20251012 Luke 9:18-27 The Unexpected Suffering Messiah

The end of the life of Attila the Hun is one of the most anticlimactic events in history. In the fifth century, Attila the Hun defeated the entire eastern part of the Roman Empire. All he needed was Rome to invade all of Italy. After all his glorious victories, he returned home, where he died of a nosebleed. A quote attributed to him was “There, where I have passed, the grass will never grow again.” He has gone down as the most feared man in history who died of a nosebleed. What a disappointing ending to the life of such an impressive warrior.

The paradigm of a man who lived such an impressive life only to have such an unimpressive end helps to understand Luke 9:18-27. Until this point, the ministry of Jesus was so impressive and had such promise. In our text, Luke 8:18-27, Jesus’ ministry takes an unexpected turn. This turn disappoints many. It changes everything for everyone.

From texts like Ps 2, the Jews expected a conquering, victorious, warrior Messiah. So far in Luke, Jesus fits this picture of a reigning victorious Messiah. He announced the kingdom and demonstrated his rule. Now, the one supposed to destroy Israel's enemies speaks of dying at the hands of Israel's leaders. This unexpected plot twist changes everything! Jesus disrupts all expectations. If we take this text seriously, this disruption has consequences for our daily lives.

SIOS: Jesus is the unexpected suffering Messiah who invites us to suffer to find life.

We will look at who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.

First, we look at who Jesus is in Luke 9:18-22.

The theme of Luke 9:18-22 is Jesus' identity. It focuses on three perspectives: the perspective of the crowds, the perspective of the disciples, and Jesus’ perspective.

The question of Jesus’ identity is the question Luke asks of his readers. He has arranged his material to introduce Jesus to us. He has shown us that Jesus has authority over all spheres of life. Luke shows that Jesus teaches with great authority (Luke 4:32). Jesus has the authority to call people to follow him (Luke 5:10-11). He has the authority to cleanse hearts (Luke 5:24), to heal diseases (Luke 7:8), and cast out demons (Luke 4:36). Jesus has authority over nature (Luke 8:25). He has authority of all people, Jew (Luke 8:41) and Gentile (Luke 7:2). He has authority over death (Luke 7:14-16; 8:54-55) and to forgive sins (Luke 5:24; 7:49). Who is this man?

Luke presents Jesus and he also highlights the people's responses to Jesus. The people asked, “Is this not Joseph’s son? (Luke 4:22), “Who is this, who even forgives sins? (Luke 7:49) “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25). King Herod asked, “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” (Luke 9:9). These questions are supposed to lead us to ask and answer this question, “Who is Jesus?”

Luke 9:18-22

Luke 9:18-19 is about the crowds' perspective. In Luke 9:18, Jesus says, “Who does the crowd say that I am?” The disciples reply, “Some say, 'John the Baptist, others say Elijah, others a prophet from of old has risen.'”

So far in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has been identified with a prophet four times (Luke 1:76; 4:24;7:16; 7:39). The prophets' ministries were like Jesus'. They taught with authority and sometimes, miracles confirmed that their message was from God. Jesus was indeed a prophet and the prophet par excellence, but he is more than a prophet.

In Luke 9:20, Jesus changes the question. He asks the disciples for their answer. He asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ of God.”

Christ is the Greek Work, Messiah is the Hebrew word. Both come from the verb "to anoint.” So the English word is “Anointed one.” There are many "anointed ones" in the Bible like the priests and kings. But there was an expectation of "an anointed one.” A prophet, priest, and king, who would fulfill prophecy and reverse the power of sin. This is who Peter claims Jesus is. According to Acts 10:37-38, God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit at his baptism.

In the Old Testament, the promises that began in Genesis build on one another and are connected to form a complex portrait of the savior of the world. By the end of the Old Testament, the expected Messiah was to fulfill a complex set of expectations. In calling Jesus, this Messiah, Jesus is the following. He is the son of Eve who reverses the consequences of sin (Gen 3:15). He is the descendant of Abraham who brings blessings to all the families of the world (Gen 12:3). He is the prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15) who teaches and performs miracles. He is the son of David who will reign forever (2 Sam 7). He is the son of man of Dan 7:13-14 who has authority over all things. What Peter and many likely missed is that the Messiah was also the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. Jesus will give his life for the forgiveness of the sins of his people.

In Luke 9:21-22, in response to Peter's correct answer, Jesus charges them not to tell anyone. We are probably confused by this. Isn't our job to tell everyone about Jesus? This phenomenon is called the “Messianic Secret.” It appears also in Luke 5:14 and 8:56.

In Luke 8:39, when Jesus had healed a man in Gentile territory, he told him, “Return home, and declare how much God has done for you.” When he heals in Jews he says, “Don't tell anyone.” In Luke 9:22, he tells them what they are to tell people, “The Son of must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day by raised.”

Jesus is not forbidding his disciples of speaking about him. He is just charging them not to tell anyone he is the Messiah. The Gentiles weren't expecting a Jewish Messiah, so they could receive the news. The Jews who expected a conquering warrior Messiah, needed to hear of the suffering servant who had come.

John 6:15 explains Jesus' concern. Following a miracle, John writes, “Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.”

Some OT texts highlight the power of the Messiah to conquer. Number 24:17 A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth. Ps 2 describes the Messiah as a king who rules over all nations and shatters his enemies. These are fulfilled in Christ, but Jesus first fulfills Ps 118:22 that speaks of his rejection and Isa 53 that speaks of his suffering, death, and resurrection!

Now what does this mean for us?

Luke told us in Luke 1:4 that his purpose is that his readers would be certain about Jesus.

Luke’s purpose is to present Jesus and his authority in the first nine chapters so that we would come to the same conclusion as Peter, confessing that he is the Christ. The Gospel of Luke is Luke's Gospel presentation. Luke wants us to believe and repent from our sins and enjoy eternal life. We need to answer, “Who do you say Jesus is?”

Second, we look at what it means to follow him in Luke 9:23-27

Jesus shocked his disciples with his identity. Now, he shocks them with what it means to follow the suffering Messiah. If Jesus was a conquering military type of king, following him would mean following him in victory over our enemies. To follow a suffering rejected Messiah means we will know rejection and suffering.

Luke 9:23-27

In Luke 9:23, Jesus does not say, “If you believe in me, your life will be better.” He says, “Follow me, deny yourself, and pick up your cross each day, and follow me.” Jesus is not the warrior who destroys our enemies, the guide who leads us to success at school or in our careers and relationships. He does not promise health or prosperity.

To follow Jesus is to carry a cross, which is a means of execution. Jesus denied his rights, took up his cross, died for the sins of the world, and invites us to follow him in suffering.

Luke 9:24-26 offer three reasons to follow Jesus in this suffering.

Luke 9:24 offers the first reason to follow Jesus in his death and resurrection, we must first go through death before finding life. Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” When the wage of sin is death, the way we find life is through death. Those who insist on life will die in their sins. Those who follow Jesus unite themselves in Jesus' death and find life in his resurrection.

Luke 9:25 offers a second reason to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus. This reason is that Jesus came to bring peace not conquering war. Jesus says, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” If you want a military Jesus, the life of a Christian will be one of war. Wars lead to death, literally. The only blood Jesus came to shed was his own for the sake of his enemies. We suffer with Jesus for the sake of our enemies. Sometimes war is avoided, when one denies their rights and chooses suffering over revenge. We follow Jesus in his suffering because we seek the peace of our enemies, not conquests, and deadly wars, more rights, or revenge, so we suffer with Christ.

Luke 9:26 gives a third rational to suffer with Jesus. Those who worship a suffering servant will worship a glorified Messiah. Those hoping for a warrior, conquering, victorious Messiah will be ashamed of a suffering servant. Jesus says, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Jesus is indeed a suffering Messiah, but this is not all he will be. According to Luke 9:22 he will also rise on the third day. Jesus will also have a glorious coming. This glorious coming is prefigured in the Transfiguration and manifested in Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and seating at the right hand of the Father, and his return to judge. Those who are ashamed of Christ’s humiliation will be rejected by Christ in his exaltation. We suffer with Jesus to be exalted with Jesus. It is the only way.

The three reasons to suffer with Jesus are: the way to life is through death, accepting to suffer with Jesus leads to a life of peace and not war, finally if we align ourselves with the humbled Messiah, we will be aligned with him in his exaltation.

Jesus ends in Luke 9:27 saying, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” He is encouraging them. He will suffer, he will be rejected, he will die. They have to deny themselves and carry their cross daily, but within their lifetime, they will experience the effects of Jesus’ exaltation, the manifestation of God’s reign in Christ. This will occur in part in the very next text, with a foretaste of Christ’s exaltation with the Transfiguration but also in the resurrection, Pentecost, and the expansion of the New Covenant Church. All this in their lifetime!

Application

The application for us if we accept that Jesus is the Messiah, is that we must follow him as he presents himself. We may desire a Messiah who wins, who gives us health, power, money, and success. This is not the Messiah Jesus. Jesus asks us to deny our worldly desires to find eternal life. Eternal life begins as soon as you place your faith in Christ. It is a life of suffering, sacrifice, and submission to God's will, and the most meaningful life as it aligns with God's purposes. It is a life of joy, love, and peace.

The call of Luke 9:23 is to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This means our lives are a picture of the humbled, crucified, risen Messiah. I want to offer 4 examples of what it means then means to be a Christian and portray a humbled, crucified, risen Messiah in our lives:

First, we confess and repent. When confronted with our sins, we must confess them and repent of them. The Messiah is crucified for the forgiveness of sins. We present the humbled crucified Messiah when we humble ourselves and confess our sins to God and to each other. By confessing our sins to present the crucified Messiah, we remind ourselves that we are free from condemnation, because Jesus took the punishment for sin. By his resurrection, he shows us that he gives us life after death. The punishment was paid in full. He died and did not have to remain dead. Confessing our sins with the assurance of forgiveness announces the Messiah who died for sins.

Second, we forgive. In the face of the sins of others, we must forgive. The more we are captivated and amazed by the cross of Jesus, the less the sins of others will shock us. The more we know the depth of our own sin, the more we realize the magnitude of Jesus’ love for us. The more we experience God's love, the more we love our neighbor and forgive the sins of others. When we forgive, we offer a picture of Christ's forgiveness. The more we forgive something that seems unforgivable, the more the love and power of God is manifested in us.

At my former church, there was a lady called Gaelle. She told me that about 50 years ago, a truck had hit and killed her son. She told me that she knew right away that one of the people who would suffer the most from this accident was the driver. She forgave him, wanted him to know. She spent the rest of her life praying for his well-being. In telling me this story, Gaelle presented the Messiah who was crucified for the forgiveness of sin.

We follow Jesus by confessing, repenting, and forgiving. A third way we follow Jesus is by enduring through suffering. When we do wrong and are punished, we deserve the punishment. Christ crucified is an innocent man who is punished. When we are wrongly punished, if we endure, we present Christ crucified (Acts 5:41; 1 Pet. 3:20).

Fourth, we live for Jesus. If we live for comfort, money, luxury and entertainment, Christ is invisible. If we live sacrificially and humbly, to help those who suffer without wanting recognition, we will present the crucified Christ who served humbly and quietly.

Conclusion

Does the way of Jesus really lead to life? Let’s consider an alternative way. What if instead of denying ourselves we lived for ourselves?

I want to consider the danger of seeing all our dreams come true. Marilyn Monroe had it all: beauty, a life of luxury, money and she killed herself. I do not want to oversimplify, since she did have a complicated life. At least, I learn that even if all my worldly dreams come true, I would still not be satisfied. If we learn by experience that we can never do anything to be satisfied, we learn a tragic lesson. Perhaps only death would relieve our despair.

Jesus offers us another way. He offers us to deny our worldly dreams. Counter-intuitively, it is by accepting the crucified messiah and navigating through suffering that we find the life that satisfies. It is the life that he has for us now.

Luke presents the Messiah who has authority over all things. We have a choice to make. Will Jesus be the center of our lives? While Attilah the Hun went down as the scariest man to die of a nosebleed. Jesus had the most spectacular death of all. It is a death that was followed by a resurrection. His death made eternal life possible for us all! Let us deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus