Any Other Christ Is Satanic
Matt. 16:21-26
Matt. 16: 21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?
Matt. 16-26
Last week, Peter nailed it! He hit the ball out of the park: he confessed the identity of Christ correctly, he confessed the person correctly: “You are the Messiah/Christ, the Son of the living God.” He got it right.
But now, he blows it. He strikes out. He does a terrible job in confessing the work of Christ. In fact, what he says is so bad that Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me…” Peter was now being a mouthpiece for Satan regarding the work of Christ. This is an extremely serious charge. What’s going on here?
The person and the work of Jesus are the heart and center of Christianity and the Christian faith. You cannot be a Christian if you get one or the other wrong. Non-Christian religions get both of them wrong: they are off on who Jesus really was and is (his person) and they are off on what he actually did (his work). This is what makes them non-Christian religions. They understand neither.
But when we look at the Christian churches and denominations in the past right up through today, we see that many do the Peter thing: they may get the person of Christ right, but they may be off on the work of Christ. And in doing so, like Peter, they end up advocating for something satanic, unknowingly promoting a lie of Satan. Again, it is essential that a church and the individual Christian understand and confess correctly both the person and the work of Christ.
Why would Jesus claim that Peter’s understanding of his work is satanic? What’s behind this? Keep in mind what Peter was objecting to specifically was this: it is “necessary for Jesus to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” This is what Peter was saying “No” to; “this will never happen to you.” What’s going on here? Part of the problem was the popular but faulty thinking that when the Messiah showed up, he would get rid of the Jewish enemies (the Romans) and bring about a nice earthly kingdom for the Jews, and he would do so by a show of power, something Jesus clearly had.
But the greater misunderstanding hidden in Peter’s rebuke – “No, you’re not supposed to die and you will not die” – was not grasping man’s ultimate problem brought into the world by Satan. Every man, woman, and child has been afflicted with an inherited, impossible-to-remove, horrible sinfulness. It is so bad that it is insane for any person to think, “I can fix it. Somehow, to some degree, by some effort or work of mine, I can fix it.”
No, he can’t. And no, you can’t. And no, I can’t. As God had his apostle Paul write: “God’s just sentence (is this:) those who practice such things (and he lists what these things are: “evil, greed, wickedness, envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, arrogance, pride, boasting, disobeying parents, being untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful”), “God’s just sentence (is this:) those who practice such things deserve to die…”(Rom. 1:29-32). And he says it just as clearly several verses later: “For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin … we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.” (Rom. 3:9, 19).
So, I cannot fix it, you cannot fix it, no one can fix it. Except one. Only God.
Who is Jesus Christ? What is his identity? What is his person? Who is he? He is true man, and also true God. He can fix it. But how? What kind of work would he do? What would be required? It was “necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things …, be killed, and be raised the third day.”
You were not there in Jerusalem to suffer many things with Jesus, he suffered all by himself. The apostles did not join Jesus on the cross to be killed with him. God incarnate, God in the flesh, Jesus the Messiah, was there all alone, he did it all by himself. No one was able to say, “Let me help you with that load of sin.” No, God performed this work all by himself. And because it was God – the Christ, the Son of the living God – it was completely fixed, totally. The sin that Satan introduced into the world and the well-deserved deaths that are supposed to follow, Jesus the Messiah has forgiven and paid for.
So, when you confess both his person (who he is) and his work (his suffering and death for the sins of the world) you have Christ, you have forgiveness, and you are his disciple.
And this is where the second part of our text comes in. As soon as we sinners say “Yes” to the person of Christ, as soon as we say “Yes” to the work of Christ, and become his disciples, we have a cross of our own that we “take up.” It comes with the territory. And our cross, like Christ’s, includes suffering, includes sacrifice, includes dying to ourselves.
Jesus said, “For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life?” A Christian is to have a drastically different outlook about the world. The world and all it offers – whether evil or good – are not to hold our hearts captive as if something here and now can really and truly satisfy. Here’s an example – a silly one, but a real one. Today, many order things through Amazon Prime. We do, we find it convenient. But some wait with bated breath for the Amazon Prime truck to arrive, even for trivial things. That truck has become a year-round Santa Claus! And then there is the whole cell phone, social media, internet phenomenon that can consume, distract, and influence us away from what really matters: from the word of God or time spent with our children, our spouse, our neighbors – people God told us we are to love and serve and interact with.
The point is, even if we were to set our heart on and purse and gain all the good things of the world – never mind the evil things in the world – we would lose the life that is the true life, the lasting life, the life we have only in Christ. “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10). The world makes no such claim, nor can it, and yet we act as if it does.
One more point to emphasize. To take up our cross, to follow Christ, means we are not to be ashamed of him. “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory…” (Luke 9:25-26). This has a big impact on evangelism efforts.
Think of a setting where a Christian could or should share this gospel of Christ with another. And if he does not, what is a common reason or excuse for not doing so? “I don’t know what to say,” as if more knowledge would be helpful. Now, there is some truth to that. But the more likely truth and reason is that the Christian is just scared. We are afraid of what the non-Christian might think about us, of being laughed at, mocked, ridiculed, knowing he might tell others how silly or “religious” we are, fear of not being accepted, of losing friends, or, increasingly in our day and age, scared that we might actually be persecuted.
Now, these things could happen. They may think we are stupid, silly, or intolerant; we may be shunned, rejected, and lose friends; we may even suffer physical or verbal persecution. But you know what? We know that ahead of time. Jesus himself told us these things would happen. The apostles told us these sorts of things would happen. Most people will be offended by and ridicule the message of Christ crucified for the sins of the world. But not everyone. Paul gives the best reason not to be afraid and not to be ashamed in Romans 1: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Why? “Because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1:16). You never know.
Here’s a likely scenario for us. You say to a non-Christian, “Have you ever thought about joining a church, maybe our church? We would love to have you join.” And he says to you, “Why should I join your church?” You could say something like, “Well, we’re friendly. We have a number of activities you could get involved in. The pastor is a pretty nice guy.” Now, those responses are not wrong. But those responses might really be saying, “I’m afraid of offending him, of how he might react when he finds out what I believe, what our church and the Bible teaches. Somebody else, like the pastor, should tell him.” Fear, embarrassment, being ashamed can be lurking behind such responses. So, I am going to encourage you – very strongly – to have prepared ahead of time a simple response for the person who asks you why he should come to church and why he should be a Christian. You tell him who Jesus Christ is, what Jesus did, why Jesus did what he did, and why that person (along with you) needs Jesus.
Now in case you think I am picking on you, you would be right. But you are not alone for such fear is real and common. I have been there and done that many times. St. Paul has been there and done that. He said to the congregation in Corinth after having a rough time of mission work in Athens, “I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.” And he knew the fear of sharing Christ would be something he would have to face again. He wrote to the Ephesian Christians, “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Eph. 6:19-20).
Fear of man comes easily. Being ashamed or embarrassed of the gospel, of Christ, is a reality and a hindrance to Christ and a hindrance to sharing him with others. We need encouragement not to be afraid, not to be ashamed. So, this is what St. Paul did for a young pastor named Timothy who he knew would be facing such temptations: “So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.” (2 Tim. 1:8).
I am making it sound like Christianity is not for wimps, not for those who fear, not for those who are embarrassed to say what they should say about Christ. And that is true in one sense.
And yet at the same time Christianity is for wimps. Cowardice and fear afflict God’s own dear children. But that is why we come here. We come here with our fears and all our sins. And while we are here, we encounter the one who was never a coward, who was never afraid, who was never ashamed. We fall short, but he never did, and he never did so we would always have the forgiveness we need, and in turn the strength and boldness we need for whatever tomorrow brings.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Rom. 12:1-2
“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.”
(Gal. 2:20)
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