Self-denial is a supernatural gift from God through salvation in Christ. God’s salvation is granted in order that self-denial is possible through a life of obedience. At conversion, Christians begin a life of self-denial for the glory of God. What does this look like in everyday life? The Christian’s aim is to follow Jesus Christ as Lord according to the Word of God and imitate Christ in all things. The Lord promised those who practice self-denial salvation, prize, and honor.

Every self-denying believer is promised Christ’s salvation and deliverance. When deliverance occurs the sinner is saved from sin and self. This is the reason why Christians refuse to live a life of self, but rather to live for Christ and others. But before the Lord saves and delivers the sinner, the unbeliever is a slave to self.

Self-denial is attempted to be practiced in other religions and philosophies. However, all of them are not biblical because it is separate from Jesus Christ. Scripture clearly states self-denial is for Christ’s sake and not anyone else. The power of sin along with self is crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ through repentance and faith (Rom. 6:6). This is the only means to receive the gift of Christ’s salvation resulting in a life of following Jesus as Lord and Savior (Lk. 14:27-28). For this reason, all Christians are able to practice self-denial. In contrast, unbelievers are unable to practice self-denial and ultimately promote themselves or anything other than Christ.

Every self-denying believer is promised Christ’s prize. “For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself?” (v. 25). The Christian understands that this side of glory is short in comparison to eternity in heaven. This world is not the only life we live, but there is an afterlife where there will be judgment or award.

“Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25). The key difference between Christians and unbelievers is that self-control or self-denial is done for the Lord’s sake or not. Moreover, there will be judgment for the Christian’s prize to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the individual believer’s faithfulness. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12).

Every self-denying believer is promised Christ’s honor. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels (v. 26). This is a sober warning from Jesus Christ, but conversely this text can be a sobering reminder of Christ has promised.

When self-denial is practiced for the glory of God will be honored by Christ in heaven. “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9). Self-denial includes living out our faith and love for Jesus Christ in public. The testimony of the gospel of Christ is the only power and means for salvation so that others will believe and also receive the power to deny the self (Rom. 1:16).

How can we commit to not being ashamed of Jesus in this life through many difficult circumstances? Those that live in disobedience ultimately do not practice self-denial. They eventually reject Christ. However, we need to realize we are able to practice ongoing self-denial by means of God’s grace and power alone. If we are true Christians, self-denial must be demonstrated as we live cross-bearing lives. The only we can be more like Christ is to deny ourselves daily. Our faith and Christianity were only established as Jesus denied himself to the point of death on the cross.

Jesus here teaches something that at first seems paradoxical, “Lose your life to gain it”. However, this paradigm is a theme through Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Recently Budweiser hired a transgender man as their spokesperson to try to be inclusive. Since then, they have lost 5 billion dollars in company value. When someone commented on this backlash, they insightfully pointed out that Budweiser had forgotten its DNA and its core values. In a similar manner, self-denial is at the core of Christian life and one that has been forgotten. A failure to deny oneself is a recipe for a miserable and weak Christian. In verse 23, Jesus calls for everyone’s self-denial. This is set up in verse 22 where He sets the example. Our Lord suffered for us and we seek to be like Him.

Right now many Christians support abortion, gay Christians, transgender Christians, and Christians without a church. They are embracing the culture and what the culture demands. They foolishly believe that they can thrive as Christians while surrendering to the culture. Instead, Jesus taught the truth, suffered, bled, and died. He stood alone against the world and they hated Him. How can we expect to partake in the life and love of Jesus while embracing the world which is against Him? We must practice self-denial. We are not saved by self-denial but it is a part of our daily lives. When we deny ourselves, we die daily, and wonderfully Christ lives in us. This is the secret and source of our indomitable joy. 

Jesus will reward self-denial while self-pursuit leads to ruin (Mt 19:29). In verse 24, Jesus says, whoever wishes to save his life, will lose it. There is no salvation without self-denial. “Save his life” is trying to keep your life as it is and a rejection of Jesus Christ. It is self-will, self-aggrandizement, and self-desire. It is a refusal to submit and surrender to Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save the world but you must first surrender and believe in Him (John 3:16). If you fail to practice self-denial then you are your own god. You are your own idol (Luke 12:19).

Salvation and self-denial are related because Jesus saves us through His self-denial. He is God. He is the Word of God made flesh. He didn’t have to come. He was baptized and went through man’s perfect obedience through serving and suffering. He didn’t have to do any of this. He was the pinnacle of self-denial. The seed must die before it can grow and bear fruit. Apostle Paul understood the sin of his former life and forsook it (1 Timothy 1:13). Those who do not practice self-denial are dead to life and alive to sin. They try to cover their old life with good deeds but they cannot remove their sinful nature. There are also those who practice easy believe-ism. The gospel is simple but it is not easy. We are saved by grace through faith. No rituals or ceremonies. True salvation requires self-denial and the Lordship of Jesus Christ which results in obedience (1 John 2:3-4). 

Self-denial is for Christian living as well. We see many miserable Christians, who although they have the sufficient Word of God, act poor and weak. Those who are bitter, frustrated, weak, or miserable still have their pride (Erick Raymond). Ray Comfort is a great evangelist who has endured great ridicule and persecution while trying to share the gospel. Yet he is still gracious, loving, and joyful to everyone. He is humble. He has set aside his pride and follows Christ. Anyone in Christ will be changed. They will have the life of Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Those who fully embrace Christ will experience the joy and strength in Him which can not be found in your own self. Continually place your life in the Word of God. Examine yourself in the light of God’s Word, repent, and bear the fruit of obedience. 

Those who love self and the world will have no love for Christ. As a result, they compromise their faith because of their misplaced love. Jesus says self-denial leads to cross-bearing. Cross-bearing requires a choice, do you love the world or Jesus Christ? Those who love Jesus will bear the cross that He bore (2 Timothy 3:12). Those who love the world will live like the world (1 John 2:16). Many people foolishly do (Proverbs 14:12). The believer has the love of God and is to love Jesus fully (1 John 2:15). We are in the world but we are not of the world. 

The warning escalates to an ultimatum in Luke 9:26. Jesus says if you fail to deny yourself and instead deny Him, then He will deny you. Jesus always keeps His word. This is not an empty warning. He said He would rise on the third day and He did (Luke 9:22). Heaven and earth will pass away but Jesus’ words will not (Matthew 24:35). So we must heed the warning of Jesus.

We are ashamed of Jesus and deny Him for various reasons. First, because of our sin. The same warning is present in Matthew 7:22-23 against those who practice lawlessness. They don’t know Christ because of their sin. Also, the cross sounds foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18,23). We do not consider the Bible as God’s word and the gospel as God’s salvation because it does not align with the world’s wisdom. Thirdly, we love the approval of man (John 12:43). We fear the rejection of men rather than the rejection of Christ. Ask yourself. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Then you must stand firm. You might get hurt, you might lose your job, you might be rejected and you might suffer. But this is our practice of self-denial.

It is a common misconception to distinguish between the term Christian and the term ‘disciple’. There is no difference. If you are a true believer, then you are a disciple of Jesus. The word ‘disciple’ simply means follower and a Christian follows Jesus. The misconception is that it is easy to be a Christian but being a disciple means sacrifice and suffering. However, it was God’s will for Jesus to save sinners by dying on the cross to accomplish our forgiveness. It was through suffering that Jesus saved us. And it is also through self-denial and cross-bearing we follow Jesus. The modern church has made it easy to be a Christian without demanding any change in men. True Christianity requires and results in change (Luke 9:23).

The first and key sign of a true Christian is self-denial. Self-denial is abandoning yourself. Without self-denial, there can be no change or transformation so this is where true conversion begins. Jesus gives you a new life because the old life is gone. His terms are to leave that old life behind. Matthew 7:13 says the gate is narrow and small that leads to life and few will find it. The small gate (self-denial) is unpopular and difficult. In contrast, the big gate provides comfort, pleasure, and fun. We must deny ourselves because we cannot be saved by our own efforts. Titus 3:5 says Jesus saves us not on the basis of our deeds but by His mercy. By God’s love and washing of regeneration through the Holy Spirit we are saved. This is received through self-denial and repentance.

What is self? Self is immorality, impurity, evil desires, and greed (Colossians 3:5). These wicked things will bring God’s wrath and punishment. The most important issue we must address is how to rid ourselves of this wickedness, the judgment brought on by ourselves. Self is the fleshly carnal life of nature, the life of the first Adam, which is dead in trespasses and sins. The natural man is corrupt before God. Jesus said to come after Him, we must first get rid of self to be saved.

Denial means rejecting one’s self. Peter denied Jesus three times, distancing himself, and claiming not to know Jesus at all. Denying self says not I but Christ (Galatians 2:20). Your old self is crucified. You become insensitive to your old self, your sinful self, the self that was before meeting Jesus. That self is crucified and dead and now you live in Christ. In baptism, we bury ourselves and rise in the life of Jesus Christ. The Christian is dead to sin and given a new heart and life. Their desire is to live for Christ alone. When one denies their old self, they are able to trust Jesus in all circumstances. They realize the folly of sin and the goodness of the Heavenly Father (Luke 15:17). This is the process of repentance which is a gift of God. Many people try to change but fail because man has no ability to remove sin. Only in Jesus can the old go and the new come, because only Jesus was without sin and yet suffered in our place. He denied Himself in order to save us because we could not save ourselves.

Self-denial is not just at the beginning of conversion but a continual daily practice in our lives. We must not be like Simon in Acts 8:18-19 or Demas who went back to their old ways. We must not forget who God is and who we were and what we were saved from. We must not complain or be selfish when we don’t get what we want. Instead of blaming God, we must trust in Him even when it’s hard. Self-denial is self-forgetting; it’s forgetting our popularity or our accomplishments or what we did in the past. Jesus never boasted about what He did. He was always seeking the Father’s will. Self-denying is also humbly receiving correction. It’s hard admitting you’re wrong but it is a critical part of your sanctification. Without self-denial, it’s hard to grow in holiness. Matthew 6:33 Jesus says to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Self-denial is seeking Jesus’ will, His glory, and His sovereignty. Self-denial is child-like faith (Matthew 18:2-3). Faith trusts in the Father. When we are in trouble, we run to the Father like a child crying for help.

After denying self, Jesus says you must take up your cross daily. Interestingly, Jesus said this before He was about to be crucified. Under Roman rule, only the worst of criminals would be crucified. It is one of the most painful means of execution. Cross-bearing is the willingness to endure shame, persecution, and danger for the sake of Jesus Christ. This is not just enduring the hardships of daily life. Life is hard but that’s not cross-bearing. Cross-bearing is directly related to suffering with Jesus Christ. For Christ’s sake, we endure persecution. It is standing up for the Bible and the truth of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:31) Apostle Paul says he dies daily for Christ’s sake as he risked his life while preaching Christ in hostile cities. Wonderfully, cross-bearing leads to the joy of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2). There is a heavenly joy present in daily suffering.

Lastly, Jesus says “Follow me”. Again, this is a daily and constant following. He is the suffering Messiah and the risen Messiah. We follow the Risen Lord. Some say following Jesus is painful, but it is also worth it because it results in glory. That’s why the early Christians could follow Jesus no matter the persecution. Though difficult, God provides all we need to follow Him. The disciples were sent out to preach the gospel with nothing (Luke 9:3). But in Luke 9:22 Jesus asks if they lacked anything and they responded with “no, nothing”. God graciously provided what they needed. Spurgeon observed this same provision and joy when visiting George Muller. How good God is that provides everything that was needed to help 300 orphans. How did this happen? By the daily practice of a faithful man who denied himself, takes up his cross, and followed Jesus. If we also practice true faith, then God will provide for us as well. God’s provision can be our testimony. So deny yourself, bear your cross, and follow Jesus as a true disciple.

Today’s passage answers the source of true life and how we are able to find it. Christians are given new life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This newness of life produces a transformation in the heart to love the Lord and others. In other words, having met life in Christ Jesus creates a new life in the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

Who is the real Jesus in whom there is life?

Jesus is the Son of Man. He suffered in many ways leading up to his death on the cross. This Son of Man is holy and without sin. And it is the Son of Man that demonstrates his selfless love. Therefore, those whom he saves and gives new life shall also suffer for his sake and be called to love in the same manner he did.

Jesus is humble. He voluntarily became man and laid aside his glory. As Jesus demonstrated his humility by becoming man and obedient to the point of death on the cross, Christians are to also show humility as they have been made new in the likeness of Christ. Moreover, as Christ suffered in his humility, Christians must embrace the suffering of Jesus by taking his steps. 

Jesus’ humility culminated in his death and resurrection as it was God’s master plan before the foundation of the world. This was the only way to conquer sin, death, and Satan. The Son of Man bore our sins on his body and the curse of death was placed on Jesus so that those who believe in him might have eternal life. And it is only through Jesus Christ we meet life and are given life. Upon finding this life, embracing it requires repentance and faith in Christ.

Do you have the life of Christ in your heart? Do you enjoy the Christian life?

Jesus rules as the risen Lord for those who treasure Christ in their hearts as Lord in order to enjoy him forever. Jesus was raised from death to life to demonstrate God’s power. Christians are to respond with faith in obedience. Therefore, let us have a faithful and loving relationship with him and live the life of Christ.

It’s been two and half years in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Soon His earthly work will come to a close as He fulfills the work of salvation as He dies on the cross and rises from the dead. So this portion of Scripture is very significant. It starts with Herod asking who Jesus is? Then Jesus feeds five thousand from nothing but a few fish and loaves showing everyone He is God the Creator and Provider. Then Jesus asks His disciples who others think He is and who they think He is. Through these questions, Jesus wants to reveal who He is so that they can fully trust in Him.

In Caesarea Philippi, there were some Greeks that had immigrated and settled there after Alexander the Great. It was a diverse city with many cultures and many gods. Was Jesus just one of those gods or was He a good teacher, was He a prophet or was He the true and only God? Answering this question genuinely is not just a verbal or mental acknowledgment but a trust in Jesus. Many cultural Christians claim Jesus is the Christ, but they do not obey. The true Christian constantly surrenders to Jesus in obedience because they truly know He is the Christ.

Through the posing of the two questions, Jesus is distinguishing between the crowd and the disciples. In a poll taken, 85% of people consider Jesus the most influential person in history. But the real question is, does He have power and influence over you? Do you trust Him? 

Jesus’ personal devotion

Jesus is the praying Messiah. One of the most dominating aspects of Jesus’ life is prayer. He is the God-man who prayed in all situations (Hebrews 5:7). We might think Jesus might not need to pray. In this passage, we find Jesus is praying alone. It is after praying, that He asks the disciples the question. Jesus didn’t ask because He was concerned with His public image. The question was not impromptu but born out of prayer like everything Jesus did (Luke 6:12). Jesus didn’t pray to get what He wanted but it was to gain the revelation and will of God. When Jesus prayed, God’s decree would follow (Luke 3:21-22).

Jesus’ prayers are 100% perfect obedience. Even Elijah, one of the greatest prophets, who called down fire from heaven and prayed for the dead to life, was not perfectly obedient. But Jesus is perfectly obedient and is now glorified above all names (Phi 2:9-11). He is glorified because He was obedient, He was obedient because He prayed. As confirmation that Jesus prayed obediently, God the Father anoints the Son (Mt 17:5). Therefore we can trust Him. 

Jesus is different from others

He is the unique Jesus. He is not a superhero. He is not just a great man. John the Baptist was the last and greatest prophet. As mentioned earlier, Elijah too was a supernatural prophet. Elijah also stood alone against the multitude and performed undeniable miracles. But he also feared for his life, ran away, and complained. Elijah cannot be the Christ. All the prophets, all the famous pastors and preachers, they are men like us, imperfect, born as sinners. Jesus is unique. He is the only begotten Son of God, the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). He is eternal (Col 1:17). He is sinless. He never changes. He alone has power over death and life. He alone fulfills the hundreds of prophecies of the Messiah. You can trust Him! Until we trust Him, our hearts will not be at rest (Augustin). Actually, there is no one else that we can trust because there is no one else like Jesus.

Jesus deals with people differently

In verse 20, Jesus narrows his scope and asks the disciples directly “Who do you say that I am?”. They respond with “The Christ of God”. Jesus is the one God sent to rescue us (John 3:69). Is Jesus really the Son of God? The angels and demons confirm He is (Luke 1:32,8:28). He is truly the Son of God, the Messiah and we can trust in Him. What happens if we do not trust in Jesus? Then you will be accursed and receive punishment (1 Corinthians 16:22; Hebrews 10:29). A half trust is still trusting in yourself. It will not pass judgment.

Jesus loves His disciples, so He asked them privately. The setting is intimate. It’s not a teaching for the crowd because they were beloved and chosen. Because they were chosen, their confession did not come from their own knowledge but by the grace of God (Matthew 16:17; John 6:44). Jesus reveals the truth to the elect so that they trust in Him. 

Conclusion

He will build His church upon those He chooses and loves. In other words, Jesus trusts in us to build His church, so we trust in Him to build the church upon us (Matthew 16:18). He even shares His authority with us (Matthew 16:19). Since we have been entrusted to continue His work on earth, we must trust and obey. Our obedience and faithfulness are not something we generate by ourselves, but by the grace of God which is received by trusting in Him.

Jesus spoke in parables often in order to expose our spiritual condition. When divine truth is revealed by Jesus, the hopeful response from the hearer was repentance and faith. It is no different today as the truth of the gospel is revealed through God’s word. Today’s text is in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew in which Jesus reveals what the kingdom of God is like through many parables. What is the kingdom of God in general? The kingdom of God is wherever God reigns, and since He reigns everywhere, the kingdom of God is everywhere. Although everyone on earth is under God’s rule, that does not mean that everyone is part of God’s kingdom. Those two are separate. The only way to enter God’s kingdom is to believe in Jesus Christ.

Kingdom is priceless. Jesus is conveying the kingdom of God and its worth in the parable of the hidden treasure (v 44). Jesus is stating that the kingdom is incomparable. The hidden treasure and pearl are salvation and the preciousness of being with God in His kingdom as heavenly citizens. The value of the kingdom is objectively precious. Those that value salvation the Lord provides truly understand the objective value of it. Moreover, does this value remain for the Christian post-conversion? What the Christian values in their hearts reveal whether or not God’s kingdom continues to be the most precious or if something in the world begins to compete.

Kingdom is not evident to everyone. The treasure and value of the kingdom and salvation are not obvious to most. The light of the gospel and the glory of Christ can only be revealed by the Spirit and the grace of God. God is the One that makes it evident to the sinner. In the same manner, the world cannot understand why Christians give their lives to the Lord Jesus and continue to live that way until death.

Kingdom is pure joy. The man that sells everything in order to buy the hidden treasure in the field implies that the discovery of the kingdom is a great joy. Jesus knows the need for man’s desire for happiness. Unfortunately, most men look everywhere other than the kingdom for their joy. It is Christ’s joy in our lives that makes our lives full of joy. Knowing Christ and being in His kingdom produces an everlasting joy that can withstand anything. Jesus provides the best joy that brings true satisfaction.

Kingdom is personal. The two parables show two distinct men that find the kingdom of God. It is not enough to just be under the influence of Christianity and the church. The kingdom must be personally appropriated. 

Kingdom is discovered through many circumstances. Scripture shows how sinners find the kingdom in various ways. This is a testament to God’s abundant grace that is available to many in whatever circumstance. 

Kingdom is costly. Both men sold and bought according to the parables. There is some sort of exchange. However, the text is not implying that the kingdom can be bought. The point of the matter is that there is a cost to obtaining the kingdom. The sinner must give up all of themselves in order to gain all of Christ. There are numerous examples in Scripture where so many people that heard Christ preach could not give up everything and follow Christ. There is always a cost in order to follow Christ as Lord and Savior. 

If you’re willing to give up what is near and dear to your heart because Christ and His kingdom are far more valuable than anything, that person will enter the kingdom. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:25). All that the Lord asks is to exchange our filthy rags for His robe of righteousness. Give up your life for Christ’s sake and you shall find eternal life.

In order to obtain Christ, you must forsake all. It is foolishness to hold onto sin and judgment that ultimately leads to hell. Self must not be a lord but Christ himself must become Lord. When Christ becomes Lord, His kingdom becomes ours forever. Is the Lord’s salvation and kingdom as valuable as the hidden treasure in the field or that one pearl of great value?

Every one of the four gospels recounts the feeding of the five thousand. Each of the four gospels has its own context and purpose for including the miracle. Luke wrote to Theophilus and is using Herod’s question of ‘Who is He?’ to explain who Jesus is through the feeding of five thousand. Who is He? He is the Providing Messiah. From this miracle, we see that Jesus is both the physical and spiritual Provider. We hear many stories of men and families in the past being provided exactly what they needed to live or serve. Jesus is the Messiah and always provides what we need. As we study God’s word, we learn more deeply about our needs, especially our spiritual needs, and how Jesus has provided.

Why can we trust in Jesus to provide for us? Because of His ability, His identity, and His abundance (Mark 9:23). Jesus claims He is able to do anything.

His ability. The background of this miracle is Jesus wanting to spend time alone with His disciples, but the crowd followed them. Instead of sending them away, Jesus welcomed them. So in verse 12, after a long day of unplanned ministry, there is a messy situation caused by Jesus welcoming the crowd. The disciples complained to Jesus and they demanded Jesus send them away because they were not able to feed them or lodge them. ‘They were in a desolate place’. The circumstances were very dire and instead of trusting in Jesus, they had forgotten what Jesus had done (Luke 22:35).

Jesus challenges them. ‘You give them something to eat’. This was financially impossible (John 6:5-7). They didn’t have the money and they relied on others for their support (Luke 8:3). Even if they did have 200 denarii they wouldn’t be able to feed them all. There was no way the disciples could feed them through human ability. But when the situation is dire and dark, when all seems impossible, this is when Jesus shines brighter. This situation reminds us of God providing endless flour for Elijah and the widow’s family during the time of famine. God supplies what we need. Spiritually speaking, in the darkness of our sin, Jesus, the author of our faith, has provided salvation. He is supernatural and has done supernatural work in you. He will continue to provide for you.

His identity. Jesus is God. He is the God-man. We know God will never leave us alone without provision. He has both the desire and ability to provide. So Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish and feeds all of them. As Creator, Jesus made more than enough food from what was lacking.

‘Looked up to heaven’: Jesus looked towards His Father in heaven. This shows He is truly the Son of God (Luke 10:22; John 8:36,59). As the Son of God, He knows what we need, He knows how to provide, and He is able to provide. This demonstrates His perfect wisdom (Colossians 2:3). Wisdom is found in Jesus and you must abide in Him and in His word if you desire His provision (John 15:5-7).

Sometimes we might be in danger of Gnosticism. The modern Christian assumes Jesus provides only spiritually. We think that God’s word only applies to matters of faith but not to everyday practical matters. God feeds every bird, so how much more will God feed you (Luke 12:24; Matthew 6:32; Psalms 37:25)? To paraphrase John Macarthur – true spiritual concern for a person will be concerned with their physical well-being first. God not only provides physically but spiritually as well. Jesus’ life is seen in the feeding of the crowd where He took the loaves and fish, looked to Heaven, blessed them, and broke them. This act was like how Jesus was sent from Heaven and took on flesh which was broken on the cross so that we might eat of Him. Jesus gave food to the disciples who distributed the food. In the same way, people are saved by believing in the teaching of the apostles given by Jesus. Jesus, who is the Bread of Life, saves us from death to life. So eat from Jesus every day, because He will never run out. You will not go hungry (Deuteronomy 8:3).

If you are fed, then the Lord desires to use you to feed others. Jesus gave the food to the disciples to give to the crowd. Jesus is the source, but the disciples are the distributors. Jesus provides, but we are the ones to reach out to the community. There are so many around us who need the food that we have.

His abundance. Jesus never gives miserly or meagerly. Jesus provides abundantly. They had 12 full baskets left over. They started with nothing and ended up with an abundance. Before, they couldn’t afford to feed them even a small meal, but by the end, they couldn’t eat anymore. Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). His grace is lavished upon us (Ephesians 1:7-8). He did not spare His own Son and freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32). In Jesus we can be fully content (Philippians 4:12).

Application. During this whole meal, after they had complained, witnessing the power of Jesus, the disciples obeyed Jesus’ instructions. We too are called to willful submission to our good and providing Lord. We submit to Jesus because He loves us. We obey by loving God first and then loving others. When it comes to obedience, Jesus is our example to follow. He humbled himself and was obedient to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). For this obedience, God highly exalted Him. That Jesus is your Shepherd. He provides what we need and more. We obey Him.

Questions are very important? By asking good questions, men have pursued answers which have advanced humanity. Questions in science, questions in society, and questions about life have led to key discoveries. There is one question that is most significant to every man that determines whether they result in heaven or hell. In this passage, Herod asks that very question, “Who is Jesus?”

The Gospel of Luke was written to answer this very question. Luke desired Theophilus to know exactly who Jesus is (Luke 1:34). This question is asked not just once, but a few times (Luke 5:21, Luke 23:3). In today’s passage, based on what Herod had heard from others, he could have known who Jesus really is.

Jesus is the mighty God

God as in Yawheh and Elohim. We see that Herod was greatly perplexed by what he heard about Jesus (Luke 9:7). He heard that His disciples were preaching the gospel and healing everyone everywhere. Perplexed shows that Herod was confused, amazed, and worried. Jesus was demonstrating His divine power through miracles. The miracles were not hidden, but were in public, in front of crowds, with many diverse witnesses. There is no doubt that He is the mighty God.

Mighty God:

• Jesus is God because He is one with the Father. He has been God from the beginning and is eternally part of the Trinity. He is God Incarnate (John 1:3,10:30,12:44-45; Col 2:9).
• Jesus demonstrates His might in saving the sinner. The sinner hates God and wants nothing to do with Holy God and is completely dead (Col 1:21,2:13). We, the sinner, are hopeless. By God’s grace, in Jesus, through His mighty power, we are restored. Restoring the sinner is harder than restoring creation. But God does it in Jesus. It is through faith, the might of Jesus is available to us (Hebrews 4:2).

Jesus is the promised Messiah

The nation of Israel at that time was looking for a political and militant Messiah. Examples are found in Acts 5:36-37 of some men who tried to free Israel through force. In contrast to their assumptions, Jesus is the Messiah who came to save sinners from sin by dying on the cross (John 3:16-17,19:30). This is proven by the coming of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus (Luke 1:76,3:3-4,15). Some proposed that Jesus was John the Baptist who came back. Herod confirms John died, but didn’t realize Jesus is the Messiah that John pointed to.

They also thought Jesus might be Elijah who was prophesied to return (Malachi 3:1,4:5). But Jesus was not Elijah. That was actually John the Baptist. John the Baptist carried the spirit of Elijah, with the message of repentance delivered with great passion (Luke 3:16). Elijah was a preview of John the Baptist, and John the Baptist paved the way for the true Messiah, Jesus.

The Messiah would be the prophet defined in Deuteronomy 18:15-19; a Jew, given the authority of God to speak and performs miracles like Moses. That prophet is Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, who always spoke God’s word, who is God’s truth, and demonstrated the power of God in miracles and His resurrection. He is the prophet Messiah.

Jesus is the Risen Lord

The people kept guessing that Jesus is either John the Baptist, Elijah, or some other prophet of old. One thing common about their guesses is that they thought someone had come back to life. Herod affirms that he murdered John the Baptist. While Jesus is not a prophet who resurrected, it does remind us that Jesus is risen now (Acts 2:29). Those other prophets are still dead, but death could not hold Jesus down (Acts 2:24). He is the living, risen Lord.

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we are truly free from death. In fact, death is our gain (Philippians 1:21)! If you confess and believe God raised Jesus from the dead, then you will be saved (Romans 10:9). This is the power of our risen Lord.

Conclusion

Herod didn’t realize who Jesus is. He didn’t realize Jesus is the mighty God, the prophesied Messiah, and the risen Lord. Herod wanted to see Jesus, but he did not believe. We believe, but are we also excited and passionate to know Him? Do we want to share Jesus with everyone else? Do you love Him?

If you have never loved Jesus or your love has dwindled, there is still hope for you. God is full of compassion and mercy (Hosea 11:8). His desire and command is for you to return to Him.

There are many who profess to be evangelicals, but do they know Jesus Christ personally, intimately, and devotionally? According to Scripture, there are sure ways to fail to know Jesus intimately. One of many examples seen in the Bible, Herod the tetrarch from today’s text exemplifies those who had ample opportunity to know Jesus personally. But what caused Herod to only know Jesus Christ superficially? Pastor Paul will show that Herod had a different motive in knowing Christ, knowing Christ via secondhand knowledge, and possessed morbid curiosity about self-love more than anything.

After hearing about all that was happening, Herod, the tetrarch was greatly perplexed and kept trying to see him (v 7-9). Even though he was curious about this Jesus regarding what he was doing, he failed to focus on Jesus’ words and message. Herod’s mistake was to seek Jesus in a shallow manner. In order to know Jesus intimately and come to salvation, Herod needed to shift his attention to Jesus’ words rather than his signs and wonders.

Why wasn’t Herod interested in the words of Christ? The Word of God always demands some sort of response and obedience. Jesus had the same message that John the Baptist preached prior to his ministry; that is, “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin” (Lk. 3:3). Herod had also heard the message of John the Baptist, but he did not respond to it in repentance and eventually took his life (v 9). Herod was not the only one that did not repent and walked away when obedience was required. There was a myriad of people that followed Jesus when he was performing signs and wonders, but the result was that “many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore (Jn. 6:60, 66). Jesus’ miracles in and of themselves were not a bad thing. Rather, they were means to bring sinners to understand the gospel message. In other words, witnessing Jesus’ ability to perform miracles demonstrated his ability to save sinners, which is a greater miracle.

Only through the word of God can a sinner come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore, those that are saved by the word are true Christians who have a personal and intimate relationship with Christ. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that [Jesus] has spoken to you are spirit, and are life (Jn. 6:63). In the same manner, Christians can measure how near Christ is to them from their relation to the word of God.

Herod’s information on what was happening about Jesus was heard from secondhand witnesses, which caused him to be greatly perplexed.  The text describes his sources as all coming from others: “because it was said by some that John was risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen (7b-8). Firsthand knowledge of any person cannot be downplayed, especially when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. Even today, there are so many means to know who Jesus Christ is, but they are all secondhand knowledge. This sort of knowledge creates only a shallow understanding and relationship with Christ. Secondhand knowledge in and of itself is not a bad thing, but they must build on a firsthand saving knowledge of Christ through the word of God. Herod failed to do just that although he had an abundant opportunity.

Herod’s interest and passion were based on wrong motives and driven by self-interest to see whether Jesus was able to perform the miracles he had heard about (v. 9). Even following his meeting with Jesus, “Herod with his soldiers, after treating [Jesus] with contempt and mocking him, dressed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate (Lk. 23:8-9, 11). Ultimately, Herod loved only himself and thereby failed to know and love Jesus personally.

“Do we love Christ? That is the great question! Without this there is no vitality about our Christianity. We are no better than… painted wax figures, lifeless stuffed beasts in the museum, sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. There is no life where there is no love to Jesus. Knowledge, orthodoxy, correct views, regular use of forms, a respectable moral life; all these do not make up a true Christian” (J.C. Ryle).

May Herod’s example be a warning to all as he was hellbound and ended there by loving himself rather than loving Christ. Only through the word of God and the gospel sinners are able to know Jesus personally, intimately, and devotionally.

We are all called to proclaim the gospel in the world. Matthew 28 calls all of us to make disciples, not just the seventy who were there, not just the apostles, but all Christians everywhere. Just 25 years ago, the majority of Christians understood this. Now the majority think it’s not necessary to share the Gospel through God’s word and that we instead share the gospel through good works and exemplary lives instead. But the Holy Spirit and the Bible never change. We must proclaim the gospel message in order to lead the lost to salvation in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14-15,17). Without the Holy Spirit working through the gospel message, no one will be saved.

With that being said, the great commission is not our business but God’s business. Jesus is the initiator and the one orchestrating everything in these verses. He calls them, He instructs them, He designs the strategy, and He sends them. Jesus does all this for His disciples because He wants them to succeed. He knows that the world is a tough place and the task He’s given is also difficult. So He provides what we need in order for us to fulfill His will.

So Jesus emphasizes two things in His instructions. The first is trust. Jesus said, “Take nothing”. This shows that this is not man’s work, but God’s work. What men need most when obeying the Great Commission is a heart that trusts in God completely. Trust is better than knowledge or talent. Jesus said “take nothing”, not even the essentials. The disciples were not allowed a staff, bag, food, money, or tunic. They were without help, protection, sustenance, or comfort. However, while they were without their things, they would not be alone. Jesus will be with them and He will provide for them. Nehemiah 9:21 and Luke 22:35 show that Jesus provides what we need. We can trust in Him.

We need trust and we also need the Holy Spirit to be successful in our evangelism. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot change people’s hearts. Sometimes it takes just a short conversation, other times it takes years of teaching over and over again. Conversion depends on the Holy Spirit instead of our circumstances (John 16:8). Billy Graham’s crusades were famous for thousands of coming to Christ each night. Sadly time showed that only a few were truly saved. Those were the ones that truly received the Holy Spirit. So the hearer’s salvation does not depend on our talent but on the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:19-20, Acts 10:38). Therefore be filled with the Holy Spirit and trust in the Lord in order to fulfill the Great Commission.

To what extent should we trust in the Lord? We must trust in Jesus absolutely. The disciples were not allowed to take anything, not even a piece of bread. Jesus proved that life does not require bread but God’s word (Matthew 4:4). Jesus proved that He is trustworthy, and that He can even raise the dead (Luke 8:50). He directs us not to be afraid but to believe in Him. George Muller once said, “Faith rests on the naked word of God”. Simply trust in God and His word completely.

If we look at our own church, we are also called by God. We believe it is the will of God to be in Los Angeles and witness to the millions who are lost. This is our mission given to us by God. To pursue, it requires discipline and consistency. It requires working and giving blessings in the place where you are (Luke 9:4). Not everyone will listen to you but your labor is not in vain. As you give the blessings of Christ’s love and the gospel, you will receive the blessing back and your reward is in heaven (Matthew 5:10, Romans 14:17)

In Luke 8:5 Jesus gives instructions on how to respond to those who reject the gospel. He is showing them that it is not their responsibility to save them, but only to trust in Him and preach. Salvation is ultimately up to God. Our responsibility is to obey and tell them (Ezekiel 3:17-21 ). The disciples obeyed and went (Luke 9:6). We too must go.  If you look at yourself and your own ability, then you won’t be able to save anyone. Don’t look at your books or others for knowledge or strength. Look at Jesus. He is the one who sends you. Trust in Him and He will provide. For our church to grow, we must look to Jesus and obey Him.