The X Factor

There is so much worldly nonsense on TV at the moment – all vying for the inevitable viewing figures. Each one subjecting ordinary people to stress and pressure like nowhere else on earth. One of the main contenders for Stress Program of the Year must be The X-Factor, which pits some very talented unknown singers against each other in a bid to display the elusive X-factor to judges and public alike and win the $million prize plus the coveted recording contract.

This week, the program plumbed new depths by introducing even more greed, jealousy, and covetousness into proceedings. The program was filmed in the garden of the presenter’s wonderful California home. Huge palace of a place, it had several acres of lush green ‘gardens’, almost Olympic sized swimming pool, plus all the trimmings of the very rich. This place had the lot and it was hung like a carrot before contestants saying – “look what you too could own with a bit of fame and fortune if you win X Factor”.

Well it started me thinking about some of the things Jesus spoke to us about and, eventually I arrived at Matthew 16:13-28. This is where Jesus starts by asking the disciples for their views about Himself. Verses 13-20 “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." - "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”

Who do we say Jesus is? Do we say He was a prophet? Do we say He was a good man of God? Or do we say, like Simon Peter, “He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This view of Jesus can only come to us from God’s Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. This question and answer is followed by the first Word for the Church which was to be built around Simon Peter – “.. I will build My church and the Gates of Hades will not overcome it!” The Church will never be overcome by the world or by Hell – that is Gods promise to us.

Then, Jesus goes on to reveal even more about His death. Verses 21-28 “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

There is an interesting little scene played out here too. When Jesus explains His death, Simon Peter takes Him to one side and berates Him !! But Jesus, who just 2 minutes earlier had prophesied that this man would be the Rock on which the Church would be built, says to him “Get behind me Satan !... you have the mind of men not of God.” Having said this, though, Jesus went on to explain that if we are to come after Him, then we too must take up our cross and follow Him. He adds a very important rider to this by saying, “What good will it do a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

At this point my mind went back to the X Factor – what good will it be to any one of those contestants if they win the prize at the cost of their soul? God reminded me that this is why the x Factor is so aptly named. The X-Factor comes into play when we forget about the cross of Christ as we pursue the things of the world. The X-Factor ?? That’ll be the Cross. That’ll be Jesus - hung there to die for you and me. That’ll be salvation for our souls – Hallelujah \o/