Sermons
The Way Of The Cross
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / August 26, 2018
This morning's sermon provides the second half of a two-part message that offers a summary of Mark's Gospel.
Mark's gospel displays an evolution of faith on the part of Jesus' disciples.
Discipleship is often a slow process that includes repeated ups and downs.
Genuine discipleship for each one of us remains a work in progress.
It includes a long obedience in the same direction that spans our entire lifetime.
In Mk.1:16f we read of Jesus “calling” His twelve apostles. In this case two sets of brothers,
Peter & Andrew and James & John, all four being fisherman, decided to leave their nets and follow Jesus.
In the first eight chapters of this shortest of the four gospels, Mark highlights three boat rides (see chapters 4, 6 & 8).
What began with such optimism and resolution, is suddenly overshadowed by doubts, fears and wonder.
They became very much afraid … Who then is this? … Their hearts were hardened …
They had not gained any insight … Jesus asked them, Do you not yet understand?
These boat rides depict disciples who are having trouble grasping the full impact of discipleship.
Mark even records a rather unique miracle performed by Jesus that actually served as an illustration of the disciples.
In Bethsaida, Jesus gives sight to a blind man, but it requires a double dose of grace.
At first he sees, but things are fuzzy. After a second touch he begins to see things quite clearly.
One thing that stands out in Mark's gospel is the patience and forbearance of Jesus.
Jesus bore with them as they came to know Him more dearly and more clearly.
Jesus never threw them overboard; He did not shame them or dismiss them;
He did not send them home even though they were slow in developing.
I find this observation to be quite encouraging for all of us.
Jesus is so very kind and patient. Lam.3:22-23a states,
“the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to and end. They are new every morning.”
When we stumble and fall (as we do from time to time), how wonderful it is to know that Jesus is long-suffering!!
The hinge of Mark's gospel is found in Mk.8:29, where Peter declares, Thou art the Christ!
This “climax” in progress actually serves as the beginning point for the deeper development of Jesus' disciples.
Immediately after this grand confession, Jesus begins to speak more seriously about His own mission.
Read with me from Mk.8:31 - - And (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many
things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
As with the three boat rides, we encounter three specific instances where Jesus homes in on this message.
Essentially these words describe for His disciples THE WAY OF THE CROSS.
In each instance, Jesus begins to prepare His disciples for what awaits Him and them.
Here again (they are works in progress) the disciples had trouble comprehending the ramifications of Jesus' words.
In this first of instance, notice Peter's response (Mk.8:32-34) - - While (Jesus) was stating the matter plainly,
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked
Peter, and said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.
Jesus summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them,
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Peter's intentions were noble - - he wanted to spare Jesus from rejection, suffering and death, but Peter's
desires ran contrary to the will of God. God had chosen for His only begotten Son the way of the cross.
Jesus begins at this juncture to reveal that God had chosen this Way of the Cross, not only for him but also for them.
A second incident occurs in Mk.9:31 - - (Jesus) was teaching His disciples and telling them,
'The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and
when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.'
Vs.32 adds, “they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.”
In vss.33-35, we are told that when they arrived in Capernaum, Jesus questioned them as to what they
were discussing en route. But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another
which of them was the greatest. And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them,
'If anyone want to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.'
Mk.10:32-34 records a third occasion when Jesus speaks deeply about the way of the cross.
On the road going to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to
happen to Him, saying, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to
the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles.
And they will mock Him and spit upon Him, and scourge Him, and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.
This is the third time Jesus has spoken plainly about this matter and here it is especially graphic and detailed.
The next three verses (Mk.10:35-37) once again reveals how truly out of touch the disciples were.
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Him saying, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us
whatever we ask of You.' And He said to the, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'
And they said to Him, 'Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one of Your right, and one on your left.'
Jesus was destined by His Father to travel the way of the cross.
The disciples had trouble accepting this as the outcome of Jesus' ministry.
And, even at this late date, they seemed to be clueless as to what awaited them.
But, finally, after Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, they begin to see clearly:
it is the way of the cross that leads home.
In just a few minutes we are going to stand and sing a song that is an invitation.
It's an invitation to begin your journey with Jesus, but it is also an invitation to renew your journey.
I must needs go home by the way of the cross: There's no other way but this;
I shall ne'er get sight of the Gates of Light if they of the way of the cross I miss.
Coming to fully understand this message of “the way of the cross” took a while to develop, but once it
took root in the hearts of the early disciples it led to a revolution that forever changed the world.
We could spend another thirty minutes talking about the implications of the way of the cross.
It's a life filled with sacrifice … submission … surrender … self-denial … suffering … and servitude.
How these elements come to play out in our individual lives is yet to be determined.
Essentially, our life in Christ is a constant struggle to keep prioritizing the way of the cross.
If you want to really know how you're doing as a Christian, ask yourself, “AM I FOLLOWING THE WAY OF THE CROSS?”
The apostle Paul wrote words that we all ought to memorize and make our lifelong goal (Gal.6:14) - -
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
