The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-07-12

Matt. 1916. VI
TIME.-Summer A. D. 20.
PLACE.-Caesarea Philippi.
EXPOSIT1ON.-I. Peter Confess
ing Christ, 1916. Jesus had been
praying in seclusion duke 9:1S),
The time had come to tell the discil
pies of His approaching death, but az
preparation for this sad information
they must first be brought to a dis
tinct apprehension of His deity. sd
He put to them the question of v. 13l
What men think of Christ is an all.
important matter. Jesus followed up
His first question with one more per.
sonal, but We, whom say We that I
ami" 1t is more important for each
of us, whom we think and say Jesua
is, than whom men think and say that
He is. Jesus wished them to put
their conviction about Him into a
confession with the mouth Gro. 10.
100. Peter answered for the com.
pany as usual. He was no quicker to
see the truth than the rest, but quick
er to put it into words or action tcf
Jno. 21:D. Thou art the Christ
the Son of the Living Cod cried Pc.
ter. This confession had been made
before elmo. 1:49; Matt. 14:33; CT
W.
confession as now made was with
clearer conception of its import. The
confession here made is of the utmost
practical Importance Il Jno. Ais;
ST., 81. 1t contains the fundamental
truth of the gospel (Acts 9:20).
III. Christ Confessing Peter, 1920,
Jesus was pleased with Peters con!
fession of Him, and He is similarly
pleased when we confess Him in
like manner to-day Matt. 1922
33). This confession made weak Sit
mon, son of Jonah, Petros "a piece OF
rock) Jesus said Peter had had this
great truth revealed to him by the
heavenly Father. No one can really
know Jesus as the Son of God unless
God does reveal it to him q Cor q:
IA; 12:3). But God reveals it to any
one who wishes to know and Wills I'd
do the truth emo. 7:17; 16:13-15)i
The practical proof that we believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son OF
God, is found in Jno. 5:5. Jesus
said upon this rock (Petra), faith In
which made Simon a Petros (piece OF
rock), He would build His church,
Jesus Christ is Himself the chief corr
nerstone of the church (Eph. 2:20s
/ Cor. 3:11; lisa. 2S:16), and ali
built upon Him become themselves
living stones (1 Pet, 2:5, 6, r. V.N
The gates of hades shall not prevail
against the church built upon Christ
and faith in Him as the Son of God
Members of that church will fall
asleep, but hades will have no power
over them, they will depart to be with
Christ (Phil 1881, and others will
arise to carry on their work till Christ
come.
III. The Cost of True Discipleship.
21-28. The time was now ripe for
Jesus to declare to His disciples His
approaching rejection, suffering an6
death. He tells them He must" GO
to Jerusalem; must" suffer, must"
be killed, must be raised again. There
was an imperative necessity for these
things. Why must" He die? Ono.
3:14; Heb. 9:22; lisa. 53:4-6: 2 Cor,
5:21; GAL 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24). But
there is another glorious must"
must be raised again (Ro. IA; APPS;
$50; Jno. 14:19). Peter agaiR
rushes to the front, but/not this time
with God-given confession of faith
but a flesh-giyen protest against the
cross. And now Jesus pronounces
him no longer Peter (rock-man), but
Satan Ian Adversary, and "a stumb-
ling-block." All this downfall and
humiliation came from his minding
not the things of God but the things
of men. To face the cross is the
mind of God, to shun it is the mind
of men, Which mind have you? Then
follow the wondrous words that sci
forth in the clearest and most search.
ing way the conditions and cost Oh
real discipleship Cd Let him deny
himself" Real self-denial is the DE;
NAL of self. The word translated
deny" means Ito affirm that one has
no acquaintance or connection with
one," just as Peter denied his Lord
Matt. 26;72; Luke 22:3D. To deny
self then is to say to self-when ii
comes forward with it's claims, its de,
mands, its interests, it's desires, its
opinions, its strength, its anything,
II don't know you" 1t is to renouncd
self with all that belongs to it, it'd
ideas, hopes, plans, purposes, aInbit
tions, strength, all. Cd Let him
take up his cross" The cross is that
suffering and shame that lie in thd
path of loyalty to God, literal execu4
ton on cross for Jesus and persecu+
ton for all who, etc. g I'll. 3:12C
To take up our cross is to go right ON
in the path Of duty and meet the suf-
fering and shame and crucifxion that
lie there. To compromise with tho
world to avoid these, is to refuse tho
cross and cease to be disciple. cd
And follow Me-" i. e., to have the
mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-S; Pet. "a
1920. This looked hard to the dis
ciples, but Jesus went on to show how
well it paid, that man made a bad
bargain if he gained the whole world
and in doing it lost his soul or lifei
Jesus is coming again in the glory Of
His Father with His angels. In that
day every one shall receive according
to his deeds. Verse 28 does not refer
to the second coming of Christ, but.
as is evident from the context, to that
anticipation of His second coming
that Immediately followed, His trans
figuration. AS Peter and James and
John saw Him on that occasion, they
saw Him coming in His kingdom.