“One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!” Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.” About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.”
Luke 9:18-36 NLT
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Suffering Servant. These three sections of Luke show that Jesus fulfilled different prophetic roles of the Old Testament—all in one person. The Messiah was meant to deliver the nation from oppression. Jesus fulfilled this role, but not with military might. He gave His life to save the world from sin. He is Messiah AND Suffering Servant. The Suffering Servant was meant to suffer for the sins of the nation and bring forgiveness. Jesus’ vision was for people to turn the other cheek to conquer their enemies with love and strength of will. Christ taught that all who follow Him must deny themselves and take up their cross daily.
The Son of God is a kingly role, meant for leadership. Jesus was more than a king: He is God’s eternal Son; the Transfiguration shows that He is God. God has revealed Himself in Jesus. If our highest goal is to be closer to God, then we need to be closer to Him as He really is, not our own misunderstandings of Him (which is a common problem). God suffers for us out of love, God uses power differently than we do, God lives in eternal glory that inspires awe.
It is important to know who Jesus is. He is the Son of God, Messiah, and Suffering Servant. We are invited to know Him and become like Him, including in suffering. Your choices matter, and each choice can take you closer or further from the perfect and life-giving presence of God.
Why is it important to keep all three roles of Jesus in mind? Why did Jesus teach that a person had to deny themselves and take up their cross daily?
