Jesus is concerned with “desires.” The same Greek word is used twice: Whoever desires to come after Me and whoever desires to save his life. The translation is fine but you should know that the Greek term thelo is the word for “will.” “Desires” are not just feelings or even urges as we might be prone to think. Jesus is concerned with the choice you choose to make concerning the direction of your life. Jesus indicates in this passage that there are only two possible choices. In the OT God frequently, through His prophets, called the people of Israel to obey Him and not to go after other “gods.” There were many “gods” so you might think people had many options. As the prophet Jeremiah said, the choice to follow the Baals was the result of walking according to the dictates of their own hearts (Jer. 9:14). Jesus said there were only two choices: come after me or seek to save your own life. Any choice against the Creator is a selfish choice, expressing the belief that I can save my own life or make myself happy or bring myself fulfillment or whatever. It doesn’t matter what god-name or philosophy or theology or fad you follow. It is your choice to go against God your Creator. It is your choice!
What does Jesus mean by “deny yourself?” One way to answer that question is to use His terminology in this passage. To “deny yourself” is to “lose your life for My sake and the gospel’s sake.” Wuest in his Word Studies in the Greek New Testament says, “it means to forget one’s self, to lose sight of one’s self and one’s interests.” Jesus said this for the sake of the Twelve, after Peter’s response to the announcement of Jesus’ upcoming death. But He also had called the crowd to hear. Jesus knew that many were just following Him because of the miracles and other “benefits” to be gained. By definition, a disciple is one who follows the Master. The difference here is that Jesus was not on a road to fame and fortune; He was on a road of life that of necessity went through the cross.
It's true, that the cross is not the end of the road. The road Jesus described in 8:31 has an empty tomb. But, of course, there is no empty tomb without their first being an occupied tomb. Thus, Jesus makes it clear: if you come after me you are losing your life for My sake and the gospel’s. That’s what He and His life is about. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). If you follow Him you will save your life! Jesus is the gospel (Rom. 1:1-4). Specifically, the gospel is His death, burial and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-4). If you are following Him you must submit your travel plans to Him.
But it’s not just a destination. You must also check your baggage in with Him. Jesus had a cross to bear and He was already carrying that cross in His heart. He was committed to it. If you are going with Him you also have a cross to bear. This symbol of death you will carry for the rest of your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment