Unlimited: The Way of the Cross
May 6, 2024 1881
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:34–38, NIV).
Peter rebuked Jesus about saying that he was going to Jerusalem where he would be killed. And Jesus in turn rebuked Peter for standing in his way with his worldly thinking.
Now Jesus wanted to emphasise to the Twelve how different the spiritual reality is from the way that the world thinks.
What Jesus said here were not the things that would make anyone popular. Jesus said these things after Peter had tried to block him from going to the Cross.
The Cross was the most shameful thing that anyone could ever mention. That’s why Jesus talks about being ashamed.
But Jesus said that the only way to save your soul is the way of the Cross.
You must be willing to sacrifice everything, even your own life if necessary, if you want to follow Jesus.
Don’t ignore what Jesus says here: That if anyone is ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of that person when he comes again. These are serious words.
Jesus knows that many people will be ashamed of him because of the Cross, because the Cross means dying to all our selfishness. It means accepting Jesus as the only way to life.
– Eliezer Gonzalez
Eli’s Reflection: There are many people who profess to follow Jesus, but in various ways they haven’t died to selfishness in their lives. They aren’t prepared for the self-sacrifice, and even suffering, that comes together with all the blessings, when you surrender your life to the will of God. Are you surrendered or ashamed?
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about Unlimited: The Way Of The Cross | Good News Unlimited.
