The Determined Christ
Scripture Reading: Mark 8:27–9:1
Meditation
Peter got it half right.
He understood who Jesus was but he didn’t understand what Jesus came to do. He nailed it when it came to the person of Jesus. But failed to embrace his work. When Jesus asked,
“Who do people say that I am?”
… some said that he was John the Baptist, others said Elijah, still others said that he was one of the prophets.
But it was Peter who said,
“You are the Christ.”
He acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah—the Son of God, and the Son of Man. He affirmed the dual nature and the one person of Christ. But when Jesus started to describe his work, Peter couldn’t sign off on that.
“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”
Jesus made it clear that he had to go to Jerusalem. A divine “must” is driving him.
The Son of Man must suffer many things.
The elders, chief priests and teachers of the law must reject him.
He must be killed and after three days rise again.
His Father’s eternal purpose is pushing him forward. Redemptive love is his resolve. He’s determined to go to Jerusalem but Peter is just as determined to keep him away.
Suffering? Rejection? Crucifixion?
Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke him.
“ ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you.’ ” (Matthew 16:22)
Peter doesn’t misunderstand Jesus. He disagrees with him. This isn’t what Peter thought the Messiah should do. In his mind he thought,
“Pursuing and establishing physical kingdoms, power, and position, yes! That’s the substance of the kingdom; not suffering, humiliation, and death.”
But Jesus sees this deterrence for what it is—devil’s work.
“But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’ ”
Jesus knows that it is Satan who is at work in Peter. He’s the one who is trying to distract him. He’s the one who wants to keep him away from the cross, away from redemption, and away from victory.
Ironically, this same Satan will work through a different disciple, at another time, in an opposite way. Through Judas, he’ll try and get Jesus to the cross, to the nails … to death.
If Satan can’t distract Jesus, he’ll try and destroy him.
But it’s the Determined Christ, not Satan, who is in control of his destiny.
Jesus will go to the cross. But Satan isn’t going to force him there. The elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law aren’t going to lead him there. Rome won’t march him there. He’s determined to go to the cross on his own, driven only by love.
For the Determined Christ, there is no detour around the cross. He’s going to and through it. He will march towards it; hang, suffer, and die on it; be taken down from it and on the third day rise again. For humanity’s sake, there is no other way. With redemptive love, there is no wavering or wandering, no yielding or bending, no other options or choices.
His is the way of the cross.
Jesus’ call to discipleship is also a call to a determined life – a kingdom “must”.
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.’”
For Jesus, discipleship is about cross carrying. It’s a daily call to death. But in that death there is also life, because the one who walks resolutely to the cross also walks, resurrected, out of the tomb.
He’s determined.
Those who die with him will also rise with him. (Romans 6:4)
Prayer
Father,
Your Son lived a determined life.
He told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He must be killed and after three days he must rise again.
This was his destiny!
Satan couldn’t deter him.
Peter couldn’t divert him.
The pain of suffering couldn’t dissuade him.
His redemptive love was decisive. It drove him to the cross to pay sin’s penalty. It kept him on the cross until the penalty was paid. Finally, it lowered him from the cross, placed him in a tomb, and raised him three days dead declaring to the world that the payment was received in full.
During this day, I want to know the Determined Christ.
I want to know the passion that he has for me, a passion so great that it would lead him to the cross. And when he calls me to come after him, empower me to live a determined life—may I deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him.
In the name of the Determined Christ I pray. Amen
Reflection
Do you consider yourself to be a disciple of Christ? If so, what does that mean?
Are you living a “determined” life? What type of “divine must” is driving your life?
What does it mean for you to “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him”?
In what ways have you deterred Christ? How are you saying, “Never, Lord!”?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (Mark 8:27–9:1). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.