Title: The Language of the Cross – Jesus Christ, Our King
Scripture: Luke 9:28–36
When I was a child in elementary school, I learned basic arithmetic—adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
But in middle school, we didn’t call it arithmetic anymore. It was called math. I still remember what my math teacher said on the first day:
“Math is the language and foundation of all learning.”
And then we began to see letters like X, Y, and Z.
When solving problems, the teacher would say, “Let’s call the unknown number X,” and then we’d learn how to solve the equation.
Just like that, our lives also have a lot of unknown problems.
Some we try to solve but can’t. Some we don’t even realize are problems and just move on.
But Jesus came to tell us what the true problem is.
The church teaches us that Jesus came to solve the problem of sin and death.
This is called the “atonement of the cross.”
We learned that Jesus died for my sin and rose again, and if I believe in Him, my sins are washed away and I will rise again like Jesus.
But maybe we need to think about this again:
Is this really true for me?
The Bible doesn’t teach like a textbook.
It teaches us through stories—stories filled with meaning and truth.
So we must listen carefully and ask, What is God saying to me in this story?
In today’s Scripture, we read about something that happened about eight days after Jesus spoke some important words.
Those words were: He would suffer, be killed on a cross, and rise again in three days.
That’s what we call the cross event.
Luke focuses on this and talks about the cross over and over again.
He’s telling us: the cross is God’s work.
Before Jesus said this, Peter strongly disagreed with Him.
Peter even pulled Jesus aside and told Him not to speak like that.
But Jesus rebuked him, saying:
“Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s things, but man’s things.”
This shows that the cross is not part of man’s plans—it’s something totally different.
So what are man’s plans?
The Bible shows us through an example: a king, like King Herod.
Herod did everything he could to stay in power.
He used fear, violence, and even killed innocent people to stay on top.
This is what the world’s kings do: they steal, destroy, and harm others for their own gain.
But the cross is the opposite.
The cross means to give up power and control.
Jesus could have been a king. In fact, the sign on the cross said “King of the Jews.”
But He chose not to live like the kings of this world. He chose the cross—God’s way.
One day, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray.
While Jesus was praying, His face changed, and His clothes became bright and shining.
Then two men appeared—Moses and Elijah—and they talked with Jesus.
Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the Prophets.
They are the symbols of the whole Old Testament.
And what did they talk about?
They talked about the cross—Jesus’ upcoming death in Jerusalem.
Peter saw all this and said:
“Lord, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s build three shelters and stay here.”
He wanted to stay on the mountain with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah forever.
Maybe Peter was tired of the world’s problems.
Maybe he just wanted a quiet, holy, religious life on the mountain.
But suddenly, a cloud covered them, and they were filled with fear.
Then a voice came from the cloud:
“This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”
This was God’s final answer.
Do not stop Jesus from going to the cross. This is My plan. Listen to Him.
So what do the kings of this world do?
They use their power to hurt others.
When someone bothers them even a little, they use violence and revenge.
But we don’t need a king like that.
We need the King of the Cross—Jesus Christ.
Jesus had no sin, but He gave Himself for sinners like us.
He was insulted, beaten, and spit on, but He didn’t fight back. He forgave.
The cross is what brings new life to our broken lives.
The cross gives us comfort, peace, and rest.
When we look at the kings of this world, we feel despair.
But when we look at the cross, we find hope and courage again.
Through the cross, we receive comfort, deep peace, and strength to win in the end.
I pray that all of us will look to the cross,
trust our King Jesus,
and live in His peace and victory.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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