IF ANYONE WANTS

Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me…”

-Mark 9:34

Jesus asked His disciples a seemingly rudimentary question, "Who do people say that I am?"

The responses varied.

Then He asked, "Who do YOU say I am?"

Peter's (so-called) confession was nothing earth shattering. Many thought Jesus was the anticipated messianic King come to crush Rome and restore Israel's national identity via military strength.

Jesus cleared up the misconceptions on two fronts.

First, He cleared up their faulty theology regarding who and what the Messiah was. "...the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected... be killed, and rise after three days." No mere military commander to accomplish something transient, rather the Suffering Servant of Isaiah come to redeem all humanity.

Second, He cleared up what it meant to be His legit follower - no mere fair-weather, golf-clapping, entertainment driven fan - in saying, "If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel - will save it."

Jesus demands a response from each and every one of us.

"Who do YOU say that I am?"

It's no mere philosophical or theological position (orthodoxy). Instead, it must be heralded, adorned, and confessed in how we live (orthopraxy) daily.

Are you truly denying yourself, i.e. loving God and others above and before self, and pursuing God’s call and commission upon your life? Are you truly taking up your cross, i.e. enduring and persevering through the trials, struggles, rejection, and sufferings of this world with love, faith, and hope in tact? Are you following Him at all cost because there is no true value or lasting meaning elsewhere? Is every day, in fact, every moment, defined by seeking, listening, repenting, trusting, and obeying Him?

Jesus' question isn't answered via a "decision" at youth camp. It's not answered by asking Him into our heart. It's a supernatural and transcendent transaction of grace through faith. “Who do you say I am?” is answered in understanding Who the Son of Man is, why He came, and laying down the rights to your own life daily - picking up your cross - and following Him at all costs to the very end. That’s what Jesus said it looks like to be His disciple.

Fools will say, "Blasphemy! That's a works based salvation!" Wrong. It is the Spirit-driven and grace-filled life spilling over in thankful obedience.

Jesus asks, "Who do YOU say I am?"

Is your response mere lip service or will it be a laying down of your life for Him who laid down His life for you?

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com