For today’s transmission, let’s read and re-read this passage from Luke 9 several times in different translations until it touches down deep in our soul.
(NIV) 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.
(NLT) 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
(NASB) 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.
(MSG) 23-27 Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.
(ESV) 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
This passage is very clear, that the more we try to save our lives, we will lose it. The word ‘save’ in verse 24 is very interesting, as it is the same root word that is used to describe ‘salvation’ as we have come to know through Christ. In this context, Jesus is dealing with our sinful tendencies to try to save our own lives by preserving and withholding from the Lord and one another. The warning that Jesus gives is that He is the only one who is able to save us - both in the eternal and also as we live in this temporal world. This means that any and all form of saving that we try to achieve by ourselves will end with us losing our lives, for there is only one Savior, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the one who saved us from sin, and also who rescues us on a daily basis from our enemies and life’s difficulties - the one who provides, safeguards, and preserves our lives. Therefore, as we get our hearts ready for Good Friday worship, let’s once again declare that there is only one savior in our lives - Jesus Christ!
-GK
