Proper 17 - Series A notes

Proper 17

3 September 2023

 Series A

Jeremiah 15:15–21

Romans 12:9–21

Matthew 16:21–28

The Glory of God Is the Passion and Cross of Christ Jesus

After Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, our Lord, “began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21). Upon hearing this “theology of the cross,” Simon Peter stumbled into a satanic “theology of glory.” But the glory of God is revealed in the Passion and cross of His incarnate Son.

The faithful prophets, such as Jeremiah, suffered persecution and rejection in anticipation of Jesus’ cross. Yet the Lord did not abandon them; He remembered them, and He was with them to deliver them (Jeremiah 15:15–20). By His cross Jesus has redeemed the world, and in His resurrection He has vindicated all who trust in Him. Thus, the Christian life is a discipleship of self-sacrificing love. Since Christ Jesus has reconciled us to God, we “live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). By the certainty of His cross and resurrection, we “rejoice in hope,” and we are “patient in tribulation” and “constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Not mere prescriptions which would be Law.

We are marked in baptism any suffering we endure will be vindicated by the Lord.

We share Christ to the world.

Consider Peter's confession from last Sunday's Gospel compared to today...

BEFORE	AFTER
From God	From Satan
Rock	Stumbling block
Confession	Denial
God’s will	Man’s will
Faith	Lack of faith
Jesus on God’s terms	Jesus on man’s terms
“Follow Me”	“Get behind Me!”
Mind of God	Mind of man

He Must
Re. Dr. Daniel J Brege

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.(Matthew 16:21)

There was no option.  It was absolutely necessary.  He had to do it.  This is what Jesus set forth when He declared that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things…and be killed, and on the third day be raised (16:21). Simply put, there was no other way to create and bring salvation to mankind.

This is likely also the reason why, immediately before stating this necessary goal, the Lord Jesus would warn the Apostles to tell no one that He was the Christ.  For when we proclaim Jesus to be the Christ, we must realize this is the work of the Christ, this is the reason the Son of God became flesh—to die our death and to rise from the dead.  The Apostles up to this point did not understand what it meant for Jesus to be the Christ. The Apostle Peter, often the representative of the Apostles, shows this failure to recognize the necessity of Jesus’ death and resurrection: And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”   (v 22).  The necessity of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection is further sharpened by His rebuke of Peter:  Get behind me Satan! (v 23).  It is satanic to believe that the Christ had a goal other than to die and rise again!

The Christ did not come to be a great military deliverer or the ultimate social reformer, nor did He come to be a “bread king” by miraculously providing a continual flow of earthly food, healings and exorcisms. Though Jesus did indeed perform such miracles—thus identifying His person as the Son of God and demonstrating His loving mercy—yet He would not continue walking this earth for this purpose.  His purpose and calling was infinitely higher.  He came to bring man back into God’s presence, to ultimately make all things new and take away all hunger, sickness, satanic influence and death—forever.  To accomplish this He had to take away the root of all evil: He had to bear our sins in His body on the cross.  Then He had to rise from the dead to prove that His crucifixion was the valid payment for sin and that He was guaranteeing righteousness as a gift, ultimately creating the resurrection of the righteous.

We mentioned last week that believing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is the foundational creed.  Now the creed expands, for to believe Jesus is the Christ it is necessary to believe that He must die and rise again, and that He would do this for mankind’s eternal salvation.   As the church would advance with the proclamation of the Gospel, this would be the foundational message.  Consider a couple of excerpts from the book of Acts, identifying the foundational message of Christ’s necessary death and resurrection: …this Jesus…you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up… (2:23,24).  …and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. (3:15).  Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. (4:10).   The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. (5:30).

Christ’s saving death and resurrection are the central proclamation and thus the heart of the Christian’s faith and hope.  Baptism, always part of the Gospel proclamation, uniquely unites us with Jesus death and resurrection (Rom 6:3ff; Col 2:12). Consider the Apostle Paul’s encouragement:  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thess 4:13-14).  Indeed, as a result of faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection not only do we realize that we shall awaken from the sleep of death, but we are also comforted when loved ones fall asleep with this faith.

See John Pless article "Liturgy after the Liturgy" in Logia

This is what you are given to do. The focus must be on Christ to avoid going back to the Law. This is the death we experience in baptism. Anything else is simply  fascination with self. 

We live in humility and faith before God as well as in love for our neighbor. It is the Gospel which drives us.

NB watch the verbs used in preaching. Instead of this is what you need to do, this is who you are. This is how you now look. 

The new man still needs guidance. Thus the 3rd use of the law.

Good works are always ambiguous but not arbitrary.

1. This is shown by “serving the Lord.” V. 11

A. Rejoice in hope. ἐλπίδι

1. Rejoice with patient perseverance with those who rejoice. V. 15a

2. Weep with those who weep. V. 15b

B. Be patient in tribulation.

1. “Bless those who persecute you.” V. 14a

2. “Bless and do not curse them.” V. 14b

C. Be constant in prayer.

1. ​Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. V. 17

2.​If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. V. 18

2. In the reverent fear of God. We do no harm to our neighbor.

A. “Let love ἀγάπη be genuine. V. 9 This love. Typically refers to divine love. What God prefers. A description of who we are in Christ not perscription.

1. This love. Abhors. Detests. Hates. ἀποστυγοῦντες What is evil.

2. This love. Holds fast to what is good.

B. Love φιλαδελφίᾳ one another. V.10

1. With brotherly affection. Give preference. “For you have been taught by God how to love one another.” This love. Is self evident. Constant. It simply exists.

                            2. Outdo one another in showing honor.