The Perspective of the Cross

Peter is confused. Moments before he had given his bold and correct confession, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29) Now he’s being pulled aside and admonished by the Christ.

Although Peter knows the right answer, he doesn’t know how he got there. It’s like a student who got the right answer to his math problem, but didn’t show his calculations, so he doesn’t know how he got there.

Jesus then starts describing what being the Christ entails. He begins teaching his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the religious leaders, be killed, and then rise from the grave on the third day.

Peter objects. His calculations and Jesus’ calculations about the Christ aren’t equal. Worse than objecting, Peter pulls the Son of Man aside and rebukes him for talking like that. Mark, who is most likely getting this story from Peter and then writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes, “Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him” (Mark 8:31-32). The student tries correcting the math teacher on the right answer. In a matter of minutes, Peter goes from being the star pupil to the class dunce. He called Jesus, “the Christ,” but he doesn’t know what that title means. For his efforts, the student receives a harsh rebuke in return. “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33)!

Those words sound harsh, but they were the most loving thing Jesus could have said to Peter at that moment. Jesus is loving in his harshness to help Peter understand; to jolt him out of his wrong thinking; and to change his perspective from what Peter wanted for the Christ to what Christ needed to do for Peter and humanity. Jesus is prepping Peter for what he’s going to say next. Because if Peter didn’t like Jesus going to the cross, he really wasn’t going to like carrying a cross in Jesus’ name. “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

Satan was speaking through the lips of one of Jesus’ closest friends. Anything that would turn our Lord from the triumph of the cross is simply satanic. This is really the same temptation that the Devil himself used on Jesus in the wilderness. It’s Satan’s goal to stop Jesus from doing the work he came to accomplish. Satan wants Jesus to say “No” to the cross and “Yes” to glory. “No” to suffering and dying, but “Yes” to a life of comfort and ease.

These are the same temptations that Satan uses on us. We don’t like difficult. We don’t enjoy hard. We prefer not to hear Jesus say, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” We all have an idea of what the Christian life is supposed to be like – triumph over temptations, success instead of sorrow, freedom from failure, winning instead of whining. We desire to say “No” to suffering and dying, but “Yes” to a life of comfort and ease. The common theme among all these ideas is that the cross is great … as long as it’s on Christ and not on me.

But those ideas come straight from the Devil. Satan wants you to believe that luxury and ease are good, and suffering and hardship are bad. So, if something causes you to suffer, or causes you hardship, or holds you back – just get rid of it! If your marriage is holding you back, get a divorce! If your baby is halting your career, have an abortion. If your elderly parent is a burden, euthanize him. If the Bible points out your sin, then undermine the authority of Scripture so you can live in your sexual perversions. If hearing God’s Word burdens your conscience, then don’t go to church so often. Satan keeps our perspective on us, our lives, and this world. He clouds our vision, so we rarely focus on God’s perspective for our lives.

The constant in Satan’s temptations is the easy road – success without suffering, convenience without cost, glory without the cross. Jesus called it! “You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.”

That’s why Jesus enters our crazy, mixed-up, confused world of sin. He provides the way out. He taught, “the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again.” Jesus comes, not to promise success, but to endure suffering. Jesus comes, not to guarantee pleasure, but to bear pain. Jesus comes, not to gain glory, but to go to the cross.

Now, Jesus calls you to a life of possible suffering, at the expense of success. A life of possible pain, instead of guaranteeing pleasure. A life of the cross, so we might receive our eternal glory in Jesus. That changes our perspective!

Jesus comes to change our perspective from this world to the next. To change our perspective of comfort and convenience to carrying his cross. To change our perspective from earthly pleasures to saints bound for paradise. To change our perspective from what we want Christ to do for us to what Christ is calling us to do in following him.

Jesus instructs you to die to sin and be raised to a new life in him. That’s what he means when he says, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Jesus uses suffering in his name to crucify your old, heathen, idolatrous Old Adam and raises your New Man to a new life in him. Because Jesus knows that you will quickly return to your old life of convenience and comfort, he invites you to take up a cross of suffering and denial to follow him.

Deny yourself. That doesn’t mean giving up chocolate or caffeine. He’s talking about dying to yourself, denying that inner brat inside of you that wants everything his or her way. Saying “No” to sin and “Yes” to sanctified living.

Take up your cross. This isn’t some piece of self-chosen suffering, as though you could go to the cross catalog and pick one that matches your Sunday outfit. “Here’s a pretty one ….” Or “Here’s a manly one ….” “This is a light one….” “… This will be my cross.” Crosses are laid on you, and you’re nailed to them. Crosses are not inconveniences, like water in the basement or a car breaking down or ending up in the emergency room. Crosses kill. They were a form of capital punishment in a day when they didn’t care if punishment was cruel or unusual. In fact, the more cruel and more unusual the better.

Jesus says that since he suffered in your name, he is now inviting you to suffer in his name. Peter went from star pupil to class dunce, later from fearful denier to bold confessor, and still later from reluctant sufferer to willingly being crucified for his Lord. Peter literally took up his cross and followed Jesus to his death on his own upside down cross, but then to a new life of uprightness in the kingdom of heaven.

Peter knew what he was talking about when he wrote to his beloved churches: “Instead rejoice whenever you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).

The only thing Satan fears in this world is the cross. He doesn’t fear you and me – he toys with you and me! If you think you can beat him at his own game, you’re sadly mistaken. But Satan knows there’s One he cannot defeat. He knew that the sacrifice of the Son of Man would satisfy the demands of the Law and reverse the curse. He knew that the blood and death of the Son of God would cover the world’s sin. He knew that his dirty little lie would be shoved into the pit of hell by Jesus shouting, “It is finished.” He knew that death and the grave could not contain the Body of Jesus. Satan knew that his accusing voice would be silenced, sin atoned for, death undone, and his kingdom vanquished.

Since Satan couldn’t stop Jesus from his cross, death, and resurrection, he’s now come to mess with you. He’s working to get you to avoid the cross. Throw it off. Chase your own dreams. Have life on your own terms.

But our Savior will have none of it! Just as he rebuked Peter with his, “Get behind me, Satan!” so Jesus still rebukes Satan today for you. Jesus does that daily in your life. But he especially does it weekly for you in worship. In Baptism, in Absolution, in his Holy Supper, Jesus is still putting Satan behind him, driving him out of his Kingdom, crushing his head, and forgiving our sins. Jesus is here in the Word read from the lectern and preached from his pulpit. In that Word, he’s setting up his Kingdom in your heart and putting his words into your mouth. Setting his cross on you sounds harsh, but it’s the most loving thing he can do. So that his cross becomes our cross, his life becomes our life, and his Kingdom becomes our Kingdom.

Satan hates it when your perspective has changed from looking at yourself to looking up at Christ on his cross. He hates it when you trust Jesus and cling to his salvation. He hates it when you bow your head, confess your sins, and open your mouth to receive the body and blood of Jesus. He hates it when you crucify your sinful nature and live as a baptized child of God. He hates it because he knows he’s lost. You’re not his. You belong to Jesus. You’re justified, sanctified, and glorified in your Savior. You’re rescued from running on the endless treadmill of this life and never getting anywhere. You’re now running the race to receive the prize Jesus has earned for you and will place into your hands when you reach his heavenly glory.

Support the ministry of the cross here at Lord of Lords. Supporting the ministry of the cross is a direct investment in God’s eternal harvest. St. Paul instructs, “Whatever a man sows, he will also reap. Indeed, the one who sows for his own sinful flesh will reap destruction from the sinful flesh. But the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit. Let us not become weary of doing good, because at the appointed time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the household of faith” (Galatians 6:7-10).

We reap what we sow. When we spend our money only on temporary and convenient things, we’ll receive things that will fade away. But when we choose to invest generously in God’s work, we are sowing with the Spirit and investing in lives changed for eternity. Supporting the ministry of Lord of Lords with your offerings is a powerful way to show Christ’s love first to those who belong to the household of faith – your fellow members. But it’s also a powerful way to proclaim Christ’s love to those outside of our church as we invite them to learn more of Christ and his saving cross with social media reels, Indoor Trick or Treat, invitations to special worship services, and more. Let’s not get tired of giving or doing good, even when it feels like a sacrifice. God promises that a harvest is coming at just the right time if we don’t give up.

Who do you say Jesus is? He is the One who changes our perspective. Instead of denying the cross, let’s instead deny our sinful nature to follow Jesus in taking up his cross. And then prayerfully, financially, and sacrificially supporting the ministry of the cross. Amen.