Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Mark 8:27-38

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah". Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 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? 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.”

Why?

At that time Messia means a king, like Satan tested Jesus you may be king in this world. But Jesus is not the king as they thought, Jesus is king to sacrifice himself and serve all sinners. Jesus is the king to conquer evil. So Jesus asked them don't tell anyone, the time has not come.

To be disciples of Jesus must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Jesus this is not a law, But this is an action of faith in Jesus. We have to say no to many things in this world. Reject our personal desire and devote ourselves to following Jesus. It maybe not suffering but it is the training of our faith.

How?

Self-sacrifice is the target of our life as real Christians face every day.