What Christianity Is About

Read: Matthew 16: 21-28

Make sure you read the passage above first and I warn you that this is not going to be a “comfortable” devotional.

Let me begin at verse 23 and ask what Peter had in mind that Jesus found so objectionable. After all, Peter was defending Jesus, was he not? At least Jesus could’ve said, “Peter, I appreciate your defense, but that’s not what I had in mind.” That would’ve been much better (and nicer) than “Get behind me, Satan!” Plus, we talk about “apologetics” all the time, defending the faith, blah-blah, but when Peter tries to defend Jesus, he gets the Satan-label? Is there some great miscommunication going on?

We need to recall what the Pharisees were hoping for when they prayed for a Messiah. They were hoping for someone who can bring “Change They Could Believe In.” And for them, that change meant kicking the Romans out of Judea, and restoring the glory of Israel. Israel would be that glorious nation that the world’s economy, politics, and culture revolves around. And Peter had that kind of Messiah in mind. So when Jesus said that “he must be killed,” it’s not surprising Peter wanted to save him. Actually, he wasn’t trying to save Jesus - he was trying to save the world’s idea of the “ideal Jesus”. Thus, Jesus rebuked him: “You don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

We are, in case you haven’t noticed, in a new series, where our outgoing seniors leave us with what’s on their hearts. As a non-senior, I do wish to send them off with something that might prove useful… maybe. But the truth is that we live in different times that are changing really, really fast. I was a high school senior only 7 years ago and already, in less than a decade, you guys are facing different challenges than the ones I faced, even those of you heading off to Christian institutions. Many institutions are centers of liberalism, and unfortunately that does have an effect on Christian fellowships. The “liberal” philosophies in many universities across the nation are all about the self, about what makes you feel good. And when an all-powerful, all-knowing God comes into your life, and tells you that you just might be wrong, you don’t feel good – and subsequently, you end up rejecting God.

It is my personal belief that many college students give up their faith because something about Jesus stopped making them feel good. Or, something about Jesus’ followers (Christians) stopped making them feel good. I want to dispel this notion that Christianity is about feeling good. A lot of times, you hear it in the news or whatnot, that Christianity is about the family, about self-esteem, etc. We make a big deal about how Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. Even better – we say that Christianity is a “personal relationship with Jesus.” All of them, unfortunately, fall short of the Gospel.