23 Then
He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and
My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own
glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are
some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Commentary
Vs. 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Jesus then having just foretold of His own rejection and Crucifixion by Israel’s leaders, before His Resurrection from the dead three days later, now tells the twelve, and thus all disciples and every follower or believer in Him everywhere that, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Now to deny oneself and daily take up the Cross means not just a onetime prayer of repentance and confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it means that having believed in and having received Him, that one’s whole person and life is now surrendered to Him. Now I’m going to cite from the Believers Bible Commentary on Jesus’ Words here because they really cover a lot in a short and concise way.
“To take up the cross means to deliberately choose the kind of life He lived. This involves:
— The opposition of loved ones.
— The reproach of the world.
— Forsaking family and house and lands and the comforts of this life.
— Complete dependence on God.
— Obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.[1]
— Proclamation of an unpopular message.
— A pathway of loneliness.
— Organized attacks from established religious leaders.
— Suffering for righteousness’ sake.
— Slander and shame.
— Pouring out one’s life for others.
— Death to self and to the world.
But it also involves laying hold of life that is life indeed! It means finding at last the reason for our existence. And it means eternal reward. We instinctively recoil from a life of cross-bearing. Our minds are reluctant to believe that this could be God’s will for us. Yet the words of Christ “If anyone desires to come after Me” mean that nobody is excused and nobody is excepted.”
Vs. 24 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
The Lord Jesus Christ here warns that trying to save one’s life, will only result in one losing it. For there is nothing in this life that one has, or does, or desires to do, or have, or basis their self-worth, or significance, or their “purpose” for being here on that can remain with them, because everything in this life ends. And so, trying to keep those things that end will only leave one bankrupt in the end! Because you cannot save what you cannot keep for all eternity is Jesus’ point, and so in trying to save one’s life means one will only lose their life, (along with all their dreams, and desires, and passions, for these all end) whereas if you lose your life (that is give up all your dreams and desires and passions for Jesus Christ) you will save your life. Because you will experience your life in ways you never could’ve have imagined, nor even made for yourself, and so in losing your life you will have your new life locked up and secured in Jesus Christ, and thus in heavens purposes and eternity, where there is no end!
Vs. 25 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
In wanting to help us let our lives go, here Jesus hits us squarely with the facts, by asking us all, “what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
In the Gospels we read of the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus Christ because he didn’t want to lose his life to follow Him, but instead clung to his wealth and privileges. And yet what did they profit him in the end since he forgo God’s salvation of his person for them. We all then need to examine ourselves and be sure that we are not being caught up in the pursuits of the material to the detriment of our own souls (consider Mark 4:19). Because even if one were able to acquire all the wealth and privileges in this world, what would they profit if they’re persons in the end were lost or destroyed.
Vs. 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Having warned us all not to waste our lives on the pursuits of the temporary. Jesus now warns of a another evil, and that is publicly turning away from Him, for anyone can be a “disciple” in private, in a church, where none of your neighbors or work colleges are likely to see or hear you. But it gets real when you our out in “the world”, and when you begin to make public proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Words to one and to all. Because that is when the real opposition and persecution begins. And that is when many a would-be disciple fearing the rejection or reproaches or hostilities of those of this world lose heart and turn away from the open declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Words. Nonetheless no believer should ever think it acceptable to deny the Lord Jesus Christ, nor should any believer in any circumstance or situation ever be ashamed of either His Person or His Words. For it is only through His Word that eternal life is granted to us all who believe in Him. Therefore, if anything let us all be opposed to and completely ashamed of the Godless homosexual and other degenerate moral values that are now being openly propagated and defended in our midst! Yes, let us all be ashamed of this Godless world, and those of it, who distort the truth by calling evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20; also consider Isaiah 1:28; 13:11; Mark 9:42-48). But let no one who names Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior ever be ashamed of Him or His Words, because as Jesus warns us all, He is coming in His glory, and the glory of the heavenly Father, and of the holy angels, and He will repay and reward everyone according to their works and ways (Rev. 22:12), and those who are ashamed of Him and His Words now, He will be ashamed of in the Day He returns to this world in Glory, to render His Judgment and be admired amongst and glorified in His own (2 Thess. 1:8-10).
Vs. 27 “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus having told us all the cost of being His disciple, now tells the disciples with Him that, ““But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” It is then Jesus foretelling of His own transfiguration that will soon take place before Peter, James and John. An event which the Apostle Peter will later recall in his own epistle (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Commentary
Vs. 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Jesus then having just foretold of His own rejection and Crucifixion by Israel’s leaders, before His Resurrection from the dead three days later, now tells the twelve, and thus all disciples and every follower or believer in Him everywhere that, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Now to deny oneself and daily take up the Cross means not just a onetime prayer of repentance and confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it means that having believed in and having received Him, that one’s whole person and life is now surrendered to Him. Now I’m going to cite from the Believers Bible Commentary on Jesus’ Words here because they really cover a lot in a short and concise way.
“To take up the cross means to deliberately choose the kind of life He lived. This involves:
— The opposition of loved ones.
— The reproach of the world.
— Forsaking family and house and lands and the comforts of this life.
— Complete dependence on God.
— Obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.[1]
— Proclamation of an unpopular message.
— A pathway of loneliness.
— Organized attacks from established religious leaders.
— Suffering for righteousness’ sake.
— Slander and shame.
— Pouring out one’s life for others.
— Death to self and to the world.
But it also involves laying hold of life that is life indeed! It means finding at last the reason for our existence. And it means eternal reward. We instinctively recoil from a life of cross-bearing. Our minds are reluctant to believe that this could be God’s will for us. Yet the words of Christ “If anyone desires to come after Me” mean that nobody is excused and nobody is excepted.”
Vs. 24 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
The Lord Jesus Christ here warns that trying to save one’s life, will only result in one losing it. For there is nothing in this life that one has, or does, or desires to do, or have, or basis their self-worth, or significance, or their “purpose” for being here on that can remain with them, because everything in this life ends. And so, trying to keep those things that end will only leave one bankrupt in the end! Because you cannot save what you cannot keep for all eternity is Jesus’ point, and so in trying to save one’s life means one will only lose their life, (along with all their dreams, and desires, and passions, for these all end) whereas if you lose your life (that is give up all your dreams and desires and passions for Jesus Christ) you will save your life. Because you will experience your life in ways you never could’ve have imagined, nor even made for yourself, and so in losing your life you will have your new life locked up and secured in Jesus Christ, and thus in heavens purposes and eternity, where there is no end!
Vs. 25 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
In wanting to help us let our lives go, here Jesus hits us squarely with the facts, by asking us all, “what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
In the Gospels we read of the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus Christ because he didn’t want to lose his life to follow Him, but instead clung to his wealth and privileges. And yet what did they profit him in the end since he forgo God’s salvation of his person for them. We all then need to examine ourselves and be sure that we are not being caught up in the pursuits of the material to the detriment of our own souls (consider Mark 4:19). Because even if one were able to acquire all the wealth and privileges in this world, what would they profit if they’re persons in the end were lost or destroyed.
Vs. 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Having warned us all not to waste our lives on the pursuits of the temporary. Jesus now warns of a another evil, and that is publicly turning away from Him, for anyone can be a “disciple” in private, in a church, where none of your neighbors or work colleges are likely to see or hear you. But it gets real when you our out in “the world”, and when you begin to make public proclamation of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Words to one and to all. Because that is when the real opposition and persecution begins. And that is when many a would-be disciple fearing the rejection or reproaches or hostilities of those of this world lose heart and turn away from the open declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Words. Nonetheless no believer should ever think it acceptable to deny the Lord Jesus Christ, nor should any believer in any circumstance or situation ever be ashamed of either His Person or His Words. For it is only through His Word that eternal life is granted to us all who believe in Him. Therefore, if anything let us all be opposed to and completely ashamed of the Godless homosexual and other degenerate moral values that are now being openly propagated and defended in our midst! Yes, let us all be ashamed of this Godless world, and those of it, who distort the truth by calling evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20; also consider Isaiah 1:28; 13:11; Mark 9:42-48). But let no one who names Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior ever be ashamed of Him or His Words, because as Jesus warns us all, He is coming in His glory, and the glory of the heavenly Father, and of the holy angels, and He will repay and reward everyone according to their works and ways (Rev. 22:12), and those who are ashamed of Him and His Words now, He will be ashamed of in the Day He returns to this world in Glory, to render His Judgment and be admired amongst and glorified in His own (2 Thess. 1:8-10).
Vs. 27 “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus having told us all the cost of being His disciple, now tells the disciples with Him that, ““But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” It is then Jesus foretelling of His own transfiguration that will soon take place before Peter, James and John. An event which the Apostle Peter will later recall in his own epistle (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible
Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1403).
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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