“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…