The Way of the Cross

Luke 9:18-27

Recently, I have been student teaching at Wheaton North with ESL students. This week several teachers have been observing me teach the students (very humbling for me!) After every class I teach I have to submit myself to listening to their critiques about my teaching and then try to improve the next class. As you can imagine it creates a lot of pressure, frustration, and discouragement to see all your weaknesses so closely. However, I submit myself to these critiques knowing that it is a refining process and the end goal of teaching well is what will glorify God and open doors when I’m in China. For some reason, when we talk about submission we feel negatively about it (probably because we are selfish beings…) but I hope you keep an open mind and it is more positive at the end of this. Take a moment to pray, then start by reading Luke 9:18-27

Here Jesus is praying with his disciples nearby and He asks them two important questions. First, He wants to know who people think He is. Their response included John the Baptist, Elijah, and the prophets of old. Take a moment to think about what these three answers have in common. After reflecting on it you might have realized that they are all humans that have had special anointing or used by God for something important. Next, Jesus wants to know what the disciples think and Peter answers “The Christ of God” (ESV) or “God’s Messiah” (NIV). Think a moment about Peter’s response. What does ‘Christ’ or ‘Messiah’ actually mean? ‘Christ’ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ so both mean the same thing: Anointed.

Peter said ‘Anointed one of God’ or ‘God’s Anointed’. So what does the word anointed mean? Usually it means that you are rubbing oil on something to prepare it for holy use. In Jesus’ case he was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Isa 61:1, Luke 3:21-22). Peter was repeating what he knew mentally of Jesus and what he had seen as a disciple. But perhaps he didn’t really understand what it meant to label Jesus as the ‘Christ’ because Jesus then explains what is coming and we also know what happens to Peter in Luke 22:54-62. Jesus was much more than just a prophet anointed for God’s use. He wanted to make sure the disciples knew that before He told them what was coming, even if they didn’t fully understand, so they would be ready when they finally did understand.

Jesus explains what is coming in verse 22. He knew that the only hope for humanity was in His death and resurrection. He had to submit to death, God submitted himself so that we could gain life! Jesus, so perfect, did not deserve the pain and difficulty of the cross/death BUT He submitted to it anyway because there was no other way we could know life in communion with Him. His only request is that we deny our selfishness and pick up the cross He places before us knowing that He will strengthen us (1 Cor 10:13).

Now ask God what are you doing out of selfishness that you should deny and what is the cross placed before you. Stop and listen! This takes time! This is something to ask God daily and moment by moment… it’s a discipline you must learn. Most of the time it can be painful and fearful, but just like I am being refined in my teaching through submission to critique (or Peter in Lk 22) so you are being refined in your submission to ASKING what you need to deny and CHOOSING to pick up that cross. We submit because He submitted first for us. The wonderful thing is you will find more joy and freedom in submission to God than anywhere else because He created us that way…for submission!