the Bible centres on the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus was chosen before the foundation of the world to shed His precious blood to redeem us (1 Peter 1:18-21). On the road to Emmaus He told the disciples that the Old Testament foretold His death and resurrection (Luke 24:45-46). Six of the sixteen chapters of Mark's gospel, which we are now studying, centre on the week of the cross, because that is its chief concern. The apostle Paul sums up his preaching by saying, 'we preach Christ crucified' (1 Cor. 1:23). He can say to the Christians in Galatia, in what is now Turkey, 'before your very eyes Christ was portrayed as crucified' (Gal. 3:1). In heaven we will eternally celebrate the cross, as we worship the lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:6).
Yet the cross has always had its opponents. The leader of a Christian organisation referred to the cross as bad public relations, and explained that was why there was no cross in his charity's logo. A chaplain in a university wrote an article in the college newspaper saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus was not 'the crux' of Christianity.
In our reading we see objections to the cross.
1. Peter's objection to the cross
Jesus had just asked the disciples, 'who do you say that i am?' Peter had responded as spokesperson for all the disciples in declaring that 'you are the Christ.' Then Jesus went on to explain that the Christ must suffer, die and be raised from the dead. Peter objects.
It is amazing that Peter would have the insolence to rebuke the one he has just declared to be the Christ. Why did Peter do this? Peter rebukes Jesus because his view of the Christ is too shallow and too narrow.
His view was too narrow because he was only thinking of a saviour that would come for his own people.
God's plan was always to bless people from all over the world. Go back to the promise God made to a man called Abram, from a place called Ur, in what is now Iraq. There God said that he would enter into a relationship with Abram's descendants, and that through these people bless all the peoples of the world. When Jesus came He began His mission to Abraham's people who were settled in Palestine, but the mission was never to be confined to them. I am so blessed to be the pastor of a church that is made up of people from all over the world, because this testifies that Jesus' mission is succeeding. Good news for the nations.
But peter could only think in terms of a messiah for his people, the Jews. He wanted a messiah who world come to his people and rescue them from Roman occupation. This was where he was too shallow. Peter wanted freedom, but Jesus had a much deeper idea of freedom than mere political freedom.
As Christians we know a freedom that is far better than any political cause can deliver. Jesus brings something deeper: freedom from guilt, freedom from shame, freedom from the fear of death, freedom from the bondage of sin, freedom from God's judgement and freedom into His love and acceptance. It is so much deeper. It is all much deeper than Peter realised.
There are many people who live in supposedly free countries whose conscience enslaves them. They know that they have done all sorts of things that are wrong and they don't know where to get relief. They know that there are things that are not right in their hearts and they don't know that power to change. There are also people who live under tyrannical regimes, who are free indeed, for they know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. Satan's opposition to the cross
What a terrible rebuke Peter receives from Jesus. 'Get behind me Satan!' Jesus heard an idea of Satan in Peter's words. Peter was being unwittingly used by the devil. All through this gospel Satan has been trying to divert Jesus off the road to the cross. Just think of the temptations in the wilderness. Satan tries to get Jesus to take another road to glory. But Jesus stands firm.
Why does Satan despise the cross? Well, if Jesus doesn't go to the cross the plan of God fails. Jesus will not have shown Himself to be the obedient Son. We won't end up seeing Jesus risen and exalted in heaven. God will not get the glory. There will be no people of God. There will be no forgiveness. Heaven will be empty.
Christianity without the cross is satanic. It is exactly what Satan wants. If you think that Christianity is just one other means of showing that you are a good person who leads a moral life and is worthy of heaven, then the devil delights. No, Christianity is the cross!
3. Why people object to the cross
Jesus explains, 'you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of man'.
People have always objected to the cross because the cross hurts our pride. One writer explains the gospel by saying, 'my sin is so serious that nothing less than the death of God's own Son can deal with it, and that is exactly what God has done for me.' The cross reminds us of the serious nature of our sin and our utter inability to make it up to God. That is not necessarily a message that people want to hear.
In Matthew 16 when Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus responded 'blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you.' Seeing that Jesus is God's unique Messiah is an evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in us.
Look at the miracle just before this passage. A man is healed of blindness, but in two stages. That is a picture of what has happened to the disciples. They have had their eyes opened to the disciples. They have seen that Jesus is the Christ, but their vision is still blurry about what sort of Christ He is.
These things are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). So be greatly encouraged if you have come to a place where you see who Jesus is, you accept His verdict on your need for the cross and you celebrate His work on the cross. This is evidence of God's work in your heart. Be thankful! If the cross is not good news to you, ask God to open your eyes.
Conclusion
We were the church weekend away and we went swimming. We had a bunch of teenage girls with us and some guys started to show an interest in them. The guys wanted to know where we were from, and the girls said that we are from Limerick Baptist. They then asked what Baptists believe. My daughter turned to me to give an answer. I am not always very good in these situations, but I said, 'we are no better than anyone else, we are simply forgiven, and that is a result of the cross.' That, of course is not just what Baptists believe, it is what everyone who claims to be a Christian should believe. It is all about the cross.
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