One bright day in the middle of the night, Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other.
A deaf policeman heard the noise and ran to save the two dead boys.
And if you don’t believe this lie is true, ask the blind man, he saw it too.
This humorous little poem is filled with paradoxes. A paradox is a figure of speech that seems self-contradictory but actually expresses a possible truth: “a bright day in the middle of the night” and “drawing swords to shoot one another” are images of apparent contradiction, but nonetheless they express possible truths. Because of their clever and ironic juxtaposition of ideas, paradoxes are sometimes the most profound way to express a truth.
Jesus was a master at posing paradoxes; he often used them as teaching tools for his disciples. In today’s text, Jesus employs multiple paradoxes to reveal his identity and explain the true nature of the Christian faith.
A Paradoxical Christ (18-22)
One time when Jesus was alone with his disciples and they were praying, Jesus asked them an interesting question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” The disciples had certainly heard the word on the street as to who Jesus was. Some people said that he was John the Baptist, others said Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old had risen. People had many different opinions of Jesus—all of these responses were plausible and complimentary, but they were wrong.
Jesus used this question as a set up for his real question. He looked deep into his disciple’s eyes and asked, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Jesus posed this question to test his disciples to see if they recognized his person and work. For months or even years they had been following Jesus, listening to his teachings and witnessing his miracles. During that time, he was inviting them to consider his identity, in hope that they would trust him for their salvation.
Peter, the most outspoken of all of the disciples, quickly responded, “The Christ of God.” But what does this mean? The term “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name or a cuss word that we shout when we smash our thumb; Christ is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word “Messiah.” It means “God’s anointed one.” This is the one about whom the Old Testament prophet foretold—the king whom God would raise up to deliver his people and restore Israel. Peter was correct! Jesus was the Christ of God!
Jesus’ question, “But who do you say I am?” was not only meant for his original disciples—it was meant for you and me! This is really the most important question in the world, because Jesus is the most important person in the world. This is the question that determines our ultimate destiny in heaven or hell!
As in the disciple’s day, many people disagree about Jesus’ identity today. Some people say that Jesus was nothing more than a myth (a religious fabrication that people created as a crutch to get through life), others say that he was a good moral teacher or a wise sage or a noble prophet (but they deny his miracles and supernatural abilities). Others try to identify Jesus as a slick political advocate (who of course always supports their own person views).
On August 5, 2015, The Canadian Press, a Toronto newspaper ran a story about an ordained United Church of Canada minister who believes in neither God nor Bible said she is prepared to fight an unprecedented attempt to boot her from the pulpit for her beliefs. In an interview at her West Hill church, Rev. Gretta Vosper said congregants support her view that how you live is more important than what you believe in. “I don’t believe in…the god called God,” Vosper said. “Using the word gets in the way of sharing what I want to share.”
Vosper, who was ordained in 1993 and joined her church in 1997, said the idea of an interventionist, supernatural being on which so much church doctrine is based belongs to an outdated worldview. What’s important, she says, is that her views hearken to Christianity’s beginnings, before the focus shifted from how one lived to doctrinal belief in God, Jesus and the Bible. “Is the Bible really the word of God? Was Jesus a person?” she said. “It’s mythology. We build a faith tradition upon it which shifted to find belief more important than how we lived.”
Vosper made her views clear as far back as a Sunday sermon in 2001 but her congregation stood behind her until a decision to do away with the Lord’s Prayer in 2008 prompted about 100 of the 150 members to leave. The rest backed her.
It is incredibly tragic when a clergy member would declare that Jesus is nothing more than a myth! So, what about you? Who do you say Jesus is?
After Peter correctly declared Jesus’ identity, he strictly prohibited his disciples from telling anyone else. It was still early in Jesus’ ministry and he did not anyone to get the wrong idea about what it meant for him to be the Messiah. Many people expected the Messiah to be a political and military warlord who would lead the nation in conquest over its enemies and achieve glory for Israel, but Jesus introduces a great and shocking paradox when he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (22)
Can you imagine the disciple’s reaction to these disturbing words? The idea of a rejected redeemer, a suffering Messiah, and a killed Christ was completely paradoxical. Even though Jesus was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, his path to glory would be marked with suffering. This must have shattered all of the disciple’s expectations about Jesus’ mission on earth. Just when they thought they had Jesus’ identity figured out, they were surprised again!
When someone asks you who is Jesus, there is only one correct response: He is the Christ of God, the promised Messiah, God in human flesh, fully divine/fully human, who lived as sinless life and died a horrendous death on the cross to atone for the sins of all who would give their lives to him. He rose from the dead on the third day to offer eternal life to anyone who would follow him. This is Jesus true identity and this was his mission! Do you believe this?
A Paradoxical Christian (23-27)
Well, as soon as Jesus revealed the paradoxical nature of his identity and mission, he immediately explained what this meant for his disciples. In verse 23, he said to them, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” The cross was an ancient symbol of death, a Roman tool for torture and execution. Jesus makes it clear that Christianity is costly. It demands a willingness to sacrifice your life on a daily basis and follow Jesus all the way to death.
Jesus continues to clarify the true nature of Christianity by proposing two paradoxes: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” and “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their very self?” The first paradox makes the point that if someone wants to gain the eternal life that Jesus offers, they must give their life to him now. The second paradox points to the fact that some people spend all of their time trying to gain everything in this world, and they lose themselves and their very souls in the process. Likewise, those who are ashamed of Jesus and his words in this life, will face his rejection and shame when he comes in all of his glory.
What does it mean to be a Christian? Here are some of the answers I have heard: 1.) A Christian is someone who goes to church. 2.) Someone who listens to Christian music. 3.) Someone who lives a moral life. 4.) Someone who does good deeds. 5.) Someone who has good intentions. 6.) Someone who wears a cross around their neck. 7.) Someone who reads the Bible and prays. Every one of these answers is wrong, wrong, wrong! These are all fine things, but none of them makes a person a Christian. To be a true Christian, you must give their whole life to Jesus! You must stop living for yourself! You must be willing to stand up for him and even be willing to die for him. If you are not willing to do this, you are not Jesus’ disciple yet—you are not a true Christian yet! You can’t follow Jesus and still hold on to your life as if it is yours!
True Christianity is not cheap or convenient! It costs us everything we have! But what we get in return is more than worth it—forgiveness from all of our sins, a indescribable peace and joy now, and a perfect life in heaven someday.
Are you a true Christian? Have you given your life to Jesus? Do you love him more than anyone or anything else in this world? Are you willing to suffer for Jesus? Are you willing to take up your cross and follow him all the way to death?
Allow me to conclude by telling you a story about a man who was willing to carry his cross. This year marks the 600th anniversary of the martyrdom of John Hus. Hus was a well educated and popular priest and preacher at the Bethlehem Chapel in the city of Prague, Czech Republic during the early 15th century. He studied the Scriptures for himself and was an outspoken critic of the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church.
When he saw he wasn’t to be given a forum for explaining his ideas, let alone a fair hearing, he finally said, “I appeal to Jesus Christ, the only judge who is almighty and completely just. In his hands I plead my cause, not on the basis of false witnesses and erring councils, but on truth and justice.” He was taken to his cell, where many pleaded with him to recant. On July 6, 1415, he was taken to the cathedral, dressed in his priestly garments, then stripped of them one by one. He refused one last chance to recant at the stake, where he prayed, “Lord Jesus, it is for thee that I patiently endure this cruel death. I pray thee to have mercy on my enemies.” He was heard reciting the Psalms as the flames engulfed him.
John Hus understood the paradox of Christianity! He knew who Jesus was and what he came to earth to do! He carried his cross all the way to the stake and proved that he was a true disciple of Jesus Christ by his willingness to be burned alive. Are we willing to do the same?