Laying Down One's Life

This morning I am reading from Matthew 16:21-27 NIV:

[21] "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

[22] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

[23] Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. [26] What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."

As I was looking at these verses, my mind was drawn to Jesus' statement at the end of verse 23, and the next statement He makes which talks about one of the requirements of following Jesus is denying oneself. In verse 23, He states that Peter does not have in his "mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns". This statement is directly related to the next, on denying oneself. When we die to ourselves we are laying down our ideas and opinions about our own lives and taking on someone else's ideas and opinions, in this case God's.

As I was reading these verses I was reminded of the temptation of Jesus in the desert, and I believe their is definitely a parallel. The second temptation of Jesus was to gain all the kingdom's of the world, all of their splendor and glory (Luke 4:5-8). He was being tempted to again the whole world, but he would have clearly lost His life, and life's purpose. Instead He had in His mind the concerns of God, and knew the path He must take. He saw the opportunity to become almost a god, being worshipped and adored by all, yet understood that way of the Father was different, and better. The third temptation was for Him to cast down Himself from the parapet of the temple, in effect losing His life, but knowing the God the Father would protect Him. This also is the thinking of man, for the Lord does not welcome, nor require personal physical sacrifice to again access to Himself. There needs to be a submission of our will, but not our physical bodies, for Jesus already paid that price.

Further more, if we lay down our lives and receive them back again with new purpose, new life and new vision, we will see Jesus glorified. He will be glorified in our lives. We will see Him move in power, we will see signs and wonders and miracles, and we will see angels ministering. We will receive our reward both now and in the age to come. Jesus promised us as much in Luke 18:29-30 NIV: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God [30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

So, let us not fear laying down our lives, for He has a better plan and a greater purpose. He loves us and wants us to be with Him. The one that loses their life for His sake will find it, and it will be glorious! We can't imagine in our human mindedness what He desires to show us, but it will be glorious.