The reign of Christ is cruciform. Jesus ushers in His reign through a cross. His reign is spread by those who follow Him bearing a cross.
This week’s reading concludes with one of the most difficult texts in all of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus is teaching His disciples about the cost of following Him and concludes by saying, “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” (16:28). The verse is tricky because we are not sure what to do with the phrase “see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.” It sounds like Jesus is saying He is going to return for His second coming before some of the disciples die. But, you and I know this certainly was not the case. Given that the next verses find Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration, many believe it refers to Jesus revealing His glory to Peter, James, and John on the mountain. There are plenty of other explanations, I am sure.
Jeffrey Gibbs, however, makes a compelling case to say, here, Jesus has in mind His passion which will climax in the cross and resurrection. But, at this point, the emphasis is on the cross. It is in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prepares for the cross in prayer that Peter, James, and John see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom (see Matthew 26:36-46). Gibbs writes, “Narratively, the agony of Jesus in the garden initiates the Gospel’s portrayal of the royalty of Jesus, the end-time Christ. The account of Jesus in Gethsemane is the point in the story’s plot at which the divinely ordained suffering and resurrection of Jesus actually begin.”[1]
The reign of Christ is cruciform. Jesus ushers in His reign through a cross. His reign is spread by those who follow Him bearing a cross.
I am convinced by Gibbs’ interpretation as it fits perfectly with the context of what Jesus is teaching in this week’s pericope. Our Lord gives us the first passion prediction in the gospel right on the heals of Peter’s great confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16)! Jesus blesses Peter for his God-given confession. Then, the Lord lays out the Christ’s job description: He has come to establish His reign through the cross. “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (16:21). Jesus will usher in His reign through the cross.
Of course, Peter will not have this and rebukes Jesus. “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You” (16:22). At this point, Jesus has no praise left for Peter. Peter is seeking to control the situation, command Jesus’ plans, and overrun God’s purposes. What is worse, he is probably doing it with the best intentions and with a sincere concern for Jesus’ well-being. But, good intentions are demonic when they contradict the cross. “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of man” (16:23).
Jesus goes on, then, to remind His disciples of their calling: To follow Him no matter where He goes, even if that means bearing a cross. “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)? He warns His disciples to view their lives from the perspective of His glorious judgment. Those who lose their life following Him will gain their lives eternally. But, those who cling to this world and forsake the cross will lose their lives. “Either a person has taken up the cross or has not, has followed Christ in faith or believes in another, has attempted to save his own life or has lost it for the sake of Christ.”[2]
Those who lose their life following Him will gain their lives eternally. But, those who cling to this world and forsake the cross will lose their lives.
Again, the reign of Christ is cruciform. Jesus ushers in His reign through a cross. His reign is spread by those who follow Him bearing a cross.
To preach this text, I would suggest utilizing the Comparison/Contrast structure. Compare Jesus’ way of ushering in His reign (the cross) with Peter’s way of glory. Peter is likely expecting his confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to be demonstrated in powerful, glorious ways. But, Jesus plans to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Contrast false ways of establishing kingdoms (works, success, power, and wealth) with Christ’s gracious work on the cross. Here is where you want to emphasize Jesus doing this for you and your hearers. Christ alone will save us and bring us under His reign through His passion, which works against everything the world values.
Then, for the second part of your sermon, compare the life we should expect when we have “the things of God” with a life we might receive by following the “things of man.” Contrast the values of this world with the call of Christ to take up a cross. In a world which values pride, self-assertion, and rights, Christ calls us to die to ourselves, be humbled before His Word, and sacrifice for the sake of others. Jesus calls us to an utterly counter-cultural way of life. As Dr. Armstrong pointed out so wonderfully a few weeks ago, “[It] is wonderful to point up how humility is such an odd duck within the context of the ancient Greco-Roman classical world that birthed Christianity. Humility is majorly counter-cultural. It is the stuff one suffers in tragedy, avoids in epic, and certainly does not cultivate in statecraft. But it is a key Christian virtue, embodied by Christ Himself.”[3]
The danger with a sermon like this is you could make it sound like Jesus is looking for a few good men to take up the challenge of truly following Him. Only the best of the best who are willing to sacrifice more than others are worthy of His Kingdom! However, this would only be a subtle way of ushering in the world’s values into Jesus’ call. To die to yourself, you must be dead. The only one who can raise you up is the One who establishes His reign on a cross and rises again to receive authority over Heaven and Earth (refer to Philippians 2:5-11). He is the one who frees you from the idolatries and pleasures of this world that seek to entice you away from His call. He alone gives you true life when you have died to the world. There is no dying, cross-carrying, or losing our life apart from the One who gave His life as a ransom for many. The Son of Man has come in His Kingdom, and there is no life worth living apart from dying with Him.
God bless your preaching!
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Matthew 16:21-28.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 16:21-28.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
[1] Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Concordia Commentary: Matthew 11:2-20:34. Concordia, St. Louis, 2010. 848.
[2] Gibbs. Commentary: Matthew. 845.
[3] CJ Armstrong, https://www.1517.org/articles/epistle-romans-1133-128-pentecost-13-series-a-2026
