Taking Up Our Cross

Matthew 16:21-28

Hope everyone spent a good Valentine's Day. I hung out with a couple people from church, ate dinner, and got some school work done. I have a lot of things coming up for school, so it's going to be a rough couple days from here on out.

I was able to catch the Dunk Contest and I must say I was unimpressed. Every year the dunk contest seems to be losing value. They had to create that whole Superman VS Kryptonite story just so people will watch it. Oh well, hopefully next year will get better.

Jesus Fortells His Death/Discipleship Is Costly
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:21-28;&version=49;

So Jesus in this reading finally warns the disciples about what is to come. He tells them that He will suffer through many things and eventually be killed by the chiefs. Eventually after three days, however, He will be risen from the dead. Peter is shocked and said none of this should happen to Jesus. Jesus surprisingly tells Peter to get back and not be a hindrance from the path of God. He even says Satan and tells him to get back. The interest of man should not get in the way of the path of God.

This shows how all this was destined to be and how when something is decided by God, there is no turning away from it. We have to realize that what is in God's plans will ultimately always prevail. This means we do not have to worry about whether or not God's plans will be able to follow through. It will. Whatever we do will not hinder it. Another thing that this shows is how the death of Jesus Christ was planned and was His main mission while here on earth. Remember how Jesus felt compassion for the people. While He was here to heal, teach, and share, His main purpose was for this ultimate climax.

Jesus tells us something important here. He says that whoever wants to follow Him must deny Himself and take up on the cross. We will lose our lives if that's what we seek to save, but find it if we lose it for the sake of Him. Jesus declares that He will repay every man according to their deeds. We will not be saved unless Jesus does this.

This is the beautiful story of Jesus's death. It's something that's so crucial to our belief. We have to believe that this was all destined and that if it didn't happen, we would not be able to enter the kingdom. Our sins would not have been repented for. We need Jesus. Are we able to take up the cross and follow Jesus? That's the big question. We need to be able to sacrifice everything and follow Jesus.