As Told By A Scoundrel: Advent Is An Invitation To Die

November 27, 2022 Speaker: Chris Francis Series: As Told By a Scoundrel

Matthew 16:21-26

Peter and the other disciples expected the Messiah to come with political power and overcome their Roman oppressors. So when Jesus said that he would suffer and die, Peter's plans feel threatened and he reacts by trying to correct Jesus.

Jesus, in turn, rebukes Peter and lays out, with sobering clarity, what it really means to follow him.

His disciples must be willing to die to their expectations of God, of how God's kingdom should work, and even of how their own lives will go.

Instead of believing the lie that God's kingdom will be ushered in through human strength, persuasive arguments, and political power, this passage is a reminder that we must hold loosely to all our plans and expectations in order to cling tightly to our suffering and crucified Messiah.