Discipleship 101

Read Mark 8.

Jesus taught, revealed, and demonstrated His true identity as God in the flesh.  Progressively, He told why He came and what would eventually happen to Him.  However, the twelve did not immediately understand the full implications.

Yes, they responded to Jesus' call.  They heard His authoritative teaching.  They witnessed the many miracles.  But, in verse 15 when Jesus warned them about the dangers (leaven, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8) of legalism and politics, they did not understand.  The disciples were focused on physical needs and missed the spiritual point Jesus was making.

Then, even after the Holy Spirit helped the disciples declare aloud who Jesus is, they still did not understand why He came.  Jesus told them plainly, exactly, who and what would take place, including His resurrection.  Instead of being in awe, Peter voiced strong rebuke against Jesus.  Such opposition on a spiritual level has only one source and that is Satan.  It is his scheme to try to thwart any plan of God.  On a human level, it was a selfish response on Peter's part.  He did not want to entertain the thought of losing Jesus.

It was time for the next lesson on what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
1. Give up. (vv.34-35)
The cross was an instrument of death.  Salvation in Christ only takes place when a person realizes they cannot save themselves.  When the Holy Spirit points them to Jesus as the only hope of forgiveness of their sin and eternal life, changes will happen.  Death to self means a new life as a believer.  If you want to save your life, lose it.  Complete and total surrender to Jesus and gospel is the only acceptable definition of a follower of Christ.  This new life requires living in total dependence on Him.

2. Give in. (vv.36-37)
Throughout life we make exchanges.  We exchange our time for a paycheck.  We exchange our money for possessions, goods, and services.  Materialism leads one to believe that the measure of a successful life is in how much of those things we have accumulated.  Jesus' questions cause us to see what is really important.  One day we will leave that stuff behind.  It is all temporal and none of it can meet our eternal, spiritual needs.

3. Give out. (v.38)
If Jesus has changed your life, say so.  In verse 35, Jesus stated that a follower of His loses his life for "my sake and the gospel's".  In this sinful world, we who know Jesus are the only ones who have really good news to communicate.  We have been called to be "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20) telling others what we have personally experienced (Acts 4:18-20).

Unbelievers hold tightly to the things of this world, as if that could bring them comfort and hope.  Followers of Jesus use the things of this world in order to further communicate a sincere comfort and a lasting hope.