Jesus asked a stirring question in the context of private conversation with his closest friends about identity and purpose. Is anything worth more than a soul?
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Matthew 16:26 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.16.26.NLT
Weigh anything on a balance scale against a soul and it will always tip toward the soul. Souls are the weightiest of all created matter. Nothing in all of heaven or earth outweighs a soul. It is the most precious commodity, even more precious than time, because souls are eternal, part of being created in the image of God.
“Those who love their life in this world will lose it.
Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.
Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.
And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
“Now my soul is deeply troubled.
Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’?
But this is the very reason I came!
Father, bring glory to your name.”
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.””
John 12:25-28 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.12.27.NLT
Jesus knew Who He was and why He came to earth. The Jews should have known because the prophets and priests were given message after message which foretold His coming, yet years of listening to other voices had dampened their ability to hear from God, their Creator, King, and Father. Sensing their confusion, Jesus asked those closest to Him a question.
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.”
Matthew 16:13-17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.16.13-17.NLT
On the heels of this good confession, Peter pulls Jesus aside from the others and rebukes Him for saying He must suffer and die before being raised again. Peter heard no further than death. Crazy talk, he chided! Jesus was quick to remind Him that this is as real as it gets. You’re listening to the wrong voices, friend.
“But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.
“Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan!
You are a dangerous trap to me.
You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, 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.”
Matthew 16:22-25 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.16.22-25.NLT
Only the voice of the enemy encourages self: self-seeking, self-discovery, self-gratification. Autonomy is the enemy of the soul. It may feel like the right thing. If I don’t stand up for myself, who will? But Jesus often pointed out the self-righteousness of the religious leaders in scathing terms. White washed tombs full of death. A dangerous trap.
Just before Judas enters the garden followed by a mob, Jesus continues.
“I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches.
He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.
Come, let’s be going.”
John 14:29-31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.31.NLT
Who will stand up for me? Who will defend me? Who will advocate on my behalf if not me?
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:26-27 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.26-27.NLT
“Dear friends, never take revenge.
Leave that to the righteous anger of God.
For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.12.19.NLT
“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before the Father.
He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”
1 John 2:1-2 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1jn.2.1-2.NLT
Only One voice matters. The voice of God in His Word, through His Son, and by His Spirit- the same Voice that spoke all things into existence- has authority to define and shape a soul. The preciousness and value of life is found in Him alone. God’s voice is life-giving, love-empowering, life-altering!
It may be painful at times. Jesus relied on God’s timeless perspective to endure the cross. He did it out of love. Love for the Father and love for you and me. Open His Word. Hear Him. And rebuke every other voice in Jesus’s name.
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