Transcript:
Humans naturally want life to be easy. The goal of modern culture is to be comfortable. Advertisements for consumer products emphasize how wonderful your life will be if you possess said product. Disney movies brainwash people into believing that happiness is the ultimate objective of our existence.
Unfortunately, many churches have adopted these unbiblical values. They present the Christian life using only glowing and positive terms. Their programs and services are designed to put people on an emotional high and make them feel good. Pastors shy away from messages about sin, hell, and eternal punishment because those topics are dark and negative. Salvation is presented as something with very little cost that leads to an easy, happy life.
Jesus did not present life that way. In fact He did the opposite. Mark 8:34 tells us about the need to take up our cross every day. People who took up a cross were on their way to crucifixion. That should be the mindset of every Christian.
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus performed miracles and healed many people. He did those things in public, in front of large crowds. His disciples were eyewitnesses of these proofs.
However, the disciples had trouble grasping and accepting the reality about Jesus. They saw Jesus feed five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish, and yet when there was a crowd of four thousand people that needed food, they were so focused on what they did not have in their hands that they forgot that Jesus could produce an abundance of food out of a scarcity of food.
Later, when they were on a boat with only one loaf of bread and Jesus started talking about leaven, they once again worried about what they did not have. They forgot about what they did have in Jesus’ ability to perform miracles.
Jesus confronted them about their lack of faith. He used questions to remind them about the abundance of leftovers when He took small amounts of food and fed huge crowds. Jesus asked the disciples if they did not yet understand.
Mark 8:22 ¶ And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and pleaded with Him to touch him.
Bethsaida was a town on the Sea of Galilee. It was very close to Capernaum. Jesus had spent much time in this area during His ministry.
Mark 8:23 And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, “Do you see anything?”
Mark 8:24 And he looked up and was saying, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”
Mark 8:25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.
Mark 8:26 And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
Mark 8:27 ¶ And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He was asking His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”
Caesarea Philippi was about 25 miles / 40 km due north of Bethsaida. That would have been a one day journey. It was a relatively easy journey because they were following a river up the valley. It was uphill, but it was a level, slight climb, not a steep, up and down climb.
On the way Jesus asked what people were saying about Him. Who did people think He was?
Mark 8:28 And they told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.”
There were various opinions about Jesus.
Mark 8:29 And He continued asking them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
Then Jesus asked His disciples for their opinion. Keep in mind, this occurred just after the disciples had failed to comprehend that a lack of food was not an obstacle for Jesus.
Peter answered correctly. He finally grasped the truth. Peter is often sharply criticized for his brashness, and impetuousness. However, in this case he was the one who had the conviction to answer the question and proclaim the truth about Jesus.
Mark 8:30 And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
Mark 8:31 ¶ 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.
Jesus did not present a positive, uplifting, easy future for Himself. He did the opposite.
Mark 8:32 And He was stating the matter openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
Peter did not want Jesus to experience a difficult, painful future.
Mark 8:33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Even though Peter had correctly identified Jesus, he still had human interests at the top of his mind, not God’s interests.
Mark 8:34 ¶ And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Men want easy lives. However, pursuing God’s interests often mean living difficult, persecuted lives. Jesus said we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. In their culture, when a man took up his cross, it meant he was condemned to be crucified. That was about as diametrically opposed to an easy life as you can imagine.
Mark 8:35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:38 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.”
Jesus did not present Christianity as an easy, comfortable existence that leads to happiness. He did the opposite. Being a Christian means denying self and accepting pain, discomfort, and persecution.
Mark 9:1 ¶ And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.”
Mark 9:2 ¶ And six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain alone by themselves. And He was transfigured before them;
Mark 9:3 and His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
This took place on a high mountain. The mountain is not specified, but Jesus and His disciples had been in the area of Caesarea Philippi. On the map the white areas are the highest elevations. There is a white area northeast of Caesarea Philippi. That is one of the highest elevations in Israel. That is probably where Jesus went.
Mark 9:4 And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses and they were conversing with Jesus.
Mark 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Mark 9:6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified.
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”
Mark 9:8 And all at once when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.
The mentality of modern culture is that life should be full of comfort, pleasure, and happiness. These man-centered values are promoted by advertisers, the media, large corporations, movies, and entertainment.
Unfortunately, many churches have adopted these unbiblical values. Their programs and services are designed to put people on an emotional high and make them feel good. Pastors shy away from messages about sin, hell, and eternal punishment. Salvation is presented as something with very little cost that leads to an easy, happy life.
Jesus did not present life that way. In fact He did the opposite. Jesus told His disciples and the crowd that in order to save their lives, they first had to lose them. Jesus warned those who wanted to follow Him that they needed to deny themselves and take up their cross. Those are not easy tasks.
As a Christian, we should not pursue comfort, pleasure, or Disney’s concept of happiness. Instead, we should put God’s interests ahead of our own. We need to deny ourselves and submit to a life of repentance and work, as we study and serve Jesus our Lord.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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