“Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” – 2 John 9
Today is Good Friday, and my inclination would normally be to present a passage from one or more of the passion narratives in the gospels. But in my devotional reading of the Bible, I came across the verse quoted above and it wouldn’t let me go.
At first glance, 2 John 9 appears to have little to do with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. I recognize that when the apostle John penned this brief letter, he wasn’t commenting on Christ’s cross or the empty tomb.
But were those events ever far from his mind? For decades, John had been serving Jesus by spreading the gospel and discipling people in the ways of the Lord. This letter was another contribution to that ministry.
Now an old man, John addressed himself to “the chosen lady and her children” (vs. 1). This can refer to a woman who led a church or a woman who hosted one. It may even refer to the church itself! Regardless of which is the best option, we can still apprehend the lessons the apostle wanted to convey.
He commends those who promote and live out the Christian values of truth and love (vss. 1-6). But John has to warn believers against partnering with those who undermine the gospel (vss. 7-11). He wants believers to stay committed to what he calls “the teaching of Christ” (vs. 9a), “the teaching” (vs. 9b) and “this teaching” (vs. 10).
What instruction does John mean?
At the risk of oversimplification, I’d like to offer two basic alternatives. One is the teaching that Jesus spoke during the days of His earthly ministry. The other is the message the apostles proclaimed about Christ.
Which one did John intend?
Maybe both!
When Jesus spoke about His cross, He declared that it was unavoidable. For example, “from that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day” (Matthew 16:21).
And again, “you know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion” (Matthew 26:2).
The apostle Paul so emphasized the cross that he treats it as a distillation of the gospel. Consider these verses:
- “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18
- “We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:23-24
- “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:2
So we can retrieve verses that show Jesus teaching about the cross. We can also quote verses that identify apostolic gospel preaching as cross-centered. Both of these would fit what John might have been referring to when he mentions the teaching of Christ.
But there’s another aspect to the cross that we can’t overlook. Jesus foretold His own crucifixion, but He also called His disciples to take up their cross.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.’” – Matthew 16:24
This wasn’t private advice given to a select few. As Mark explains, “He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me’” (Mark 8:34). Jesus wanted everyone to hear this! Self-denial and bearing one’s cross aren’t disciplines reserved for spiritual elites; they’re basic elements of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We identify ourselves as His followers by taking up our cross as He did. In doing so, we discover that the cross we bear is His.
“But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” – Galatians 6:14
To carry our cross, to deny ourselves, is to accept the cross of Christ. The religious and political powers of the world rejected Jesus in the most egregious fashion possible; they nailed Him to a cross. Paul applies that rejection to himself and to all who follow the Lord. Through the cross, we gain freedom from the world and its corrupt systems. We have the liberty now to pursue the will of God with peace and joy.
And one element of God’s will is that we share this good news with those stuck in the mire of this world. Through the cross, we’ve died to selfishness. Through Christ’s resurrection, we have new life; we’re no longer captive to the beliefs, expectations, and demands of the world. We’re dead to all that; we’re alive now in Jesus!
Still, we have to admit that taking up our cross isn’t easy. Contemplating a crucified Savior can seem irrational. The apostle John warns his readers about those who don’t stick with the teaching of Christ. They go too far; in an effort to transcend the demands of the gospel, they reduce it to a spiritual pep talk filled with promises and power.
They’re not entirely wrong. As Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is powerful! But we experience its might when we abandon our own. We receive the life of Christ when we die to ourselves. We become righteous when we repent of our self-reliance.
On this Good Friday, let’s take some time to contemplate the cross–Christ’s and ours. It’s natural to want to move beyond it and to busy ourselves with the pursuit of victory and success. But this day shows us that within the kingdom of God, the way to abundant life lies in dying to self. This is a lesson we can learn in five minutes, but it’s something we must commit to for the rest of our days. For only in doing so will we enjoy the everlasting life revealed by the resurrection.
Have a blessed Good Friday and wonderful Resurrection Sunday!
(The verses in this post were from the NASB20 version of the Bible.)
