Separately, those of Jewish faith are looking forward to celebrating the Passover, a commemoration of God's direct intervention, when the angel of death "passed over" their doors. It was the beginning of being led out of Egypt and captivity. Their descendants are also looking forward to the Messiah's coming.
Which begs the question: Who is the Messiah?
In Matthew's gospel, when Jesus asks his apostles, "Who do you say I am?" Peter is the one who quickly steps up and answers for the group. "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:15-16).
In response, Jesus affirms Peter, telling him that he's blessed to know this information, "because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you."
Matthew goes on to say: "From then on, Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders..." including crucifixion and then resurrection three days later. (Matt. 16:1-21)
Peter takes Jesus aside and tells him "this will never happen to you!"
This time, Jesus isn't so pleased at his answer.
In fact, Jesus rebukes Peter, telling him "Get behind me satan... You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's." (Matt. 16:23)
Why was Jesus so angry?
Peter had just been told that Jesus (whom he had identified as the Messiah) was soon going to suffer some horrible things, including crucifixion, before he would be resurrected from the dead.
But death by crucifixion wasn't Peter's idea of what the Messiah should be doing. Peter was putting his own expectations of the Messiah and God above God, and those expectations became an idol (which Merriam-Webster defines as "a false conception, a false god - object of worship).
After rebuking Peter, Jesus told the group of apostles that if they truly wanted to follow him, they should "turn from your selfish ways, pick up your cross, and follow me." (Matt. 16:24).
Jesus wasn't preaching the "prosperity gospel," to his followers. He wasn't guaranteeing that everything was going to be fine once they agreed to follow him. He was saying, quite plainly, there would be pain and suffering to endure in this life. But, somehow, by committing to him, by picking up our cross and following, we too could experience the same power of the resurrection.
If Jesus felt it was important that Peter understand he had made his own version of the messiah an idol, maybe we should spend time this Lenten season making sure that we aren't doing the same thing.
Has financial security, i.e., our paycheck, bank account or 401(k) become an idol?
Has the country or neighborhood we live in become an idol?
Has the false security found in military strength become an idol?
Has a political party become an idol?
Has our own point of view become an idol?
Has our religious belief system become an idol?
Has the way we identify ourselves, any aspect of who we are, become an idol?
Has our own comfort become an idol?
According to Jesus, the messiah sounds like someone who is calling us to a life of service. Of putting others' needs ahead of our own. Of looking out for the common good. Of loving our enemies as well as our neighbors.
In the Messiah's kingdom, the first will be last.
In the Messiah's kingdom there isn't room for racism or segregation or Jim Crow. There isn't room for religious prejudice.
In the Messiah's kingdom everyone's priority becomes serving others, out of a deep love and appreciation of God. It's a supernatural consequence of loving God with everything that we've got.
So love flows as we wash each other's feet and bear each other's burdens. (To be clear, this isn't an easy transformation. It's a supernatural one. Jesus didn't preach a quick-fix, feel good way of life).
Slowly, the cross that we take up becomes miraculously supported by God's grace. And the crucifixion becomes the resurrection.
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