34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
1 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Devotional
This is a continuation from the previous passage. Jesus having rebuked Peter in the presence of the other disciples for trying to dissuade Him from His destiny at the cross (Mark 8:33). Now calls both the people with His disciples to Himself. What Jesus says here is for everyone who wants to follow Him in disipleship. Jesus begins in verse thirty by saying, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. In Luke’s parallel passage it states “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
Accordingly then Jesus’ life was a pattern of daily self denial. Beginning when He left His Father’s Presence and took on flesh to dwell amongst sinful men and women. Jesus denied Himself the glories and Preeminence He has in heaven to enter into the brokenness and sufferings of mankind. And for it all He received no privileges here, no honors, no glory, only rejection by His own and the world He came to be crucified for. Therefore the old way of putting oneself, and one’s own “right’s”, interests and desires first must progressively give way to a life of self-denial, sacrifice and service. For Jesus says to follow Him we must deny ourselves daily take up our cross and follow Him, so that ultimately God’s will and purposes for our lives then fills them. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Vs. 35
Save his life does not mean the physical life of a person, Jesus is not commanding ascetism as a way of life, but a pattern of daily self denial for His sake and the gospels. Therefore I may have to forfeit dreams, desires and designs for my life, for His sake and the gospels. That’s a big picture view. On a daily level in order to serve the Lord Jesus Christ effectively I will have to deny myself those things that deter me from serving Him with the Spirit gifts and talents He has given me. Therefore nothing from what I once was before I came to faith in Jesus Christ will I keep when these come into conflict with His will. I will forsake all to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship. Even familiar friends and family ties when these prove hostile to the Lord Jesus Christ I will forsake (Matthew 10:37-39).
36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Either the gospel supplants our own designs and desires for our lives, or they choke out the gospel’s priority in our lives and ultimately our faith. For when the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel is choked out all that is left is the world, and man and woman’s vain pursuits within it, pursing and endorsing and ultimately being corrupted by all that it treasures and values (Consider James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Vs. 38 Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will not endure divided loyalties; just as God the Father does not. Faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel is not then measured by a mere confession of Him and His Words in safe environments, but out in the world where by so doing by both words and deeds one declares their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, not the world.
Jesus concludes His Message by saying …“Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” Mark 9:1 Though Jesus’ message is for everyone; here He seems to be addressing His disciples. That is some of them (i.e. Peter, James and John) will be privileged to see Christ’s manifested glory on earth for He knowing their faith transfigures Himself on mount Horeb, which chronologically follows what Jesus has just spoken here.
Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
1 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Devotional
This is a continuation from the previous passage. Jesus having rebuked Peter in the presence of the other disciples for trying to dissuade Him from His destiny at the cross (Mark 8:33). Now calls both the people with His disciples to Himself. What Jesus says here is for everyone who wants to follow Him in disipleship. Jesus begins in verse thirty by saying, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. In Luke’s parallel passage it states “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
Accordingly then Jesus’ life was a pattern of daily self denial. Beginning when He left His Father’s Presence and took on flesh to dwell amongst sinful men and women. Jesus denied Himself the glories and Preeminence He has in heaven to enter into the brokenness and sufferings of mankind. And for it all He received no privileges here, no honors, no glory, only rejection by His own and the world He came to be crucified for. Therefore the old way of putting oneself, and one’s own “right’s”, interests and desires first must progressively give way to a life of self-denial, sacrifice and service. For Jesus says to follow Him we must deny ourselves daily take up our cross and follow Him, so that ultimately God’s will and purposes for our lives then fills them. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Vs. 35
Save his life does not mean the physical life of a person, Jesus is not commanding ascetism as a way of life, but a pattern of daily self denial for His sake and the gospels. Therefore I may have to forfeit dreams, desires and designs for my life, for His sake and the gospels. That’s a big picture view. On a daily level in order to serve the Lord Jesus Christ effectively I will have to deny myself those things that deter me from serving Him with the Spirit gifts and talents He has given me. Therefore nothing from what I once was before I came to faith in Jesus Christ will I keep when these come into conflict with His will. I will forsake all to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship. Even familiar friends and family ties when these prove hostile to the Lord Jesus Christ I will forsake (Matthew 10:37-39).
36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Either the gospel supplants our own designs and desires for our lives, or they choke out the gospel’s priority in our lives and ultimately our faith. For when the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel is choked out all that is left is the world, and man and woman’s vain pursuits within it, pursing and endorsing and ultimately being corrupted by all that it treasures and values (Consider James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Vs. 38 Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will not endure divided loyalties; just as God the Father does not. Faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel is not then measured by a mere confession of Him and His Words in safe environments, but out in the world where by so doing by both words and deeds one declares their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, not the world.
Jesus concludes His Message by saying …“Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” Mark 9:1 Though Jesus’ message is for everyone; here He seems to be addressing His disciples. That is some of them (i.e. Peter, James and John) will be privileged to see Christ’s manifested glory on earth for He knowing their faith transfigures Himself on mount Horeb, which chronologically follows what Jesus has just spoken here.
Scripture Quotations
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
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