The Necessity of the Cross

Guest Speaker: Ross Appleton

Scriptures: 

• Mark 8:31-33:

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

• John 3:16

• Romans 3:23

• Isaiah 53:6

• Romans 5:8

• Acts 2

• John 10:10

• Matthew 9:36

What We Believe:

• The world has always been unstable. It’s not wrong to feel unsettled. The Bride of Christ can be messy too. It may be natural to question your faith, but Mark 8:31-33 is a stabilizing force.

• Peter has the audacity to rebuke Jesus, and Jesus in turn rebukes Peter. His rebuke might seem pretty harsh (He calls Peter Satan), until we understand the context of God’s sovereign and loving plan.

• The suffering of Jesus was necessary, not accidental—and this is our anchoring truth.

• The Necessity of the Cross

  • Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, but his definition of Messiah was a military liberator.

  • Jesus redefines the Messiah as the Suffering Servant. He knew true and complete victory would only come after suffering. 

  • The suffering and death of Jesus were always God’s “Plan A.” Jesus was not just the victim of a sham trial. The Cross is the focal point of all history and the paradigm for understanding reality.

  • God brought stability by dealing with our sin at the Cross. The Cross is the ultimate source of our stability.

  • Peter was trying to get in the way of what God was doing, and minimizing the Cross is Satanic opposition. The Devil is “the thief [who] comes only to steal and kill and destroy,” but Jesus came that we would have life to the full (John 10:10).

  • God sees differently than Satan and man. It is an upside-down Kingdom. Jesus knew there is power in laying His life down and victory in apparent defeat.

• The Anchoring Truth

  • Jesus came right into the middle of our mess.

  • We were like lost sheep without a shepherd, but He is our compassionate Shepherd who will do something about our deepest problems (Matthew 9:36).

  • He wins, and this gives us hope!

  • Jesus deliberately went to the Cross for His enemies. This gives us victory, and it also reveals God’s fundamental nature. He reveals Himself as a King who dies for His enemies.

How to Obey:

• Follow in Jesus’ footsteps, and following will mean a similar path of sacrifice.

• Our hope is not in a Savior who fixes everything now or promises a life without suffering.

• Seek comfort in His promises, not in something that will never hold.

• Know that instability is an invitation to God’s deep strength, power, and stability.

How to Walk Intimately With God:

• Confront your resistance to a suffering Savior, such as the loss of autonomy or the wish for an easy life.

• Declare His sovereignty and take comfort in the stability of the Cross.

• Let the Cross lead you back to Christ.

  • Bring all of your horrid mess to Him.

  • Come and live and have peace in Him.

• Be the Body of Christ together.

  • Know that the Bride is Beautiful in His sight.

  • Don’t miss His love for the Bride.

• Let Him be your Rock, and rest in His unchanging love for you.