New York UBF – NY University Bible Fellowship (NYUBF)

Luke Lesson 29 (2009)

THE SON OF MAN MUST SUFFER
Luke 9:18-27
Key Verse: 9:22-23

“And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed
and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”

Jesus is one of the most controversial men in history. People questions “Was Jesus really the Son of God?” or “Was he just one of the greatest men in history, like Buddha, Socrates, or Gandhi?” People wondered about his true identity throughout his life and ministry on earth, asking, “Who is this man?” Even John the Baptist who was in prison questioned Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come? Or should we expect someone else?” (7:20) Dr. Luke told us many stories concerning the person and work of Jesus during his Galilean ministry. (Chapters 4-8) If Jesus is considered as only a great man or a prophet, he wouldn’t be too controversial and he would not have died on the cross. But all the New Testament writers testify that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah for the world. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was baptized by John. At that time, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (3:22) Jesus’ life and ministry on earth was very short. Yet, the influence of this one person in human history is tremendous. We are some of the numerous people in history who have been touched by his divine love and grace. In today’s passage, Jesus asked his disciples two simple questions concerning his identity, “Who do the crowds say I am?” and “Who do you say I am?” Based on Peter confession, Jesus began to disclose the secrets of the kingdom of God to his disciples. Let’s explore what Jesus told to them.

Look at verses 18-19. Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” Matthew and Mark set this incident in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, near the foot of Mount Herman, near the province of Syria. Jesus’ Galilean ministry had ended, and he was about to head toward Jerusalem where he would offer his life as a ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world. Jesus’ prayer at this particular moment reminds us of Hebrew 5:7, which reads, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Jesus’ prayer reveals his communion with God the Father, total dependence on God and submission to Him. Jesus never worked by himself. He was always in communion with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

After his prayer, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
The disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and still others one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” We notice that even though there were many different opinions concerning the true identity of Jesus, all of them acknowledged that Jesus was one of the prophets – a man from God. These days, people are interested in what the history books say about Jesus, what the professors say about Jesus and what the media says about Jesus. In recent years, two big box-office hits about Jesus were made. Dan Brown’s movie “the Da Vinci Code” stirred up a lot of controversy about Jesus and made many Christians upset. On the other hand, when Mel Gibson’s “the Passion of Christ” came out, most Christians were very happy with it. It seems that many people are swayed by Hollywood movies. Both in secular and religious circles, no other person in history was and is as controversial as Jesus. But the truly important question that all of us should answer is not “Who the crowds say I am” but the personal question “Who do you say I am?”

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” (20b) It means that Jesus is God’s Anointed – the Promised Messiah. It was a correct answer. How did Peter know this? It’s not because Peter was highly intelligent or a spiritual genius. It’s because Peter had experienced the person and work of Jesus during his Galilean ministry. For example, when Peter was called to follow him, Jesus told him to put out into deep water and let down his nets for a catch. At the time, Simon was very tired because he had worked all night and hadn’t caught anything. But based on what Jesus said, he let down his nets and caught such a huge number of fish it began to break the nets. It was an unbelievable miracle of a catch, which he had never experienced in his entire career as a fisherman. He fell at Jesus’ feet and confessed, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” Since then, Simon Peter had witnessed so many miracles of Jesus, beginning with the healing of the man with leprosy and the paralyzed man. Of course, Peter also ate with Jesus, talked with him every day and heard his teaching. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was amazing and even very radical, with messages like “love your enemy.” Peter felt so much peace and comfort in Jesus’ words that he said to Jesus in John 6:68, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Especially when Jesus proclaimed that he had authority to forgive man’s sins on earth, some religious leaders were greatly challenged. They said, “Who can forgive sins except God alone?” (5:21) The way Jesus conducted his ministry in Galilee was controversial and provoked the religious leaders of his time. Jesus was friendly to the social outcasts and people with bad reputations. When people criticized him, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (5:31) Jesus also preached the gospel to the poor, healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and released the oppressed. Through the evangelic journey with Jesus, Peter and his disciples experienced his divine power and authority by healing the sick and driving out demons. Through all these experiences, Peter and other disciples at least came to realize that Jesus was not just one of the prophets. They saw the living God in Jesus. Jesus is the man who is God. So Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ of God, meaning “God’s Anointed One – the Promised Messiah. It was how Peter saw Jesus and how Dr. Luke saw Jesus. Of course, this truth was revealed not by men but by God. (Mt 16:7) According to 1 Corinthians 12:3, no one can say that Jesus is the Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

But when Simon Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ of God, Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. The reason is that if they spread the news that Jesus is the Christ, there was a great danger that the work of the Christ could be hindered. Also, at that time his disciples didn’t yet have a perfect understanding of the nature of the Christ.

Look at verse 22. “And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’” The title “the Son of Man” used by Jesus is a messianic title. Jesus is often referred to as “the Son of Man” in the New Testament (80 times). This phrase is a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Jesus is the one who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. The phrase “the Son of Man” also reveals that Jesus was truly a man. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. A son of a man is a man. Jesus was fully God and fully human. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews in Jesus’ time would have been familiar with the phrase.

But according to Jesus, even though he is the Christ of God, the promised Messiah, he would not enter into his glory right away as the people of Israel had expected. Instead, he would have to go through many sufferings. He would suffer many things mainly because of our sins. He would be constantly opposed and rejected by people. Even the people of God who were supposed to welcome the Messiah didn’t know him and rejected him. The religious high authorities among the Jews would falsely accuse him and Jesus would be condemned to death, the death on the cross, the cruelest and painful way of execution man has ever known. But on the third day he would be raised to life. In short, Jesus announced the work of the Messiah through his suffering, death and resurrection. Why would the Son of Man suffer so much and die in such a terrible way? It’s for the forgiveness of our sins.

This announcement of Jesus was a very uncomfortable one, which his disciples didn’t want to hear. The Jews hated it and the Greeks despised it. But the suffering Messiah is the man who is God, offering himself as the atonement for the forgiveness of our sins. This suffering Messiah is the emblem of God’s redemption for all fallen mankind. This reminds us of what the Prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53:3-5, “He was despised and rejected by man, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” In fact, the suffering Messiah is the mystery of God’s salvation. When we look at Jesus on the cross, we are healed from our wounds, sorrows, guilt and shame. When we look at Jesus on the cross, we are set free from fear and doubt. The suffering Messiah on the cross is the expression of God’s unconditional love for sinners. It is the power of salvation for everyone who believes. This may sound easy, but it is not an easy and cheap grace. Jesus through his sacrificial death on the cross fulfilled all the requirements of God’s righteousness.

Have you met a person who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, and yet you can always feel free to be yourself and talk to him as your close friend? This person accepts you just as you are without criticizing you, caring for you always and leading you by his perfect example? He loves you more than anybody. And this person can fill your emptiness and make you whole. He leads you by the streams of living water and feeds your mind and soul with his words. And he is always there with you and never disappoints you. Where is such a person? I met him. He is Jesus Christ – the man who is God. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) He loves us so dearly that he suffered and died on the cross for our sins. He is my God, my Savior and my Everlasting Love. This Jesus suffered, died and rose again.

Where is this Jesus now? How can we follow him? Of course, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God’s throne in heaven. But he also dwells in those who believe in him on earth through the Holy Spirit. He walks with us, talks with us and lives with us. That’s discipleship. How can we live with Jesus? Look at verse 23. “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” The cross of Jesus is the symbol of discipleship. Jesus said that his disciples should deny themselves and take up the cross daily and follow him. Here, denying oneself literally means to die to one’s sinful nature and live in Christ Jesus. We are to crucify our sinful nature, selfish feelings and desires moment by moment in order to live by the Spirit of Jesus. According to Galatians 5:19-21, the acts of sinful nature are obvious; sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

How can we who have strong sinful natures be in the Spirit of Jesus and be led by Jesus and empowered by the Spirit? It does not happen naturally. Strict discipleship is required. One must deny himself, take up his cross daily and imitate Jesus. As a result, we become like Jesus, bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We become the salt and light of the world. We become like a little Jesus in the world. The Christians are not those who just go to church on Sundays. They are the imitators of Christ in every aspect of their lives.

Read verses 24-25. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” In these verses, Jesus particularly deals with our self-centeredness. Here, Jesus actually elaborates self-denial which he mentioned in verse 23, saying that we should particularly put aside of our self-centeredness and self-serving attitude. By putting aside our self-centeredness and self-serving attitude, we can become God-centered and God-serving. This cannot be done naturally because it is against our human nature.
We need to know that to keep one’s life to one’s self is to lose and forfeit life and to pour out one’s life for God and for others is to keep true life.

In fact, many people feel lonely and miserable because of their self-centeredness. Self centeredness or self-serving attitude has no place in the true discipleship of Jesus. It does not mean that Jesus ignores our individuality. However, the gospel truth is paradoxical. “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Jesus also said in John 12:24-25, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Christ suffered much and died on the cross in order to save us from sin, make us whole and restore us to heaven. We are called to participate in the remaining suffering of Christ.
There is no cheap and easy discipleship. There is a high cost to being a disciple. But we lose nothing. We only lose our sinfulness and gain eternal life. The reward will be great, beyond our imagination. The cross of Jesus is the symbol of self-denial and suffering. By nature, we don’t want to suffer. But self-denial and suffering for Christ has a very positive effect in our lives. Through self-denial and suffering for Christ, we can identify ourselves with Christ, and Christ can live in us and empower us through the fullness of the Holy Spirit. God’s grace of forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ is not cheap. It was very costly. May the Lord help us to over our self-centeredness and follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus and participate in the remaining suffering of Christ Jesus until he comes again in the glory of heaven.