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7 BY THE WAY…THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI

Bible Study, ,

Jesus’ trip to Caesarea Philippi with His disciples had a second spinoff…and here’s where the context changes our understanding of another important facet of the Christian life.

Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, the Son of the living God, was dead right but… his understanding of what he said or meant was dead wrong!

From the same place, the rock near Caesarea Philippi, and from then on, Jesus kept explaining to His disciples that being the Messiah meant and included His pathway through death. 

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This notion clashed with the disciples’ expectation that the Messiah would get rid of the Romans and restore David’s glorious reign in Israel. Although Messiah’s suffering was in their Scriptures, the truth was eclipsed by the notion of His role as the coming victorious king. 

The idea of the death and resurrection of their Messiah was unthinkable to the disciples…and Peter would make sure that this was not going to happen to Jesus!

“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Then follows Jesus’ rebuke…

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was Jesus really saying to Peter! Was He calling Peter the devil? Let’s look at what Jesus said in the original language. 

“Get behind me…” Peter was to follow, not to lead. This is significant. Peter was trying to lead Jesus away from what He was saying…death and resurrection. Jesus made it clear that It was not Peter’s role to dictate to Him but to follow Him

“Satan…” not the name…not the devil…but the role…accuser. Peter was accusing Jesus of saying the wrong thing! Jesus retorted, “Don’t lead! Don’t accuse! Get behind  me! Follow me!”

“…A stumbling-block…the Greek word is “skandalon”, a scandal. What is a scandal?

“In the Bible, a “scandal” does not mean a public disgrace or juicy gossip. It is the translation of the Greek word skandalon, which means a trap, a snare, or a stumbling block that causes someone to trip, fall, or turn away from God…”

“…Peter Rebuked: When Peter tries to stop Jesus from facing death, Jesus tells Peter in Matthew 16:23 that he is a “stumbling block” (skandalon) to Him because Peter’s mind is set on human things rather than God’s.” (Source: Google AI)

…and Jesus’ explanation of true discipleship…and here, again, the context is crucial!

If these men were to be true disciples of Jesus…they must to get one thing straight…

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must DENY themselves and take up THEIR CROSS and FOLLOW ME. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

in response to Peter’s trying to impose his will on Jesus, Jesus gives Peter and, by association, all the other disciples, the correct “chain of command”. “Denying self” is not about giving up all the nice things because of your faith in Christ…a sort of self-imposed discipline for being a Christian. It’s about not permitting the self to be in charge. It’s about who is Lord in one’s life!

Taking up one’s cross is not about bearing one’s troubles and inconveniences with resignation as one’s “cross” in life. It’s about daily reckoning the self dead and submitting to Jesus as Lord, the control centre of one’s entire life. 

“Follow me…” is not about keeping company with Jesus. It’s about becoming His replica in nature, attitude, thoughts, and behaviour. It’s about becoming a mirror image of Jesus. 

Paul said it like this…

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is the way of a true follower…who accompanies Jesus wherever He leads…and a true disciple…one who learns and copies the one who leads.  

Peter would need to go through all the phases of this process, including his ignominious denial, before he could truly understand who Jesus was…the Christ, the Son of the living God…and duke Him as closely as a disciple. 

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE KINGDOM WITHIN – 21

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“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬-‭25 NIV‬‬

How in the world does this disclosure fit with the words Jesus has just spoken to His disciples? He promised to build a church so strong that nothing in hell could break it! Now He’s talking about dying. The Son of God dying! How crazy is that!

Jesus was speaking words far above the understanding of His twelve followers and, as so often, above the mindset of many, if not most of His followers today. The notion of a kingdom entered only through death makes no sense to sane-thinking people. 

In the natural world, birth spells the beginning of new life and citizenship which cannot be taken away. Even if one relocates to another country, one forever remains an expatriot in a foreign land. Dual citizenship I guaranteed. 

However, God’s kingdom functions on a completely different principle which Jesus’ disciples struggled to understand. Only after Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples first, and then on all who believe in Jesus, regardless of birth or nationality, brought understanding and full participation in this kingdom, did God’s spiritual realities make sense. 

Jesus had sown the seeds of truth in many parables and illustrations about the nature of this kingdom. The coming of the Holy Spirit lit the fire  of understanding…Jesus’ words came alive in  their spirits…and the disciples went out to announce the arrival of this kingdom to the world. 

Unlike the entrance of the newborn into the land of its birth, the door into God’s kingdom begins with death. Why? There is no access for sinners into the eternal presence of a holy God. Sin is the impenetrable barrier between God and humans. 

However, God accepts a sinless sacrifice to atone for the sin of the world. However, not one human qualified, so He came Himself to pay the price. For the disciples, this truth was unthinkable because they were schooled to believe that the promised Messiah would come as a conquering hero to usher in a kingdom in the pattern of their great ancestor, King David. 

The minds of these men were closed to the thought of their leader dying. To them, sin was not the issue. The Roman oppressors were! It would take the horrific death of their Master and His miraculous return from the tomb finally to convince them that this kingdom was both of another realm and powerfully real. 

However, if the establishment of this supernatural kingdom on earth happened through the death of its king, so does the membership of this kingdom in the hearts of its citizens. No one can gatecrash this kingdom. One must first die to enter. 

Jesus’ words are uncompromising. 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

There is no place for self-will in God’s reign. The old nature must be set aside for a new nature that increasingly reflects the nature of its king. The test is this…in this dual nature at war with each other, which one wins? Jesus clarifies the vital outcome… and three steps to victory. Deny self, die to self, and follow Jesus. Simple…but not easy. 

Paul expands on this unending war in the soul. 

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Holy Spirit, freely given to every believer, is God’s answer to the rampant demands of the flesh. He lives within every true child of God to tame the unruly old nature and to cultivate the fruit of His indwelling presence. 

The issue is, to whom do I give allegiance…to my untamed evil desires or to my Lord who is in me   by His Spirit? My response makes the difference between life and death. 

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…