Matthew 16:24-28

In our last article, we took a look at the Heart of Response through Peter’s Sermon in Acts 2. From that passage, we pondered how those religious Jews guilty of crucifying the Lord of life were pierced of heart as they looked on him who they had pierced because of their sin and unbelief. After having their eyes and ears finally opened, they cried out in desperation for forgiveness and gladly obeyed the call to repent and be baptized, a call open to each and every one of us by the way. As Paul says, “Today is the day of salvation, do not delay!” (2 Cor 6:2). Of course, this whole scene was saturated by the Holy Spirit, his power and presence, which God grants to all who turn to Christ, and this Spirit is the source of our new super-human reality, living out the fruits of the Spirit.

So, in this article, I’d like for us to look at the Heart of a Disciple, that is, one who has genuinely experienced the eternal ramifications of their response to God’s grace in Christ.

To do this, we’re going to look at the Heart of a Disciple in two parts:

1. the "Disciple in Theory" from Matt 16

2. the "Disciple in Action" from Acts 2

Now I don’t know about you, but when I think of "theory" I typically think of some half-baked idea that’s perhaps a bit out there, more speculation than fact. Perhaps you’ve had a few of these, like a theory on the perfect economic system for a society or why the pyramids were built or where all the missing socks go from the laundry. But what I have in mind for a theory here is really the sense of, the basis and principles for why something happens or works. Sort of like the math and physics principles that an engineer uses to build a plane or the music theory behind a song that’s being performed.

In Matt 16:24-28, Jesus gives his disciples a little masterclass with 4 lessons on the principles and theory behind being his disciple, or as he calls it one who ‘follows me.’

Lesson 1: A true disciple is a follower not a fan

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24)

You’ve likely heard this verse before but I it truly is a great way to distinguish between those who are “religious” and “go to church” and those who are true Christians. So, what’s the difference? Well, simply put, a “fan” is someone who may look the part, like certain things, and perhaps say things like “I like Jesus but …” They may even share catchy bible verses on social media but at the end of the day, a fan is really just a passive bystander. They are not actively engaged in the work.

I mean, think about it. It’s sort of like a football or futbol game at a major stadium. What distinguishes a fan from a player? Well, the player is on the field. They are getting sweaty and dirty. They have to show up to practice all 6 days before and probably a host of other things. But you get the point. Fans may wear a jersey and show up to games, usually only once in a while, and even get emotional, visibly excited or saddened. But ultimately, they are just passive bystanders with no real contribution nor official status with the team. The fan merely extracts and uses the team, game, and real players for their own pleasure and purposes.

When it comes to following Jesus, being his disciple, there is no such thing as a passive bystander. To follow Jesus means to imitate him and to do as he does. To walk with him in the Jesus Way. So, we see here in Matt 16:24, just as the football player gets dirty so to speak, the follower of Jesus does to. The truth is, being a disciple of Jesus can be difficult and it often has its share of suffering or discipline, we might say.

However, it’s crucial for us to think rightly about the biblical idea of discipline. This term is really rooted in the word “disciple,’ which is true in Hebrew, Greek, and English. And disciple is of course just another word for “student.” And what is the goal of a student? A student endeavors to be shaped and molded into the likeness of their teacher, the hopeful telos or end of the student’s training. So, although the word discipline may trigger us or give us flashbacks, it is actually a good thing. Discipline is the very means of God to mold us into being a true follower of Jesus and not just a fan. Followers will be with their perfect teacher in his kingdom. Fans, not so much.

Now, Jesus’ first lesson here in Matt 16:24 is a well-known verse, probably familiar to most of us, even to many outside the church. But I think we normally tend to focus on the part about “taking up your cross,” which is certainly central to the context. Jesus was prophesying to his disciples that he would soon be crucified. This idea is quite powerful and produces strong imagery in our minds, even symbolizing our own death with Christ as Paul argues in Gal 2:20 and Rom 6:6.

Yet, in Matt 16:24, I suggest that the first part of the verse is perhaps the truly difficult portion of the verse, the truly miraculous and weighty call of the disciple. Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” Of course, being crucified would not be at all easy. But it’s a single event, one that can even be purely external with no internal reality (cf. 1 Cor 13:3). There have been countless martyrs from all sorts of religions and beliefs, including environmentalists and other more secular ideologies.

So, there must be more at play here in Jesus’ lesson. What does it mean to deny yourself? And why is this the hard part? Well, the word “deny” is only used a few times elsewhere in the Gospels, primarily with Peter’s denial of being a disciple of Jesus, when things got tough. And the other is Jesus’ ominous statement, “The one who denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 10:33). So, it seems there is an inverse relationship or contrast between denying Jesus and denying yourself. In other words, if we do not deny ourselves, we are in essence or in practice denying Christ. There’s no way to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.

Now let’s think about this just a little further. Our modern culture yearns for self-fulfillment, like water for fish, though probably true in some form throughout human history. This is why the ‘self-help movement’ and ‘prosperity gospel’ are so popular, taking the entire globe by storm. This is because it’s not the Jesus Way. It’s actually the wide path that leads to destruction (Matt 7:13).

Have you heard people say things like, “I gotta take care of me, or I gotta look out for number 1, or I’m exploring myself, what I truly want.” Or maybe you’ve noticed that they ultimately only pursue things that benefit themselves, whether directly or indirectly. Perhaps you have been guilty of these kinds of things too!

So, here’s the dangerous trick for us. When Jesus says “deny yourself,” what we may be tempted to hear is, seek self-fulfillment in a different way, seek personal gain and benefit with a new outfit. You were seeking happiness as a fan of one thing, now try seeking happiness as a fan of Jesus. But we have to fight sneaky ideas like this that corrupt our view of the Jesus Way.

I once heard it said that being humble is not thinking of yourself as less than others but simply thinking about yourself less. In other words, a disciple of Jesus considers others more and, in particular, our teacher and heavenly father. As the wonderful phrase goes, JOY equals Jesus, Others, You, and in that order! This approach is the Jesus way. Jesus says in John 5, “I only do as I see my father doing” and “I only do as my father wills.” (John 5:19; 30). So, if we are to be students of Jesus, following him, imitating him, we too must understand and imitate self-denial just as he did.

And just to clarify, this doesn’t mean intentionally seeking suffering or harm for ourself. This was one of the major errors of monks during the medieval period, who would whip themselves and intentionally cause self-harm to mimic Christ’s sufferings. Yet, self-denial like Jesus doesn’t mean seeking selfish or meaningless suffering, or being self-demeaning, or harsh on yourself or even self-critical. These are all self-oriented, ultimately a form of self-fulfillment really. Asceticism, or religious self-inflicted suffering, has been popular throughout the world and throughout countless religions, which again means that it can’t be the Jesus Way.

Instead, self-denial means letting go of ourselves, our own plans, and acknowledging the one we follow, seeking the Father and his will in his way above all, whatever that looks like for us. It means being open and willing to do and go as our teacher wills without consideration of our own self-fulfillment. So, in reality, it’s not so much about what we can’t do but about what we can do, or get to do, as we walk with Jesus in his way.

At times this will be tough. In fact, there’s perhaps no harder thing for us to do than to genuinely deny ourselves and our wants and our desires or dreams or even fears or logic. This becomes especially difficult as we compare ourselves and our lives to others. That’s what Peter was doing in John 21, if you recall, comparing himself to John. But Jesus says to Peter, don’t worry about what happens to John, you worry about following me! This is a deep teaching for all of us.

So, if we end up on a cross, we say “not my will but yours.” If it means taking this job and not that one or moving here instead of there or talking to that person or giving this thing up or starting this hobby or habit, whatever it is, we do so with our eyes fixed on our teacher, following his ultimate example of self-denial and joyful acceptance of the Father’s will.

A true disciple is a follower not a fan.

Lesson 2: A true disciple seeks eternal purpose

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (16:25-26)

An age-old question for humans has been, what is the “good life”? In ancient Greece, the philosophers fell into three basic camps on this question. The Epicureans famously held to hedonism or pleasure as the highest good. The Stoics were in some sense the opposite, seeking restraint and freedom from internal-psychological vacillation, meaning the whims of desire. They sought to achieve harmony between self and nature. Plato and Aristotle taught a more moderate view of balance. They were particularly focused on social wisdom and societal well-being, being good citizens of the state, as the good life. 

In India, the Hindus have long believed in physical restraint to achieve freedom and nirvana. The Buddhists in contrast seek the “middle way” between sensuality and asceticism in order to find happiness and the good life. 

So, how do we view the good life in modern America? Perhaps for some, it’s the pursuit of comfort or safety. For others, it’s the pursuit of success. Perhaps, it's chasing self-will and determination or self-actualization. But we have to ask, are any of these the Jesus Way?

Although we may quickly reject hedonism, or full-on pleasure-seeking, we might be tempted to lean toward the view of self-restraint, or even a noble middle-way, chasing self-determination, success, and safety. But you see, while all these versions of the good life may seem different externally, they are all the same at the heart.

Think about this, who or what is the primary focus for all of them? It’s me, it’s self! And this is true of every human model of life. The Jesus Way, however, is self-denial, not in the sense of more focus on the self but in freedom from worrying about this life and our ability to make it ‘good’ for ourselves. It is ultimately freedom from focusing on me.

So, the Jesus Way seeks a purpose far beyond ourselves and beyond our lives, beyond our will. Jesus clearly says that those who desire to save themselves are doomed. This is because they have minds darkened and consumed by themselves rather than minds set on Christ and the things above. The good life, according to Jesus, ironically is losing your life! And most importantly, as he says, “for my sake.” Losing our life and denying ourselves means seeking and following Christ above our own desires, whether in riches or poverty, or in pain or pleasure. As Paul says in Phil 4, I endure all things, good or bad, through Christ, because it is all for and by him.

So, a true disciple seeks eternal purpose.

Lesson 3: A true disciple does not fear justice

“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27).

I think when we read Jesus’ words, we may be tempted to view this only in the negative sense, like a kid who hears his parents pulling in the driveway but has made a huge mess of the house and hasn’t done a single bit of homework or chores. Panic and fear strike.

But is this the picture Jesus is teaching? Well, I’d say yes and no. On one hand, for those who have rejected Jesus, or denied him, and are still trapped in their sin, then yes. God is a just judge who will punish the wicked, which should rattle the bones of anyone sitting on the fence of Christianity.

But I’d also say, the promise by Jesus here to “repay everyone for what they’ve done” can be a great encouragement and hope. If you remember, a little later in Matt 25, Jesus says, “The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.’”

So we see, Jesus repaying us for our deeds doesn’t need to be a fearful thing. In fact, it was Jesus himself who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28, 30). If we have trusted in Jesus, he has already done all the hard work and heavy lifting for us. By his righteous life and death on our behalf, he has placed us in right fellowship with the Father. He has freed us from condemnation of guilt and because of that, we can truly live without fear of judgment or punishment. That has no place in the life of a student or disciple.

Remember, disciple and discipline are inseparably related. Hebrews 12, quoting from Prov 3, says, “The LORD disciplines the one he loves.” The word discipline does not mean punish. It means teach! It’s actually a form of his fatherly love, confirmation that he is indeed our father. And as a good teacher, he does not punish but corrects and guides and instructs, which can be uncomfortable in the moment but ultimately is for our good and our growth. Because He desires to shape us and mold us. So that, we would reflect his own character, actions, and desires.

So, a true disciple does not fear justice, because he has already been fully justified by Christ! Perfect love casts out all fear.

Lesson 4: A true disciple awaits the Glorious Kingdom

“Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28)

Growing up, my dad would often say, “Better is the end of a matter than its beginning,” which I later realized is from Eccl 7:8. Normally, it gets applied to challenging situations and the sentiment of being free from the toil and pain of a difficult task. But we know from experience that the end can sometimes be worse than the struggle. Without the hope of an eternal joyful fellowship with God at the end of our days, the end is quite difficult to consider. In other words, it may not be better.

However, for those who long deeply for the new heavens and new earth, where God will be present with us without hindrance, he will be our light and our shalom, those with this longing can truly deny themselves and take up their cross and lose their life and follow Jesus. Only in this hope can it all be truly better in the end. Self-denial makes no sense from a purely human perspective.

But just as it says of Jesus in Heb 12:2, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and now sits are the right hand of God’s throne.” We too, if we are true disciples of Jesus, can joyfully endure the cross for the sake of Christ, for our families and our work, because of the joy that lies before us.

So, a true disciple awaits the glorious kingdom, where, “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). And that is truly good news.

The Disciple in Action

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47)

Now let’s briefly look at the Disciple in Action from Acts 2:42-47. Remember, these six verses are coming immediately after Peter’s sermon on the supremacy and necessity of Christ as the resurrected messiah and after the giving of the Holy Spirit.

It’s interesting to consider how before the “disciples” were given and filled by the Holy Spirit they were far from this picture of a disciple that we see here in Acts 2. Although they had been through Jesus’ class on the Theory of a Disciple, they only had “head knowledge,” we might say. They did not have the heart, or even the sufficient desire or the ability, to truly put that theory into action. And that’s because the Theory Jesus taught back in Matt 16 is not possible by mere human ability. But recall what he also said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). In other words, apart from our union with Christ and the empowerment from his Spirit dwelling within us and transforming us, we cannot be a true disciple, whether in theory or in action.

But, when we are, when we truly respond to the Gospel and are filled by the Spirit, we will see the fruit of being a true disciple from Acts 2. They were truly living as followers and not fans of Jesus, denying themselves in love for Christ and others above themselves. They lived with eternal purpose, with a transformed view of their earthly things. They had no fear of judgment but lived with joy and devotion to God’s word. They lived within a new kingdom, one not of this world, where there was true community and fellowship as brothers and sisters without distinction.

You see, when we respond to the Gospel, we are not only saved from – death, sin, self – but we’re saved to – life, holiness, others.

I know as we read on in the NT this wonderful ideal at the beginning wasn’t always the reality and still isn’t even now in the church. But it is the ideal. It is the mark of a true disciple, one following Jesus. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 6:45-49, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its fruit. … Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them … is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose ... it could not shake his house, because it had been built well. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the flood broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

So, as we wrap up, I hope we will consider this. Our Holy-Spirit driven and Gospel-saturated walk not only confirms the truth and reality of our response to ourselves, giving us confidence and peace and hope, but it also declares to those around us who we follow. I declare those in this world the other-worldly self-denial we that live by, a path perplexing and strange. When we genuinely live out the fruit of the Spirit and imitate Christ, others will see him and many will be drawn to him, just as we were and are and will be forever.

So, I want to encourage you to search your heart and bring it before the Lord, to have it weighed and examined. If there are no marks of a true disciple, perhaps a true response to the Gospel is needed. Don’t deny him, deny yourself, and turn to him fully. But, if you have trusted in Christ, but have been denying him with your life, renew your self-denial once again and humbly ask for his support and comfort and vision to walk with him wherever and however he leads.

This is the heart of a true disciple, both in theory and in action.