The way of Rejection

Luke 9:21-22 (ESV)
And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, [22] saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

This follows right after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ. This is not an explanation anyone would expect. Why would someone powerful enough to raise a man from the dead, and feed five thousand with a couple fish and a few loaves of bread have to suffer, be rejected and killed? That was not what people expected of the messiah. Undoubtedly things could have gone much differently. Jesus could have done any number of things, but those things would not have saved us from sin, death and the devil. Those things would not have forgiven us our sins. Jesus could have taken over the world and set up the best government we have ever known, but then he would have to judge over crimes and sentence people to death and jail. He would have to watch us succumb to death. No, Jesus knew the only way to be the messiah, the only way to be our savior was the way of suffering, the way of rejection, and to be killed, so that on the third day he could be raised and give us life.
Rejection, oh it is something a Christian has to get used too. It is something a pastor has to finally get used to. There are so many times when I think if people just hear the right answers to their questions, if they just stopped long enough to hear what it is I actually believe, if they were to just let me answer their objections then they would believe. Perhaps there is truth to that for some. But I have come to realize, people have all sorts of reasons for believing and not believing and it doesn’t always have to do with rationality or reason. People saw Jesus, they saw him perform miracles, and yet they refused to believe. So it will be for us who preach his gospel, the forgiveness of sins in Christ Crucified. Not all will believe.