In reading Matthew 16 we see Peter’s famous confession that Jesus is, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:18). To this, Jesus responds that Peter is blessed for this has been revealed by the Father in heaven (Matt. 16:19). What is shocking though, is how quickly this turns around for Peter. Shortly after this, the Lord Jesus begins to predict His death and resurrection, and Peter won’t have it. He goes from confessing Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, to rebuking Him! Jesus can’t die! He’s the Messiah, the One come to save us! Death isn’t supposed to be on the itinerary. He’s supposed to deliver us, right? Unfortunately for Peter, he goes from being “blessed” to being called Satan, from being commended to being rebuked in only a few short verses!
What was the problem with Peter’s assertion that Jesus wouldn’t be dying? The Lord Jesus said, “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matt. 16:23). Then, following this, comes Jesus’ famous call to discipleship, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). The “things of man” stand in opposition to the things of God. The things of man would require comfort and an easygoing life, the very opposite of crucifixion. Peter’s denial of Jesus’ prediction wasn’t from God because it was contrary to the way of discipleship.
Discipleship wasn’t ever to be easy. The life of following Jesus was costly, especially in the first century. Disciples would leave behind everything in order to follow Jesus: career, friends, family, and their former life in its entirety. Truly, Jesus never presented discipleship as an uncostly endeavor. In another place, He challenged would-be disciples to count the cost (see Luke 14:26-33). No one would go to build a tower without counting the cost to see if they’d have enough. No king would go to war without numbering his people first. Likewise, following Jesus wouldn’t always be an easy road. There’d be a cost. Jesus is to be the first love, even above family. His disciples might literally have to bear a cross, as He Himself did. Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires renouncing everything else in order to fully serve Him. Jesus never advertised discipleship to Him casually, it had a cost.
As such, discipleship goes against many of our natural comforts. This is why Jesus opened the call to discipleship in Matthew 16 with denying ourselves. Peter didn’t think Jesus should die, but this expectation that things would be easy and go as planned wasn’t in alignment with God’s way of thinking, but man’s. God’s ways are higher than our ways (see Is. 55:9). Jesus’ crucifixion ended up being not the absence of deliverance, but its very source! What looked scandalous to the eyes of men, what looked like a failed plan, what didn’t make any sense was actually exactly what the Father ordered. Those who expected a ruling and reigning king-figure in their Messiah were disappointed in His first coming, but it was all according to God’s plan.
Thus, the call comes to us to put God’s ways above our own. The call comes to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. To acknowledge that our natural desires don’t always lead us on the best path. Instead, we ought to pray, “Not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39). Comfort very frequently becomes an idol for human beings, especially in the modern era. Even as I write this, I’m sitting next to a coal stove at my in-laws, which is my favorite seat in the house. We like to be comfortable. We like life to be easy. We like things to go our way. This isn’t the call to discipleship. Discipleship acknowledges that at times following Jesus will be very uncomfortable. It frequently will require us to go against the crowd, and face unpopularity for any number of reasons that could eventually result in ostracism or persecution. In the first century it would eventually be a cross. The life of discipleship acknowledges that life might be hard, but there is glory that awaits us. A glory so great that the suffering of the present time isn’t even worth comparing to it (see Rom. 8:18). Discipleship willingly lays aside our own ways in favor of God’s better ways. Discipleship isn’t an easy call; thus, it shouldn’t be presented easy. While salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, the life of discipleship is costly and any who would follow after the Lord Jesus must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him.
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