Jeremiah 15:15-21 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28
Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Thus far our text.
Dear friends in Christ. Last week, Peter got it didn’t he? He made the good confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But even while Peter knew who Jesus was, he didn’t realize what that really meant. He didn’t think through the consequences of what the Christ would have to do. He didn’t realize the depth of the mess he was in.
So when in our text today, Jesus says he “must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” Peter is confused. Isn’t Jesus supposed to be a king? Isn’t he supposed to sit on the earthly throne of David? Isn’t he supposed to make all the nations of the Earth subject to him? He can’t suffer. He can’t die. So Peter pulls Jesus aside, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”
Peter doesn’t want a bloody Jesus. He doesn’t want a King who has to die for him. He wants a friendly, happy, peaceful Jesus. He wants a Christ that fits his own mold, he wants to make Jesus in his own image, rather than the other way around. Peter, as Jesus says, is setting his mind on things of man, not things of God.
In response to Peter’s word, Jesus shouts to him, “Get thee behind me Satan!” For anyone or anything that tries to keep Jesus off the cross is a servant of that ancient serpent, the one who first asked, “Did God really say?” Jesus knows, that because of sin, he must get bloody. Jesus knows that because of sin he must suffer. He knows he has to be tortured, having nails driven in his hands and feet. He has to suffer, and he has to die. That is what his mission has been all along, and nothing, not even Peter, not even Satan, no friends not even you can keep him off of the cross.
For Jesus knows your sin. He knows the filthy little voices that are in our heads, telling us what to do and what not to do. He knows how Satan works on each one of us trying to have us look to “things of man, not things of God.” That is why there is hunger. That is why there is sexual perversion. That is why there is robbery and scandal. That’s why families and friends can’t get along with one another. There is sin, and it all stems from us looking not at God, but rather inwardly to our own filthy wants and desires. And so Jesus knows that he must go to the cross, if you are to stand a chance. He knows he must give up everything on your behalf, even his own life in to death, so that you can be saved by God’s gracious will.
But even as Jesus knows his mission, we too try to keep him from it. We look away from dirty bloody dying Jesus, and instead say with Peter, “Far be it from you Lord, this thing shall never happen.” We tell Jesus, “You don’t have to die for me, I can save myself – I just have to try hard enough. You don’t have to die for me, I’m not really that bad, its those other people who are here Lord, they are the sinners. I know for I have spoken with them, I know how much worse than me they are. But not for me Lord, I can handle my own little tiny mess.”
If that isn’t enough, we would rather see a picture of peaceful shepherd Jesus, with a big smile on his face, than to see bloody dirty Jesus dying for us. We are offended at such filth! We don’t want to see that, or even here about it, especially in this nice clean church. No, Pastor, don’t talk about that, don’t talk about pain and suffering because of me. Don’t talk about the stink of death. Don’t talk about those things, please.
But Jesus says to talk like this, “Get thee behind me Satan!” Get thee behind Jesus for he must go to the cross. He must die, and he will, he does, because he loves you. Because he wishes in his great mercy to forgive you and your sin, to wash away the filth of this sinful world with his holy precious blood. He wishes to purchase you from the stink of death by paying your debt, dying the death you deserve. Jesus goes to the cross for Peter’s sins, for my sins, and dear friends, for your sins. You will not keep him from saving you, despite your best efforts.
And having paid for your sin, he calls you in Baptism. There he does wash away your sin, your filth, your sinful thoughts, your disgusting voices, there he takes it all away, and your sin becomes his. With mere water and the word, you no longer are under the power of Satan, but the grace of Jesus.
And now as a forgiven baptized child of God, you pick up your cross, and follow Jesus, knowing that the yoke is easy, and the burden is light for Christ has already born it all for you. Now, as a member of Christ you go to the cross with Jesus. In your baptism you go to die with him. As our text says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
For as you die with Jesus, as you leave your sins behind, you also are resurrected with him. You are given eternal life, life that cannot be destroyed, life that cannot end, life apart from the filth and disgust of this world. You cannot keep Jesus from the cross, and as a Christian you go with him. He dies for you, so that you might have life. Amen.
