Many of us can look back at a time when we had an opportunity before us that we did not take. Some of those opportunities we can look back on now and think maybe we should have.
As we sit in the wake of Easter Sunday, seeing the power of the resurrection and the reality that Jesus established Himself as the King that has been promised for centuries to restore God’s people, we can’t help but ask, what do we do with King Jesus? As we do so, we find an incredible opportunity in front of us.
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The magnitude of a realization
We see Jesus who conquered death. We are struck by the reality that he has proven Himself to be the Messiah. He sits at the right hand of God with all power and authority. That’s a huge realization. It demands a response.
To understand the best response, we’ll back up in Matthew to another moment of realization. Jesus asked “who do you say I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.” Jesus’ response confirms the truth of Peter’s realization.
Peter still didn’t fully understand the implications. He had his own ideas of what the Messiah would be. Jesus rebukes him for man’s way of thinking instead of God’s way. And from that, he speaks of the proper response.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 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?
Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)
The opportunity of a lifetime
It’s in understanding who Jesus is that this tremendous opportunity presents itself. Jesus goes back to the simple thing He called His disciples to in the beginning. He implores them to do the same thing He’ll implore Peter to do after restoring him after his denials: “Follow me.”
It’s an amazing opportunity. Follow Jesus. I like how John Mark Comer puts it:
Jesus’ invitation was not to convert to a new religion called Christianity, but to apprentice under Him into life in the kingdom. This is the chance of a lifetime, but in the gospel stories, most people said no to this invitation
John Mark Comer: “Practicing the Way”
The opportunity of a lifetime.
In those days, one of the highest honors one could receive was to be called to follow a rabbi. That was something reserved for the best and the brightest. We might question if the twelve were the best and the brightest, but imagine how incredible it would have been to have been able to walk with Jesus and learn directly from Him.
The opportunity is not cheap
A few years ago the state of Nebraska took a different approach to their tourism ads. They decided to lean into the stereotypes about the state and came up with a slogan: “Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”
It seems like a counter-intuitive way to market a state. In the same way, what Jesus had to say about following Him isn’t the kind of thing that would draw the masses. Deny myself? Take up my cross? Lose my life? This doesn’t sound like what I signed up for.
Several years ago, one item available in a charity auction was a steak lunch with Warren Buffet, the famous investor. The winning bidder paid $16.3 million dollars for that opportunity. While that seems like a lot of money to pay for a steak dinner, it was the chance to pick the brain of one of the greatest investors of all time that made it worthwhile to someone.
When we realize what we have in front of us, we understand that this opportunity cannot be cheap. This is about sitting at the feet of King Jesus. It’s about walking with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the master of the universe. The opportunity to follow Jesus is so great that it cannot be cheap.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way:
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “The Cost of Discipleship”
Following Jesus and Becoming Like Him has a cost.
The reality is that Jesus gave everything. If we want to follow Him and be like Him, can we be expected to give anything less?
The only way to truly follow Jesus and seek to be like Him is to give ourselves fully to Him.
This requires surrender. Denial of self. It requires giving ourselves fully and going all in on our faith. Following Jesus is more than raising a hand or getting dunked and going about life as though nothing happened.
The price seems too high. It feels impossible. The truth is, it IS too high for us to pay. We cannot do it on our own.
But let’s back up a little. What did we see at Easter? We saw victory. We saw Jesus who defeated death and established His place at the right Hand of God. And we see Jesus who has been given all power and authority in heaven and on earth.
This is the same Jesus who promises to provide us what we need to be able to do whatever He’s called us to do. Do you think that the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the one with all power and authority, do you think that maybe He might be able to provide us whatever we need to pay that price.
Do we need more faith? He can provide it. Do we need more conviction? He can give it. Do we need boldness? Guess who can give it to us.
The opportunity is great. It’s so great that it cannot be cheap. The price is high. While it’s so high we can’t pay it ourselves, Jesus can give us what we need. In the end, following Jesus cannot be casual. It cannot be simple. We just need to be ready to say I’m all in on following you, no strings attached, no self attached. It’s not about me but about following you.