Luke 9:18-27 (NIV 2011)
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self? 26 If any of you are ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Reflection:
After Peter confesses that Jesus is God’s Messiah, Jesus reveals for the first time that His role as Messiah involves suffering and death. He also makes it clear that his disciples must follow Him on this path.
In a world filled with entertainments and comforts, it can be difficult to deny ourselves and lay down our lives. Yet this is the path marked for Jesus to save the world, and He willingly follows it because He trusts in the plan of the Father.
As a sign of God’s promise, Jesus says that some of his disciples will see God’s kingdom. This promise is fulfilled in verses 28-36, when Peter, James, and John see Jesus in all of His glory.
Response:
May we trust in faith that denying ourselves to follow Jesus will reveal more of God’s glory in our lives. Let’s spend some time committing our hearts to Jesus, worshiping Him and expressing our longing to see Him in all of his glory. Let’s also ask God to empower us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily.
