See the Kingdom of God
A. Who do you say I am?
1. God's Messiah (18-20)
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God's Messiah.”
2. He who lives to suffer (21-22)
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And 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.”
B. If you want to follow me...
1. Deny yourself (23-26)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self ? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
You will see the kingdom of God (27)
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Summary
Jesus was a savior, the Messiah, who was sent by God to atone for our sins. Even if we spent the rest of our lives trying, we wouldn't be able to grasp the full implication of what he has done for us. If we know the one who came to suffer on the cross for us, we can live in hope instead of despair. Let's follow Jesus and continue to love even when we are suffering or when it's inconvenient. As we love, God's kingdom draws near and we will see positive changes in our world.
For Discussion
1) What does it mean for you to deny yourself?
2) What does it mean to see the kingdom of God?