Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
34. he had called ] Even in these lonely regions considerable numbers would seem to have followed Him, apparently at some little distance. These He now called to Him, and addressed to them, as well as to His Apostles, some of His deepest teaching, making them sharers in this part of His instruction.
will ] i. e. whosoever is resolved. “Will” here is not the will simply of the future tense, but the will of real desire and resolution. Comp. Joh 7:17, if any man will do His will (i. e. is resolved at all costs to do it), he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.
take up his cross ] The first intimation of His own suffering upon the cross.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mar 8:34
Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself.
Following Christ
Here Christ very distinctly sets before all men the conditions of discipleship in His school, and of citizenship in His kingdom. It is not a kingdom of earthly splendour. If any would come after Him, they must expect hardships, self-denial, cross-bearing, and scorn. Their rest and reward were not yet. He was, indeed, the Messiah; but it was by a rough pathway that He would bring His followers to glory. Notice-
I. The unhesitating way in which Jesus assumes to be our rightful Leader. Elsewhere He is mans Teacher, Master, Friend, Saviour. Here He invites followers, and offers and claims to lead.
1. Man needs a Leader; lifes byways are many; the labyrinth is deep; its duration is short; the stake is great. Mans native tendency is not upward.
2. Jesus has a rightful claim to be our Leader. He proves it by the greatness, and wisdom, and perfection of His person and character.
II. The sobering way in which Jesus announces the cost of following Him. Whosoever will-this points to obstacles to be overcome, and trials to be borne. To be a true follower of Christ one needs the courage of deep conviction and strong desire. This may seem stern. So it is. But it is not arbitrary or unfeeling. There are two reasons for denying self.
1. The self in us is to be denied, because it is wrong. Personal salvation, without the denial of the old nature, the sinful self in us, would be a contradiction.
2. The new spirit that is in us requires it. The follower of Christ has gone over to His side, and become His servant and soldier. But his new work is not easy. It was not easy to the Saviour, for it cost Him humiliation, and privations, and obloquy, and pains.
III. The cheering way in which Jesus sets before us the rewards of faithfully following Him. While Christ was the greatest of all preachers of self-sacrifice, He uniformly recommended it by pledges of future good. The reward He promises is not of any lower or sensual kind. It is that of activity, calling into right and glad exercise every power we possess. (H. M. Grout, D. D.)
Following Christ
I. Its essential conditions.
1. It must be absolutely a voluntary choice-Whosoever will.
(a) This is a condition universally recognized in the New Testament.
(b) It is a condition that underlies the whole plan of salvation.
(c) It is a condition from which there can be no deviation.
2. It must be absolutely an entire surrender.
(a) A surrender of every part of our being to Christ as Master.
(b) A surrender of every object which He requires to be given up.
II. Its essential principles.
1. Holiness, suggested by the necessity of the surrender of self.
2. Implicit obedience is suggested by the necessity of taking up the cross.
3. To love Christ, suggested by the necessity of being ready to lose life far Christs sake.
4. The avowal of Christ, suggested by the words of Jesus in Mar 8:38. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
The Masters summons to His disciples
Like a commander addressing his soldiers. Full of clear vision and resolve.
I. The aim. To overcome spiritual error and Satanic influence, and establish Gods kingdom.
II. The conditions of its attainment. These are open to all.
1. Self-denial.
2. Cross-bearing.
3. Obedience and imitation.
II. Incentives.
1. Christs example and inspiration. He says not go but come. He goes before, and shows the way.
2. The endeavour to save the lower self will expose to certain destruction the higher self; and the sacrifice of the lower self and its earthly condition of satisfaction will be the salvation of the higher self.
3. The value of this higher life cannot be computed.
4. Recognition of Christ on earth is the condition of His recognition of us hereafter. (A. F. Muir, M. A.)
Come after Me
There is a wonderful spell in such a call. All history, profane as well as sacred, has shown us this. The great Roman general realized its force when he called to his soldiers, who shrank from the hardships of the Libyan desert, and promised to go before them, and to command them nothing which he would not first do himself. Even so Christ designed to help His followers by the assurance that He would first suffer that which they would be called to bear (H. M. Luckock, D. D.)
Conditions of discipleship
There was an eagerness among many of the people to come after Him. The wistfulness of a considerable proportion of the northern population had been awakened. They were ruminating anxiously on Old Testament predictions, and filled with vague expectancy. They saw that the Rabbi of Nazareth was no common Rabbi. He was a wonderful Being. It is not strange, therefore, that they pictured out to themselves all sorts of possibilities in connection with His career. To what was He advancing? Whither was He bound? Was He on His way, or was He not, to the throne of the kingdom? The Saviour by and by gives sufficiently explicit indications of the ultimate witherhood of His career; but meanwhile He brings into the foreground the moral conditions of adherence to His person and His cause. Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself,-let him be prepared to say No to many of the strongest cravings of his nature, in the direction more particularly of earthly ease, comfort, dignity, and glory. (J. Morison, D. D.)
Following Christ
I. The matter wherein we must follow Him.
1. His holy doctrine.
2. His holy life. Some of His actions were not imitable.
(1) His miraculous works.
(2) His mediatorial acts.
The things wherein we must follow Christ.
1. In that He never sought His own praise and glory, but the praise and glory of God that sent Him (Joh 7:18; 1Co 16:31).
2. In that He contemned His own will for His Fathers (Mat 26:39).
3. In daily and frequent prayer to His Father (Mar 1:35).
4. In fervent zeal to His Fathers house (Joh 2:17).
5. In His faith and confidence.
6. His charity and love of man, shown in many ways.
II. The manner wherein we must follow Christ.
1. We must follow Him in faith.
2. In ardent affection.
3. Sincerely.
4. Wholly.
5. Constantly.
III. The reasons or motives thereunto.
1. The equity of the precept.
2. Great is the danger of not following Christ our Leader.
(1) If we look at ourselves.
(2) At danger of false guides.
(3) At the world as a guide.
3. Argue from the safety of following Christ our Guide. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
Essence of self-denial
In the parish where Mr. Hervey preached, when he inclined to loose sentiments, there resided a ploughman well-informed in religious matters. Mr. Hervey being advised by his physician, for the benefit of his health, to follow the plough in order to smell the fresh earth, frequently accompanied this ploughman in his rural employment. Mr. Hervey, understanding the ploughman was a serious person, said to him one morning, What do you think is the hardest thing in religion? To which he replied, I am a poor illiterate man, and you, sir, are a minister. I beg leave to return the question. Then, said Mr. Hervey, I think the hardest thing is to deny sinful self; and applauded, at some length, his own example of self-denial. The ploughman replied, Mr. Hervey, you have forgotten the greatest act of the grace of self-denial, which is, to deny ourselves of a proud confidence in our own obedience. Mr. Hervey looked at the man in amazement, thinking him an old fool; but in after years, when relating the story, he would add, I have since clearly seen who was the fool: not the wise old Christian, but the proud James Hervey.
Self-denial may be manifested
(1) in the subjection of our own opinions in religious matters to the authoritative announcements of Scripture. If we believe God only where we can see the truth and propriety of what He states, we do Him no honour.
(2) In the renunciation of worldly and social advantages. If the Spirit dwelling in us be not mightier than that which is in the world, we cannot be Christs disciples. If we have the true principle of Christianity, it will rise within us in proportion to the demand upon it.
(3) In foregoing the love of ease and quiet and wealth. The ignorant must be taught; the knowledge of Christian principles spread; the wiles of the devil exposed. In the spiritual army, all must be warriors, if they would be victors.
(4) In the abnegation of our own honour. The end of all our actions and sufferings is, that every crown earned and won may be placed on the head of Him who wore for us the crown of thorns. (J. Leifchild.)
Incentives to self-denial
1. Necessity for salvation. Having become corrupt through apostasy, we must be wrought on a different mould.
2. Grateful imitation and return. Christs love draws out ours.
3. Spiritual and eternal recompense. Even this worlds goods will be restored, if God sees we would benefit by possessing them. But in most cases the reward is wholly spiritual-the favour of heaven instead of the friendship of mortals-the blessed experience of being on the side of God and right. (J. Leifchild.)
Self-denial
I. What is meant by himself.
1. Things outward: things concerning the outward man, yet so near him, as they are, after a sort, himself; not only his riches, but his name, his liberty, his life; all of which must be denied rather than Christ and His truth.
2. Things inward, which can hardly be distinguished from himself.
(1) He must deny the wisdom of the flesh, which is enmity to God.
(2) He must deny his own corrupt will, which is contrary to Gods will.
(3) He must deny all his carnal passions and affections, as carnal love, hatred, fear.
(4) He must deny all his own wicked inclinations.
(5) He must deny all wicked habits and sins.
II. The difficulty of this precept.
1. Consider the nearness of things to be denied. Were it only in things without us, as to part with riches, it were difficult enough; but when it leads us out of our own wisdom and judgment, what a hard province proves it.
2. Natural pride and self-love is such, that it is with us as with Solomon (Ecc 2:10). We are so far from crossing ourselves, that we endure not any other should cross us; Haman is sick on his bed because Mordicai denies him obeisance; if John deny Herod his Herodias, he will die for it; if Jonas his gourd, he will be angry to the death; such impatience is in our nature, if we be crossed in our wills.
3. Distrust in God, and trust in the means, makes the precept yet more difficult: we see not easily how we can do well without friends, wealth, liberty, favour, preferments. Wisdom is good with an inheritance (Ecc 7:1-29). We cannot live by promises, something we would have in hand.
III. The necessity of self-denial.
1. The context affirms a twofold necessity: in the words going before-without it a man cannot be a disciple of Christ: and in the words following-no man can take up his cross who has not denied himself.
2. The true wisdom cannot be embraced before the other be displaced, no more than light can be manifest before darkness be chased away.
3. The gospel offers Christ as a Physician, man must therefore deny the means he can devise to help himself, before he come to see what need he hath of Christ.
4. No obedience can be acceptably performed to God without self-denial, for many commandments are hard and difficult.
5. Whence is all the denial of Christ at this day, but want of self-denial.
IV. The aids to self-denial. The Lord has not left us destitute of means, if we be not wanting to ourselves.
1. Strength to overcome ourselves is not from ourselves, therefore, we must remember that the Spirit is given to those who ask.
2. Consider what an advantage it will be to take ourselves in hand before our lusts be grown strong in us, and how they are far mole easily denied in the first rising then when they have seated themselves with delight in the affections and members, and are grown from motions to acts, from acts to customs, from customs to habits, from habits to another nature.
3. As it must be the first, so also the continued acts of a Christian to stand in the denial of himself, seeing the enemy continually uses our own natural inclinations against us; he ploughs with our own heifer.
4. And because they are not denied till the contrary be practiced, our care must be that the room of our hearts must be taken up with good desires, and the lustings of the Spirit which will keep out the desires of the flesh.
5. Whereas distrustfulness of heart rivetteth us with the world, labour daily for the strengthening of faith in the providence of God, and bring thy heart to lean upon that and not upon inferior means.
V. The motives to self-denial.
1. Look to Christ, He denied Himself for us, we cannot deny too much for Him.
2. Look to the world, it will leave and deny us.
3. Look to the examples of the saints who have denied themselves.
4. Look to hypocrites forsaking much for Gods favour; we have Baals priests tormenting themselves to uphold their idolatry.
5. Look to the end of our self-denial; there meets us Gods promise with a full hand; all will then be made up with an infinite advantage
VI. The marks of self-denial.
1. One in regard to God; it will cast a man wholly out of himself (Psa 73:25).
2. The second in respect of Christ, for Christ, he can want as well as abound (Php 3:8).
3. The third, in respect of the Word of God, it is ready for all Gods will.
4. The fourth, in respect to himself, he that hath denied himself will desire no way of prosperity but Gods own, and will ascribe it all to God.
5. The fifth mark is, in respect to others; he that hath denied himself lives not to himself, but procures the good of others, and advances to his power every mans good. He looks not on men as they are affected to himself, but as he ought to be affected to them.
6. The last note of self-denial is the life of faith, beyond and without all means of help. As nothing gives more glory to God than faith, so nothing takes so much from man. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
Self-denial
Self-denial is a Christian principle, and yet no new thing, since in some form it must form a part of the lives of most men. Thus, when Garibaldi was going out to battle, he told his troops what he wanted them to do, and they said, Well, general, what are you going to give us for all this? He replied, I dont know what also you will get, but you will get hunger, and cold, and wounds, perhaps death. They stood awhile in silence, and then threw up their hands; We are the men! Faith in Christ puts in action, and strengthens a desire to conquer self, which seems inherent in human nature.
The disciples cross
The world in general has got ready a cross for each of Christs disciples. So determined is it in its opposition, and so remorseless in its hate. It has resolved that every Christian shall be crucified, in one way or another. If the body cannot be got hold of and transfixed, the heart may. Every true Christian must be willing to accept this treatment for Christs sake. He must take up his cross, and walk with it, as it were, to the place of execution, ready for the last extremity. It is the dark side of the case; and the phase of representation under which it is exhibited was no doubt suggested to our Lord by the clear view He had of the termination of His own terrestrial career. A Christian, says Luther, is a Crucian. The Saviour pictures to His hearers a procession. He Himself takes the lead with His cross. He is the chief Crucian. All His disciples follow. Each has his own particular cross. But the direction of the procession, when one looks far enough, is toward the kingdom of heavenly glory. (J. Morison, D. D.)
The cross to be expected
Be prepared for afflictions. To this end would Christ have us reckon upon the cross, that we may be forewarned. He that builds a house does not take care that the rain should not descend upon it, or the storm should not beat upon it, or the wind blow upon it; there is no fencing against these things, they cannot be prevented by any care of ours; but that the house may be able to endure all this without prejudice. And he that builds a ship, does not make this his work, that it should never meet with waves and billows; that is impossible; but that it may be light and staunch, and able to endure all weathers. A man who takes care for his body does not care for this, that he meet with no change of weather, hot and cold, but how his body may bear all this. Thus should Christians do; not so much to care how to shift and avoid afflictions, but how to bear them with an even quiet mind. As we cannot hinder the rain from falling upon the house, nor the waves from beating upon the ship, nor change of weather and seasons from affecting the body, so it is not in our power to hinder the falling out of afflictions and tribulations: all that lies upon us, is to make provision for such an hour, that we be not overwhelmed by it. (T. Manton, D. D.)
Necessity of discipline
When God built this world, He did not build a palace complete with appointments. This is a drill world. Men were not dropped down upon it like manna, fit to be gathered and used as it fell; but like seeds, to whom the plough is father, the furrow mother, and on which iron and stone, sickle, flail, and mill must act, before they come to the loaf. (H. W. Beecher.)
Affliction, our present portion
The Christian lives in the midst of crosses, as the fish lives in the sea. (Vianney.)
Difficulty not confined to religion
Is religion difficult? and what is not so, that is good for anything Is not the law a difficult and crabbed study? Does it not require great labour and perpetual drudging to excel in any kind of knowledge, to be master of any art or profession? In a word, is there anything in the world worth having, that is to be got without pains? And is eternal life and glory the only slight and inconsiderable thing that is not worth our care and industry? (Archbishop Tillotson.)
The cross is a reality
The crusaders of old, it is said, used to carry painted crosses upon their shoulders; it is to be feared that many among us take up crosses which sit just as lightly; things of ornament, passports to respectability, a cheap exchange for a struggle we never made, and a crown we never strove for. But let us not deceive ourselves. None ever yet entered into the kingdom of heaven without tribulation; not, perhaps, the tribulation of fire, or rebuke, or blasphemy, but the tribulation of a bowed spirit and a humble heart; of the flesh crucified to the spirit, and of hard conflict with the powers of darkness; and, therefore, if our religion be of such a pliable and elastic form as to have cost us neither pains to acquire, nor self-denial to preserve, nor effort to advance, nor struggle to maintain holy and undefiled-we may be assured our place among the ranks of the risen dead will be with that prodigious multitude who were pure in their own eyes, and yet were not washed from their filthiness. (D. Moore, M. A.)
Meaning of the cross
Carrying a cross after Christ means, for one thing, enduring suffering for Christ. Cross was the name once given to the most fearful engine of agony for the body; and the words cross, crucial, excruciate, etc., have come into our language from that material cross, and they now point, in a general way, to what has to be suffered, not in the body, but in the soul. To carry a cross for Christ means, for another thing, having a great weight on the mind for Christs sake. To carry a cross for Christ means, for another thing, that this suffering and heavily-weighted condition should be open, not secret; for the cross bearer is seen. It means, for another thing, that the man who is willing to carry the cross for Christ is willing to suffer scorn for Christ. No one carried a cross in the old Roman days but one who was the very refuse of society. To be willing to carry a cross for Christ means willingness to suffer ignominy, willingness to go forth without the camp, bearing His reproach. To carry a cross for Christ has another meaning. It means that for Christs sake the person who does so takes up a trial that comes to him in the course of Gods providence, and not through his own choice, or fault, or folly. A man does, from a sublime motive, some evil thing that good may come. Then he suffers the penalty. When he does so, that is not suffering a cross. When a man is a violator of the Petrine law; when he is a busybody and a meddler in other mens matters, and suffers the proper penalty; when a man does a right thing at a wrong time, or in a wrong place, or in a wrong way, and suffers the penalty; when a man tries to help out the cleansing efficacy of Christs blood by some nostrum of his own, as if the great Lord of the universe had mistaken the proportions in which health and sickness, light and darkness, fire and frost, ease and pain, should be distributed, and suffers a complicated penalty thereby and therefrom, that penalty is not a cross in any one instance. Penalty is penalty, and nothing else. Whatever the cause may be in which you are acting or suffering, penalty is penalty, not a cross taken up for Christ. But when, for the sake of principle, for the sake of profession, for the sake and in the course of carrying out the laws of a Christian calling, any man has to suffer something sharp, or to bear something gaffing, for Christs sake, that is a cross. (Charles Stanford, D. D.)
Taking up the cross
I. What is this cross? By the cross is not meant any affliction which belongs to the common calamities of nature; but that suffering which is inflicted for the profession of Christ and His truth.
1. From Him: His fan to sift and purge us.
2. For Him: endured for His cause and glory.
3. His in His mystical body; not natural.
4. Not in respect of merit, but of sympathy.
II. Why is it called the cross?
1. Because of the union between Christ and the Christian, so it is a part of Christs own cross: for as all the members suffered with Christ on the cross, as their Surety; so He suffers with them as His members.
2. That we should never think of the troubles for Christ, but cast our eyes also upon the cross of Christ, where we shall see Him sanctifying, sweetening, and conquering all our sorrows.
3. That in all our sufferings for Christ we should support our faith and patience in beholding what was the end of Christs cross, and to expect the same happy end of our crosses for Christ-the crown.
III. What is it to take up the cross? It is not to devise voluntary affliction for ourselves. Neither is it to pull the cross upon our shoulders. For-
1. Christ did not carry His cross till it was laid upon Him.
2. Our rule is to use all good means for the preservation of our bodies, health, wealth, and comfort.
3. Every bearing of affliction must be an obedience of faith, and as such based upon a commandment of God. No soldier must of his own head raise war against his own peace, nor set fire upon his own house; this is not the part of a good soldier, but of a mutinous fellow. So no soldier of Christ must be superfluous in suffering.
4. We may not tempt God by running before Him, but follow Him going before us. If without sin and with good conscience we may escape danger, and do not, we run upon it, and it becomes our own cross, and not Christs. It is enough to suffer wrong; we must not offer wrong to our own persons. We are not bound to seek the cross, nor make it, but to bear and take it up. Nor to fill the cup for ourselves, but to drink it when God reaches it. To take up the cross, therefore, is, when a cross meet us in our way, which we cannot without sin escape, we must now take knowledge of Gods will, Gods hand, Gods time, and Gods voice calling us to suffer. Now God laying on the cross, we must not pull away the shoulder, nor hide ourselves from the cross under the covert of sinful shifts, nor avoid it by any unlawful means, but take it up, and buckle to the burden.
IV. The necessity of the cross.
1. To the godly afflictions are often as necessary as meat and drink; for prosperity is as a dead sea (Pro 1:32). Standing waters contract mud, and breed vermin; a still body fills with bad humours. Fallow and unstirred grounds are fruitful in weeds; therefore God in great wisdom by trials shakes them out of security, and makes them more watchful of themselves; scouring makes metals brighter and more useful.
2. Another reason why the Lord hath yoked the Christian to the cross is, because He will thence fetch a strong argument to confound Satan (Job 1:9); He will have it appear that His servants love Christ and religion for itself, not for wealth or ease.
3. Comfort to the saints in their suffering.
(1) In that they have such a partner.
(2) In that we have Christ Himself at the other end of the cross, helping and supporting us. He is of power to carry the heavy end, and bear off the weight from us.
(3) In that we have all the saints our companions. How can we sink having so many shoulders under our burden.
V. What is required in taking up the cross?
1. A continual expectation and a standing unfearfully in the station wherein God hath set us, with a strong resolution not to be discouraged, though crosses come never so thick. Expected evils smart less.
2. A contentedness to abide under a great burden, as a man stands under the burden he hath taken up.
3. Love of God, notwithstanding the cross.
4. Humility and silence; not disputing the matter with God.
5. Joy and rejoicing, not in the smart of the cross, but in waiting the sweet fruit of it. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 34. Whosoever will come after me] It seems that Christ formed, on the proselytism of the Jews, the principal qualities which he required in the proselytes of his covenant.
The first condition of proselytism among the Jews was, that he that came to embrace their religion should come voluntarily, and that neither force nor influence should be employed in this business. This is also the first condition required by Jesus Christ, and which he considers as the foundation of all the rest: – If a man be willing to come after me.
The second condition required in the Jewish proselyte was, that he should perfectly renounce all his prejudices, his errors, his idolatry, and every thing that concerned his false religion; and that he should entirely separate himself from his most intimate friends and acquaintances. It was on this ground that the Jews called proselytism a new birth, and proselytes new-born, and new men; and our Lord requires men to be born again, not only of water, but by the Holy Ghost. See Joh 3:5. All this our Lord includes in this word, Let him renounce himself. To this the following scriptures refer: Mt 10:33; Joh 3:3; Joh 3:5, 2Co 5:17.
The third condition on which a person was admitted into the Jewish Church as a proselyte was, that he should submit to the yoke of the Jewish law, and bear patiently the inconveniences and sufferings with which a profession of the Mosaic religion might be accompanied. Christ requires the same condition; but, instead of the yoke of the law, he brings in his own doctrine, which he calls his yoke, Mt 11:29: and his cross, the taking up of which not only implies a bold profession of Christ crucified, but also a cheerful submitting to all the sufferings and persecutions to which he might be exposed, and even to death itself.
The fourth condition was, that they should solemnly engage to continue in the Jewish religion, faithful even unto death. This condition Christ also requires; and it is comprised in this word, Let him FOLLOW me. See the following verses; and see, on the subject of proselytism, Rut 1:16-17.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our Saviour hearing Peter so stumble at the news, he told him, and the rest, of the cross which himself was to endure; and taking notice of his exceeding fondness to gratify himself, to the prejudice of a far greater good, he now tells them the law of his discipleship, that as he was not to please himself, nor to decline afflictions for the gospel, so neither must any who would be his followers; they must all deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow him. And because this was a hard saying to flesh and blood, and what was to be their certain lot, he presseth it upon them by several arguments to the end of this chapter.
See Poole on “Mat 10:38“. See Poole on “Mat 16:24“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when he had called the people unto him,…. Who, it seems, followed him out of Galilee, from Bethsaida, and these parts; for it was in the way from thence to Caesarea Philippi, that Christ had this conversation with his disciples; who walked together alone, the multitude following at some distance; and the private conversation being ended, Christ called, or beckoned to the people, to come nearer to him:
with his disciples also; for what he was about to say, concerned them both:
whosoever will come after me; in a spiritual sense, as this multitude did in a natural one, and which is the same as to be a disciple of his:
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; signifying, that his followers must deny themselves of worldly advantages, and suffer many things, as well as he, which he had been but just before acquainting his disciples with;
[See comments on Mt 16:24].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples ( ). Mark alone notes the unexpected presence of a crowd up here near Caesarea Philippi in heathen territory. In the presence of this crowd Jesus explains his philosophy of life and death which is in direct contrast with that offered by Peter and evidently shared by the disciples and the people. So Jesus gives this profound view of life and death to them all.
Deny himself ( ). Say no to himself, a difficult thing to do. Note reflexive along with the middle voice. Ingressive first aorist imperative. See on Mt 16:24 about taking up the Cross. The shadow of Christ’s Cross was already on him (Mr 8:31) and one faces everyone.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Jesus now pauses; for what he has to say now is to be said to all who follow him. Hence he calls the multitude with his disciples. Peculiar to Mark.
Will [] . Rev., would. See on Mt 1:19. It is more than is wishful.
His cross. The pronoun aujtou his, is in an emphatic position.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
FOLLOWING JESUS IN DISCIPLESHIP, TRUE VALUE OF A SOUL
V. 34-38
1) “And when He had called the people unto Him,” (kai proskalesamenos ton ochlon) “And calling the crowd (near) to Him,” in the suburbs of Caesarea Philippi, where He had gone to find some rest from the Sea of Galilee throngs.
2) “With His disciples also,’‘ (sun tois mathetais autou) “in close colleague with His disciples,” that He might address them all together.
3) ”He said unto them,” (eipen autois) ”He said to them all,” the following disciples, and the people of the local area, to the saved and unsaved, Mat 16:24-28; Luk 9:23-26; Luk 14:25-27.
4) “Whosoever will come after me,” (ei tis thelei opiso mou elthein) “if any one has a strong will (inward volition), to come after me,” to follow me, in Divine matters, to seek and to save the lost, Luk 19:10; Joh 3:17.
5) “Let him deny himself,” (aparnesastho heauton) “Let that one deny (dethrone) himself,” renounce his carnal, covetous, selfish will to be king over his own life, to do his own thing, as Paul did, Act 9:5-7.
6) “And take up his cross and follow me.” (kai arato ton stauron autou kai akoloutheito moil “And take up (or bear) his cross, and let that one follow me,” for I have my cross to bear, in my Divine work of redemption, Luk 9:23.
This passage affirms that man, every man, has a free volition, will, or choice in life, not a prefixed destiny, for either obedience or disobedience to the universal call of God to all men to salvation and service, as this was addressed to both the disciples and the crowd, See also Luk 14:25-27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(34-38) And when he had called the people.See Notes on Mat. 16:24-28. The calling the people, or better, the multitude, to hear what involved the apparent failure of His mission announced in the preceding verses is an addition to St. Matthews narrative. It is confirmed by St. Lukes He said unto all (Luk. 9:23).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
34. When he had called the people The people were to hear this lesson, although they had not heard of the previous with the disciples on which it was founded. For, according to Matthew, and in strict force of connection, it was addressed mainly to the disciples.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he called to him the large crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News shall find it.” ’
This sudden reference to ‘a crowd’ reminds us that large crowds and Jesus were never far apart. The tendency of many has been to think of this time in Caesarea Philippi as a private period alone with the disciples, but this verse indicates that it was in fact quite otherwise. Here also He was accompanied by large crowds. For wherever He went He could not be hidden. It is true that large crowds have appeared to be largely absent in this part of Mark, and yet their spasmodic appearance is constantly referred to, and the likelihood of their presence at various times must be assumed (Mar 8:1; Mar 8:34; Mar 9:14). They do not, in fact, just appear from nowhere, and His visits to the villages (Mar 8:27) in fact suggest a preaching ministry. So we must clearly see the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God, and the miracles, as going on apace, alongside the private teaching of His disciples. But we are now to learn that from now on it will carry a new emphasis on the way of self-denial and suffering for all who follow Him.
‘And He called to Him the great crowd with His disciples.’ The crowd had possibly been following, but they would not have been party to what had been going on between Him and His disciples. Now, however, He felt the urge to confront them also with the new emphasis, and indicating that He intended to preach, He called them to gather round. If they were to follow Him they needed to recognise that danger lurked in the background, and it was right that they be warned.
His message was clear. He quite possibly began by proclaiming things concerning the Kingly Rule of God but then He began to warn them of what might be the consequences of coming under God’s Rule. For it would involve self-denial. It would involve being willing to put themselves in danger and at odds with men as they followed Him. On the other hand it would also result in finding life, a new, supernatural life under the Kingly Rule of God, the ‘eternal life’ stressed in John’s Gospel but here having the eternal future very much in mind (see Mar 10:17; Mar 10:30 for the concept in Mark).
‘Let him deny himself.’ Any follower of Him will be expected to keep God’s commandments (Mar 10:19). He must no longer live for himself. He must be willing to leave aside all earthly goods (Mar 10:21; Mar 10:29). He must totally commit himself and all he has to the control and service of God (Mat 6:33). And he must learn to say no. No to the natural desire for ease and comfort. No to the longing for fleshly satisfaction. No to every self-seeking action. No to self-will. And yes to obedience to Christ. Yes to self-giving. Yes to a needy world, to the hungry, the lonely, the distressed and the friendless. He must put off the old man and put on the new, ‘created in righteousness and true holiness’ (Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:8-10). This is initially what is involved in becoming a Christian.
‘And take up his cross.’ But that is not all. He must also be willing to take up his cross. All present knew about the cross, that savage instrument of Roman execution (although not limited to Rome), where a man, a lonely figure, bloodied by scourging, was forced to take up and carry the means of his own execution, turning his back on his life, leaving all else behind, and being hung up to die a slow and painful death. They had witnessed it in daily lives. (Some present would have witnessed such executions following the uprisings of men like Judas the Galilean (6 AD), and it was not an unusual occurrence). Now they were to recognise that to follow Him would be like that, a crucifixion of self, a turning of one’s back on the world, a taking of a way that was outwardly uncomfortable, costly, demanding, often a terribly lonely path, requiring them to leave all else aside, and might even lead to the same end as it would involve for Him, to martyrdom. And in their case they could choose whether they took it up. The picture carried the ring of total self-sacrifice and a stern warning note. It demanded sacrifice. It demanded all. If men were willing to do it for Judas the Galilean, should they not be willing to do it for Him?
The mention of the cross at this stage, to people not inured to it by being aware of the crucifixion of Jesus, must have come as something of a jolt. It was not a pleasant picture. And it demonstrated a sense of finality about becoming a disciple, and the dangers of being involved with what Jesus was teaching. He offered no easy road. Certainly it included the idea of possible martyrdom, but as spoken to the crowd and accompanied by the call to follow Him it was probably seen by most as a vivid way of expressing the need for the disciple of Christ to leave all behind and be ready for anything.
‘And follow me.’ They were to follow Him and walk as He walked. He was the One Who had nowhere to lay His head (Mat 8:20; Luk 9:58). He was the One Who loved God with heart, soul, mind and strength (Mar 12:30) and His neighbour as Himself (Mar 12:31). He was the One Who gave Himself utterly for others and lived simply to please the Father. And they were to walk as He walked. ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). And once of course that He had literally gone to the cross that would also be in mind. But it is not in mind here. Jesus’ death has not been connected with the cross.
‘Whoever would save his life shall lose it. And whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News, will find it.’ Jesus then pointed out that every man is faced with a stark choice. There is no midway house. He may choose to cling on to his own life, treating lightly, indeed basically ignoring, the Kingly Rule of God, and thus lose eternal life. Or he can cast off his old life for Jesus’ sake (that is, because of their faith in Him and the Good News He has brought). He can begin a new life under the Rule of God in total commitment to Him. And then he will find life that is life indeed. The stark choice is between the way of the world or the way of Jesus, and every man must choose which way he will take. He can choose the broad way or he can choose the afflicted way (Mat 7:13-14), but he cannot have both, and the one leads to destruction and the other leads to life. There is no middle path. The losing of the life was essentially metaphorical, but might for some, as indeed it would later, become a reality.
‘For my sake and the sake of the Good News.’ The call is not just to an ‘imitation of Christ’. It is to playing a positive part in disseminating the Good News. This is discipleship to the full. It involves being actively engaged in bringing men under the Kingly Rule of God.
There are those who would relate all this to the willingness to die for Christ, and that is in the end included. But while Jesus was well aware of what fate might befall those who followed Him fully it is doubtful whether such a message would have had meaning to a great crowd, or even at this stage to the disciples (and see on Mar 8:38). Those who had discernment would see that what He was calling for was rather what the rich young ruler would not give, everything a man had and was (Mar 10:21 with 23), full surrender and total obedience, although including if necessary the willingness to die for Jesus.
It is an attractive thought that Jewish men who in those days joined a religious cause in order to oppose the Romans jestingly spoke of their enrolment as ‘taking up the cross’, knowing that that would be their end if they were caught. It may or may not have been so, but the idea adequately encapsulates what Jesus is meaning here. Such men did not necessarily expect to die, but their cause had become their life, and they were ready to sacrifice everything for it, and yes, if necessary, were ready to die for it.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus Addresses The Disciples Along With A Gathered Crowd (8:34-38).
Analysis of 8:34-38
a
b For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it (Mar 8:35).
c For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? (Mar 8:36).
b For what should a man give in exchange for his life? (Mar 8:37).
a For whoever will be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mar 8:38).
Note that in ‘a’ Jesus calls all to follow Him fully whatever the cost, and in the parallel he declares what the consequences will be for those who do and those who do not. In ‘b’ He declares what someone must do to save their life, and in the parallel asks what a man will give in exchange for his life. Centrally in ‘c’ He declares the folly of gaining the whole world but losing eternal life.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Concerning true discipleship:
v. 34. And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
v. 35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it.
v. 36. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
v. 37. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
v. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Jesus had given the disciples a summary of His work in the interest of fallen humanity, the essential and characteristic Messianic ministry. He now gives a summary of the demands of true discipleship, addressed not only to the twelve apostles, but to a multitude of people whom the Lord expressly calls for that purpose. He does not speak of the manner in which a person becomes a disciple, but the way in which he gives evidence of the faith living in him. There are three points that Christ emphasizes: Denying self; taking up the cross; following Christ. A person who becomes a disciple of Christ really loses his identity, his individuality, so far as spiritual things are concerned. He no longer knows himself or insists upon his opinion and work. He sets aside all his own natural lusts and desires. But he must expect and therefore freely take upon himself the cross and suffering which is sure to strike him on account of his confession of Christ, though it lead into death itself. Thus the entire life of the Christian will finally resolve itself into that one purpose, to follow Christ wherever He may lead, and not doubt for the fraction of a second that His way is always best. The Lord explains this at some length. If anyone wants to save his life, have the full enjoyment of this life and all that it may offer in this world, he will lose the true life in Christ the Savior. But if anyone will regard this life, the world and all it has to offer, as nothing, give it all up for the. sake of Jesus and His Gospel, he will find the true life, the true joy and happiness in Him. If we should put the whole world with all its immeasurable riches on the credit side of the ledger and a single man’s soul on the debit side, the credit side would be practically effaced. There is nothing in the wide world which can measure up to the value of a single soul, especially not if one considers the fact that the Son of God shed His blood for that soul. Note: This statement will be readily assented to in theory by almost every person in the world, but in practice the great majority discard the idea as foolish; to enjoy this life first, and, if there still be time, to prepare for the next, that is the religion of many, even of those that bear the Christian name.
But there is another distinguishing mark which Jesus emphasizes at the end of His address. The entire world, all men by nature, are an adulterous generation, given to idolatry of some kind, and therefore guilty of all, transgressing all the commandments of God. If therefore, now that the Redeemer has appeared and His message of salvation has gone forth into all the world, anyone hears this Gospel, and yet is ashamed of it and of the Redeemer whose praise it proclaims, then this same Redeemer, but now in the form of the Judge of the living and the dead, will also be ashamed of him and will condemn him on that last great day. For then there will no longer be weakness and lowliness to set Him apart, but He will appear in the glory of His Father, with all the holy angels as His body-guard, Mat 10:33; 2Ti 2:12.
Summary. Jesus feeds four thousand men in the wilderness, is tempted by the Pharisees, warns His disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and the Herodians, reproves their worldly care, heals the blind man of Bethsaida, accepts the confession of His Messiahship, and gives a lesson in true discipleship.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
(34) And when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them, Who soever will come after me, let him deny himself; and take up his cross, and follow me. (35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (36) For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
I cannot suffer this blessed discourse of the LORD JESUS to pass un noticed, though in the parallel passage, Mat 16:24 to the end, (which see,) I have already remarked upon it. But it were a pity to let a single word of JESUS drop to the ground. A single soul is of more value than the whole world; and for this plain reason: The time is coming, when the whole world, and all that is in it will be destroyed; but the soul of every individual must live, either in happiness or misery, forever. Reader! pause over the subject, and calculate, if possible, the value of a single soul. The creation of it called forth the council of the whole persons of the GODHEAD. The redemption of it cost CHRIST his blood. The regeneration of it was the work of GOD the HOLY GHOST, The everlasting happiness of it engaged the services of angels, and of men continually. Angels rejoice in heaven in the recovery of every sinner. Hell rageth in the event of their salvation. The soul hath a capability of grace here, and glory forever. And therefore what a loss, incalculably great, must it be, that a being of such qualities, and so formed, should be exposed to everlasting destruction. Reader! Who is there, think you, capable of being ashamed of JESUS, and his words? Never man spake like him! Never any among the sons of men to be compared to JESUS! Ashamed of him! All nature might blush at the very thought. But yet, in fact, every son and daughter of men take shame at Jesus and his Gospel, who do not seek salvation in his name and righteousness only; and everyone who wishes to add unto, or take from, the finished salvation of the LORD Jesus CHRIST. LORD JESUS! grant that heaven and earth may now be able to witness for me, and Jesus himself will be my witness then; that in thee alone all my hopes, wishes, joys, expectations, are. And, like, Paul, may I be able to say with the same assurance of faith; GOD forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Gal 6:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Ver. 34. Whosoever will come after me ] See Trapp on “ Mat 10:38 “ See Trapp on “ Mat 16:24 “
Let him deny himself ] Christianity (saith one) is perpetua naturae violentia, a continual crossing of corrupt nature.
Take up his cross ] It is but a delicacy that men dream of to divide Christ and his cross. Every Christian must be a Crucian, said Luther, and do somewhat more than those monks that made themselves wooden crosses, and carried them on their backs continually, making all the world laugh at them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 8:34-38 . First lesson on the cross .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mar 8:34 . , the crowd. Even here! A surprise; is it not a mistake? So appears to think Weiss, who (in Meyer) accounts for the reference to a crowd by supposing that the words of Mat 10:38 are in his mind, which are given in Luk 14:25 as spoken to a crowd, probably because they were so given in his source. Jesus certainly desired to be private at this time, and in the neighbourhood of Caesarea Philippi ought to have succeeded.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar 8:34 to Mar 9:1
34And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Mar 9:1 And Jesus was saying to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
Mar 8:34 “summoned the crowd with His disciples” Mark is the only Gospel that records the presence of the crowd at Caesarea Philippi. Usually this event is seen as a private teaching time, but obviously others were present. This crowd would have included may non-Jews and probably no Pharisees or religious leaders because it was out of the traditional promised land in a Gentile area. It is to this crowd that Jesus reveals the true cost of discipleship, the radical, total surrender needed to follow Him. He bids them follow, but clearly states the cost!
“if” This is a first class conditional sentence, which is assumed true from the author’s perspective or for his literary purpose.
“anyone wishes to come after Me” Notice the universal invitation to be Jesus’ disciples. But there is a cost (i.e., salvation is free, but discipleship is necessary and very expensive personally). It is interesting that Jesus’ very words to Peter in Mar 8:33 (hupage opis mou) are now used again (opis mou), but in the sense of “come after me” (i.e., discipleship). There is an inappropriate followship (Peter as Satan’s surrogate) and an appropriate followship (i.e., selfless service). The very thing Peter rebukes Jesus for thinking is now clearly stated as the goal for all, “take up your cross”!
“he must deny himself” This is an aorist middle imperative of a term which implies “to deny,” “to disown,” “to renounce,” or “to disregard” (cf. Mat 16:24; Mar 8:34; Mar 14:30; Mar 14:32; Mar 14:72; Luk 9:23; Luk 12:9; Luk 23:34; Joh 13:38).
The fall (cf. Genesis 3) has made mankind’s independence and self-centeredness the goal of life, but now believers must return to selfless dependence on God. Salvation is the restoration of the image of God in humanity, damaged in the fall. This allows intimate fellowship with the Father, which is the goal of creation.
“take up his cross” This is an aorist active imperative. This phrase “take up your cross” referred to a condemned criminal having to carry his own crossbar to the place of crucifixion. This was a cultural metaphor for a painful, shameful death. In this context it refers to “death to our old sin nature.” The gospel is a radical call for once-and-for-all followship, discipleship (cf. Mat 10:38; Mat 16:24; Luk 9:23; Luk 14:27; Luk 17:33; Joh 12:25). As Jesus laid down His life for others, so we must follow His example (cf. 2Co 5:14-15; Gal 2:20; 1Jn 3:16). This clearly demonstrates that the results of the fall have been removed.
“and follow Me” This is present active imperative. This is the language of rabbinical discipleship. Christianity is a decisive choice followed by continual discipleship (cf. Mat 28:19-20; Eph 2:8-10).
Mar 8:35-37 “save his life. . .lose his life” This is a play on the Greek word for “self,” psuch. In this context there is a contrast between spiritual living (Kingdom focused) and selfish living (earthly, self-centeredness). The Williams translation of the NT has “higher life. . .lower life.” If we live for Christ we shall live eternally; if we live for self we are spiritually dead (cf. Genesis 3; Isa 59:2; Rom 5:18-19; Rom 7:10-11; Rom 8:1-8; Eph 2:1; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13; Jas 1:15) and one day will be eternally dead (cf. Rev 2:11; Rev 20:6; Rev 20:14; Rev 21:8). This truth is similar to the parable of “the rich fool” (cf. Luk 12:16-20).
Mar 8:35 “gospel’s” This is a compound of eu (good) and angelos (message). It originally meant proclaim good tidings, but it came to be used for the message about Jesus as the Messiah bringing salvation (and all its connected doctrines). It stands for the truths of Christianity and the proclaiming of those truths. Mark’s Gospel may have been the first to use it in this sense (cf. Mar 1:1; Mar 1:14-15; Mar 8:35; Mar 10:29; Mar 14:9).
Mar 8:36 “‘to gain the whole world'” This also was one of Satan’s temptations to Jesus (cf. Mat 4:8-9).
“‘and forfeit his soul'” This is an aorist passive infinitive of a term used to describe the loss of something which one previously possessed (cf. Mat 16:26; Act 27:10).
Mar 8:37 This is a powerful question. Where is the priority, present life or eternal life? Selfish living robs one of the joy of life and the gift of life! This life is both a gift and a stewardship.
Mar 8:38 “‘whoever is ashamed of Me and My words'” This refers to the time when each person is confronted with the gospel. This same truth is expressed in a different way in Mat 10:32-33 and Luk 12:8-9. What people decide today about the gospel determines their future. Jesus is the gospel!
This phrase is a third class conditional sentence, which introduces a contingency (cf. TEV and NJB).
“‘in this adulterous and sinful generation'” The Jews in the interbiblical period developed a theology of two ages. The current age was dominated by sin, self, and unrighteousness. See Special Topic: The Two Jewish Ages at Mar 13:8. However, God was going to send the Messiah and establish a new age of righteousness. Jesus is stating that He Himself was inaugurating this new day and that this new righteousness depends (i.e., is contingent upon, cf. Joh 1:12; Joh 3:16) on one’s personal faith and trust in Him, not one’s human performance (cf. Jer 31:31-34; Mat 5:20).
“‘the Son of Man'” This is Jesus’ self-designation; it had no nationalistic, militaristic, or exclusivistic implications in first century Judaism. The term comes from its typical usage in Eze 2:1 and Psa 8:4 ,where it meant “human being” and Dan 7:13, where it implies Messiah and Deity (i.e., riding on the clouds of heaven, approaching God and receiving the eternal kingdom). The term combines the twin aspects of Jesus’ person, fully God and fully man (cf. 1Jn 4:1-3).
“when He comes” The OT clearly reveals one coming of the Messiah. However, Jesus’ earthly life showed that Gen 3:15; Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; and Zechariah 9-14 also refer to a suffering of the Messiah. The second glorious coming of the Messiah as Lord and Judge of the cosmos will be exactly the way the Jews were expecting Him to come the first time. Their closed-minded, theological dogmatism caused them to reject Jesus.
The Second Coming is a major and oft repeated NT truth (cf. Mat 10:23; Mat 16:27-28; Mat 24:3; Mat 24:27; Mat 24:30; Mat 24:37; Mat 26:64; Mar 8:38-38; Mar 13:26; Luk 21:27; Joh 21:22; Act 1:11; 1Co 1:7; 1Co 15:23; Php 3:20; 1Th 1:10; 1Th 2:19; 1Th 3:13; 1Th 4:16; 2Th 1:7; 2Th 1:10; 2Th 2:1; 2Th 2:8; Jas 5:7-8; 2Pe 1:16; 2Pe 3:4; 2Pe 3:12; 1Jn 2:28; Rev 1:7).
“‘in the glory of His Father with the holy angels'” This is an OT prediction from Dan 7:10 (cf. Mat 16:27; Mar 13:20; Luk 9:26; 2Th 1:7). This refers to the Second Coming. This was another way of asserting the deity of Jesus. Several times in Matthew the angels are the eschatological gatherers and dividers of humanity (cf. Mat 13:39-41; Mat 13:49; Mat 24:31).
“glory” In the OT the most common Hebrew word for “glory” (kabod) was originally a commercial term (which referred to a pair of scales) meaning “to be heavy.” That which was heavy was valuable or had intrinsic worth. Often the concept of brightness was added to the word to express God’s majesty (cf. Exo 15:16; Exo 24:17; Isa 60:1-2). He alone is worthy and honorable. He is too brilliant for fallen mankind to behold (cf. Exo 33:17-23; Isa 6:5). God can only be truly known through Christ (cf. Jer 1:14; Mat 17:2; Joh 14:8-9; Heb 1:3; Jas 2:1).
The term “glory” is somewhat ambiguous.
1. it may be parallel to “the righteousness of God”
2. it may refer to the “holiness” or “perfection” of God
3. it could refer to the image of God in which mankind was created (cf. Gen 1:26-27; Gen 5:1; Gen 9:6), but which was later marred through rebellion (cf. Gen 3:1-22)
It is first used of YHWH’s presence with His people in the cloud of glory during the wilderness wandering period (cf. Exo 16:7; Exo 16:10; Lev 9:23; Num 14:10).
Mar 9:1 There have been many theories to explain Jesus’ statement. It may have referred to
1. Jesus’ ascension
2. the Kingdom already present in Jesus
3. the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost
4. the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70
5. the expectation of Jesus’ early return
6. the rapid spread of Christianity
7. the transfiguration.
These theories focus on different phrases in the text: (1) “some of the people standing here”; (2) “the Kingdom of God”; or (3) “come in its power.” The best guess is #7 because of the immediate context of Mar 9:2-13 and 2Pe 1:16-18. Also, no other theory can explain all three aspects of the text. But realize if it does, then it only referred to Peter, James, and John.
“Truly” This is literally “amen.” See Special Topic at Mar 3:28.
“will not taste death” This is a strong double negative used as a metaphorical phrase (i.e., experience cessation of life).
“the kingdom of God” See note at a Mar 1:15.
“it has come with power” This is a perfect active participle, which implies the full and complete coming of the kingdom. This is in contrast to the fact that the kingdom, in some real sense, was inaugurated with Jesus’ coming (i.e., incarnation), but a future event is to be expected (i.e., Second Coming).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
And when, &c. The Lord now speaks to all who follow Him.
with = in association with. Greek sun. App-104. Not the same word as in verses: Mar 8:10, Mar 8:14, Mar 8:38.
will come = is willing to come.
will. Greek. thelo. App-102.
follow: i.e. habitually follow.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mar 8:34. , the multitude with His disciples) The doctrine here taught was true catholic doctrine [which is even inculcated upon the crowd, who were not yet quite distinctly instructed as to Jesus being the Messiah.-V. g.].-, let him follow) in the death of the cross.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mar 8:34-38
5. ALL MUST BE GIVEN UP FOR CHRIST
Mar 8:34-38; Mar 9:1
(Mat 16:24-28; Luk 9:23-27)
34 And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me,–This was spoken to the multitude as well as to the disciples, and the principles spoken applied to both–rich or poor, high or low.
let him deny himself,–Renounce himself, abstaining from everything that stands in the way of duty. Let him surrender to God his will, affections, body and soul. Let him not seek his own happiness as the supreme object, but be willing to renounce all, and lay down his life also, if required. Our Savior commends his religion to every one’s election and choice, not attempting by force and violence to compel any person to the embracing of it. If any man will come after me. That is, if any man chooses and resolves to be a Christian. Observe our Savior’s terms propounded; namely, self-denial and gospel service. Let him deny himself. That is, a willingness to part with all earthly comforts and temporal enjoyments for the sake of Christ, when called thereunto. He must bring his own wishes into subjection to those of God.
and take up his cross,–He includes the inner and outer struggles pertaining to the Christian life. He had just told his disciples that he must suffer now he teaches them and the people that discipleship also involves sufferings and self-denials. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the world think or speak of it as they may. It does not consist in making trouble for ourselves (unless obedience to God makes the trouble) , or doing things merely to be opposed; it is doing just what is required of us in the scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do.
and follow me.–Follow me thus, in the path of self-denial and suffering. Like master, like man. He is to obey the commands of Christ, and imitate his examples. He must set the life and doctrine of Christ continually before him, and be daily correcting and reforming his life by that rule and pattern. The cross must be taken willingly. He must follow Christ, not the world. Self-denial lies at the very threshold of Christ’s kingdom. He who does not deny himself cannot become a Christian. The “cross” is a synonym of suffering and shame, and means that one must suffer everything necessary for Christ’s sake. He must obey God at all cost. Luke (Luk 9:23) says he must “take up his cross daily”–not occasionally.
35 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it;–Whosoever would save his life by abandoning this pathway shall lose that spiritual life which carries existence into the joys beyond the grave. The truth here expressed shows the necessity and saving results of self-denial and self-sacrifice for Christ, and thus gives a reason for what Jesus had just said in the preceding verse. Whoever purposes to save his natural or temporal life, makes this his great object, and hence rejects Christ, shall lose his higher spiritual life. As Jesus was to lose his life for man, so man must be willing to lose his life for Christ.
and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s shall save it.–Whosoever dies in the path of duty because he will not desert Christ. There is not power enough in the world to kill a true follower of Jesus. They may temporarily sever body and spirit, but he lives on. Why can we not more clearly grasp this great truth today? “Whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die.” The love of this temporal life is a great temptation to men to deny Christ, and to renounce his holy religion. To save one’s life means to deny Jesus in order to enjoy present ease and comfort and to escape persecution, prison, and death. Whosoever will suffer the loss of all things earthly, and even life itself, for Christ’s and the gospel’s sake will save his soul. This is the only way to be saved. (2Ti 2:11-13.) This is self-denial. The life that is preserved or supported by disobeying Christ is a lost life.
36 For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?–Some may feel as though they had lost something by the change here in the American Revised Version from “soul” to “life.” But the original demands it, and, if we but realize that Christ is here speaking of life that endures, eternal life, we shall see we have lost nothing.
To gain the whole world means to possess it as our own–all its riches, honors, and pleasures. To lose his own life means to be cast away, to be shut out from heaven, to be sent to hell. Two things are implied by our Lord in these situations: (1) that they who are striving to gain the world, and are unwilling to give it up for the sake of Christ, will lose their souls; (2) that if the soul is lost, nothing can be given in exchange for it, or it can never afterwards be saved. There is no redemption in hell.
37 For what should a man give in exchange for his life?–A man would give any and everything earthly in exchange even for natural life. Should he not then be willing to give everything, even natural life itself, for eternal life? The antithesis is between earthly life plus earthly comfort and pleasure and eternal life plus eternal joys. If a man forfeits his life, what shall be given as an exchange, ransom price or equivalent for it? How can he possibly redeem it is the thought. He cannot possibly find an equivalent; the ruin will be irretrievable, and therefore perpetual. He can never redeem it. He is lost forever.
38 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation,–A faithless and wicked people. A perverse and apostate race. This age given to wickedness, particularly to adultery.
the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him,–At a time when the friendship of no one else will avail anything. He will be rightly and justly disowned and rejected by Jesus in the judgment.
when he cometh in the glory of his Father–In the day of judgment. This can only be referred to the final manifestation of Christ when he comes in glory to judge the world. (Mat 26:64; Luk 21:27; 1Th 4:16; Rev 1:7.) Then the confessor shall be confessed, the denier shall be denied. (Mat 10:32-33; Luk 12:8-9.) Thus the conversation that began in the exaltation of spiritual confession has gone through the pathway of suffering down to the gates of death, and then up to the siftings and the glories of the final manifestation, and through all it is the same Holy One, Son of God, born of Mary, anointed by the Holy Spirit, suffering, crucified, dead, buried, rising again, ascending to heaven, and at length coming from heaven to judge the world before his Father and the holy angels.
with the holy angels.—“Holy” as distinguished from fallen angels, evil spirits. Jesus, in his second coming, will be accompanied by angels. Whosoever shall refuse, through pride or wickedness, to acknowledge and serve Christ here shall be excluded from his kingdom hereafter. But he will come again in awful grandeur–not as the babe of Bethlehem; not as the man of Nazareth; hut as the Son of God, in majesty and glory. They that would not acknowledge him here must be rejected by him there; they that would not serve him always, will never enjoy him; they that would cast him out and despise him, must be cast out by him, and consigned to eternal, hopeless sorrows. The Father there, the angels there, the redeemed there, my dear ones there, my record there, the Bible there, and Jesus ashamed of me? Oh, how my shame then must sink me down to the depths!
Mar 9:1 And he said unto them,–When the New Testament was first written, it was not divided into chapters and verses as we now have it. Each book was one continuous article without any breaks. Later they were divided into chapters and verses, by uninspired man for his convenience in reading and studying the Bible. Sometimes in dividing a chapter, the division was made at the wrong place and cut the sentence in two. That is true with this chapter. This verse belongs to the eighth chapter.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
CHAPTER 37
Truths of Deepest Importance
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
(Mar 8:34-38)
The words of our Lord Jesus Christ in these five verses of Scripture are solemn and weighty words. They separate the precious from the vile. They are a winnowing fan in the Masters hand, by which he distinguishes wheat from the chaff. These are words which ought to be read often, prayed over much, and mediated upon continually. These few words define true Christianity more distinctly than all the volumes of theology and apologetics written by men. Robert Hawker observed
A single soul is of more value than the whole world; and for this plain reason: The time is coming, when the whole world and all that is in it will be destroyed; but the soul of every individual must live, either in happiness or misery, forever. Reader, pause over the subject, and calculate, if possible, the value of a single soul. The creation of it called forth the council of the whole persons of the Godhead. The redemption of it cost Christ his blood. The regeneration of it was the work of God the Holy Ghost. The everlasting happiness of it engageth the services of angels and of men continually. Angels rejoice in heaven in the recovery of every sinner. Hell rageth in the event of their salvation. The soul hath a capability of grace here, and glory forever. And therefore what a loss, incalculably great, must it be, that a being of such qualities, and so formed, should be exposed to everlasting destruction.
Coming to Christ
Throughout the Scriptures faith is portrayed as a matter of coming to Christ. To believe on the Son of God is to come to him. To come to him is to believe on him. We come to him by following after him, as disciples follow after their Master. Our all glorious Christ says, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself (Mar 8:34).
Coming to Christ is the result of a deliberate, purposeful choice. It is an act of the will. Our Master says, whosoever will. Let us never alter his Word. I know that faith is a gift of God. I know that none will ever come to Christ unless God the Holy Spirit graciously, effectually causes them to come. Yet, it is certain that any who come to him, come to him because they want him and choose him. God does not save sinners by knocking them in the head and dragging them to Christ. He saves sinners by causing them to want Christ more than life itself.
Faith in Christ is not a matter of conscription, but a voluntary act. The soldiers in Christs army are not drafted, forced soldiers, but volunteers. It is written, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power (Psa 110:3). Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts (Psa 65:4).
Coming to Christ is an act of the heart, a spiritual, not a carnal thing. No one has ever come to Christ by walking a church aisle, kneeling at an altar, saying a prayer someone taught them to repeat, or signing a decision card. If you would come to Christ, you must do so without moving a muscle. You must come to him in your heart. Faith is a heart work (Rom 10:8-10). True faith is the willful, deliberate, voluntary confidence of my heart in the power and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is trusting the merits of his blood and righteousness as my only acceptance before God. Faith in Christ involves the willing surrender of my heart to him as my Lord. It is the bowing and submission of my heart to him as my Lord (Luk 14:25-33).
Coming to Christ is a continual thing. Our Savior does not speak of coming to him as a one time thing, as a single act, but as a constant, continual, lifelong thing. Faith in Christ is not an event in life, but a way of life. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious (1Pe 2:3-4).
Not only are sinners bidden to come to Christ, we are commanded to come (1Jn 3:23). The warrant of faith is not my feeling, my emotion, my meeting certain prescribed conditions, but Gods Word. If the Son of God says for me to come to him, then I may come to him!
Any sinner in all the world who will come to Christ may come to Christ. Our Master uses that blessed world of universal application and uses it frequently Whosoever. I am so thankful he said, Whosoever will, rather than, if Don Fortner will. Had he said that, I would have concluded he must have meant some other Don Fortner. But I cannot doubt that whosoever includes me!
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Mat 11:28-30)
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (Joh 3:36)
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Rev 22:17)
Carrying the Cross of Christ
The first aspect of faith is coming to Christ. The second is carrying his cross. This is not an optional thing. Here, and throughout the Word of God, our Master tells us plainly that if we would follow him, if we would be his disciples, if we would be saved, self-denial is an absolute necessity. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mar 8:34).
Again, this is a matter of personal, deliberate choice. Carrying your cross for Christ is not enduring providential hardships with patience, but deliberately choosing a course that is sure to bring trouble upon you, because trouble lies in the path of following Christ.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We are not saved by what we do, but by what God does and has done. We are saved by grace alone (Eph 2:8-10). Yet, if we are saved by the grace of God, we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God; and we must deny self. J. C. Ryle was correct when he wrote, A religion which costs nothing is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come. If I am saved by the grace of God, I take up my cross and follow my Master. I must take up the cross of his doctrine, the cross of his will, and the cross of his honor. Our Saviors words here are as plain as the noonday sun. If I choose not to bear his cross on this earth, I shall never wear his crown in heaven.
Our Master teaches us that true, saving faith involves deliberate and persevering self-denial and consecration. Matthew Henry wrote, The first lesson in Christs school is self-denial. Those who deny themselves here for Christ shall enjoy themselves in Christ forever. Grace is free; but it is not cheap. Faith in Christ involves the total surrender of myself to him, to his dominion as my Lord and Savior, my Priest and King. That is what it is to take up your cross and follow Christ.
Christianity, true Christianity, true saving faith involves a total surrender to Christ the Lord. Either you will be a servant under the dominion of King Jesus, voluntarily giving up all to his claims, or you will go to hell. You may not have to give up anything in actuality. But surrender to Christ must be just as real and complete in your heart as if you had actually given up everything, even down to life itself. Our Lord Jesus Christ requires total and unreserved surrender to himself. Christ will be Lord of all, or he will not be Lord at all. Is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, your Lord? Is he truly your Lord?
But we must never imagine that this is a matter dealt with only in the initial experience of grace and in the initial act of faith. Here our Lord Jesus addresses these words to men who had been his faithful disciples for a long time. How graciously he warns us and teaches us to guard against the terrible tendency of our sinful flesh to rebel against his rule and his will. How much evil we bring upon ourselves by our carnal misapprehensions! We are all, like Peter (Mar 8:33), inclined to judge things by our emotions, personal desires, and carnal reason. We must not. Rather, we must seek grace to know and bow to the will of God our Savior in all things. Oh, for grace to savor the things which are of God, and not those which are of men!
Consecration to Christ.
Faith is coming to Christ, carrying the cross of Christ, and consecration to Christ.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mar 8:35-37).
If I would save my life, I must loose it to Christ. I repeat myself deliberately. Salvation is neither more nor less than surrender to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ as my Lord and King.
And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luk 14:25-33)
Faith in Christ is giving over the rule of your life to Christ; but that is no great sacrifice at all. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? That question is so well known and so often repeated that I fear that few take it to heart. It ought to sound in our ears like a trumpet, whenever we are tempted to neglect our eternal interests. Each of us has an immortal soul, a soul that will live forever, either in the bliss of eternal life or in the torment of eternal death. There is nothing the world can offer, nothing money can buy, nothing a man can give, nothing to be named in comparison with our souls. We live in a world where everything is temporal. We are going to a world where everything is eternal. Let us count nothing here more valuable than we shall when we have to leave it forever!
It is a very easy thing for you to lose your soul. You can murder it, by loving and clinging to the world. You can poison it with the deadly wine of false, freewill works religion. You can starve it, by neglecting Gods ordained means of grace, the preaching of the gospel, by keeping from it the bread of life, by the neglect of prayer, the neglect of worship and the neglect of his Word. There are many ways to hell. Whichever way you choose is a matter for which you alone are responsible. But there is only one way to life eternal. Christ is that Way.
Confessing Christ
Faith in Christ involves coming to Christ, carrying the cross of Christ, consecration to Christ, and confessing Christ. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mar 8:38).
Who is capable of being ashamed of Christ and his words? None among the sons of men can be compared to him. We do not have to guess what it is to be ashamed of Christ. It is to refuse to confess him, to refuse to identify ourselves with him. Every son and daughter of Adam show themselves ashamed of him and his gospel who refuse to seek salvation in his name, trusting him alone as Savior and Lord. All who seek to add their own works to his righteousness and his precious blood for acceptance with God prove themselves ashamed of him. To refuse to trust the Lord Jesus Christ is to deny him. That is what it is to be ashamed of him.
If you are ashamed of Christs doctrine, you are ashamed of him (Rom 1:16-17). If you are ashamed of Christs ordinances, you are ashamed of him. If you are ashamed of Christs people, ashamed to identify yourself with them, you are ashamed of him. If you are ashamed of Christ in this adulterous and sinful generation, he will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy angels to judge the world.
Jesus! and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine
Oer this benighted soul of mine.
Ashamed of Jesus? Just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon.
Tis midnight with my soul till He,
Bright Morning Star, bids darkness flee.
Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.
Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may
When Ive no guilt to wash away,
No tears to wipe, no joys to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.
Till then, nor is the boasting vain,
Till then I boast a Savior slain.
And oh, may this my portion be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible
called: Mar 7:14, Luk 9:23, Luk 20:45
Whosoever: Mar 9:43-48, Mat 5:29, Mat 5:30, Mat 7:13, Mat 7:14, Mat 16:24, Luk 13:24, Luk 14:27, Luk 14:33, Rom 15:1-3, 1Co 8:13, 1Co 9:19, Phi 3:7, Tit 2:12
take: Mar 10:21, Mat 10:38, Mat 27:32, Joh 19:17, Act 14:22, Rom 6:6, Rom 8:17, 1Co 4:9-13, 1Co 15:31, Gal 2:20, Gal 5:24, Gal 6:14, Phi 3:10, Col 1:24, Col 3:5, 2Th 3:11, 1Pe 4:1, 1Pe 4:13, Rev 2:10
follow: Num 14:24, 1Ki 14:8, Luk 14:26, Luk 18:22, Joh 10:27, Joh 13:36, Joh 13:37, Joh 21:19, Joh 21:20, Heb 13:13, 2Pe 1:14, 1Jo 3:16
Reciprocal: 2Ki 6:19 – follow me Mat 13:21 – for Mat 19:21 – come Joh 12:26 – let 1Pe 2:21 – even
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
CHRISTS FOLLOWERS
And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Mar 8:34
Here is the one rule which binds us to-day. There are three points in itthey are not all the sameLet him deny himself, Let him take up his cross, Let him follow Me. A man may deny himself in no Christian spirit.
I. Self-denial is the secret of success in everything. The notion people have that the faculties of a man ripen by a certain amount of indulgence, is a mere deceit of Satan. Every one knows that the strength and perfection of a manI do not speak now of religion, but of everythingcomes out of self-denial.
II. There wants something more.Let him take up his cross. The popular form of interpretation of this will not quite do. It is not that we should bear our sickness patiently, or our loss of fortune, or our loss of friends: it is an active something. He who presently marches beforeyou have it in the tenth chapter of Markwalks before His disciples, steadfastly going towards Jerusalem, whilst they, mourning and perplexed, follow after Him; He is doing a voluntary act. And the taking up the cross must betoken, not mere endurance, but something active, and it means for us the doing our duty. That is the cross to the flesh, and the inclination, the purpose of duty, which we are bound to perform and to carry through.
III. And we are also to follow Him.And here, again, is no repetitionto follow Him in His patient obedience to God, in His gentleness and goodness, but above all, in His love which embraces all mankind, and which ought to soften and sweeten every hour of every life that can justly be called Christian. Here, then, is the precept: Deny thyself, bear thy duty, and bear it in the spirit of love and obedience in which Christ moved towards His death for us.
Archbishop Thomson.
Illustration
(1) The Church Pastoral Aid Societys Magazine, acknowledging a poor pensioners gift, says that it is touching to hear of the self-denial of the Christian poor. We confess that we acknowledge with peculiar pleasure the gift which has just come to us from a resident in one of the slum parishes aided by the Society in South London. In itself it is only a trifling sumthree shillingsbut it represents in self-denial a really large amount, and who shall say that it does not come to us big with the possibilities of blessing behind it? The Vicar of the parish, in sending it on, writes: I enclose herewith postal order for 3s., the gift to the C.P.A.S. from one of my parishioners, a man who has only a very small pension for himself and his wife, but who has saved this out of it from the little he usually spends on tobacco.
(SECOND OUTLINE)
TWO ANTAGONISTS
As in the natural character, selfishness and affection are two opposite principles, so in the spiritual life, self and the Divine love are the two great antagonists which do battle in mans heart.
I. Aspects of selfishness.It is evident that the selfishness of one man is not the same as the selfishness of another.
(a) There is a man whose self lies in his intellect. That man has to submit his own intellect absolutely to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
(b) Another mans self is pleasure. That is the man who must be continually learning to say No to himself. He must put the strongest rein upon the neck of his own desires.
(c) But there is another form of self, and the more dangerous, because it takes the aspect of religion. A man lays down for himself a certain way of salvation, and begins in his own strength, goes on in his own wisdom, and ends in his own glory, turning his self-complacent virtues into saviours. That is selfs strongholdthe last to be discovered and the most difficult of all to be conquered.
II. Taking up the cross.What is the cross? What is it which a man is to take up? Not some very great thing, which is to come by-and-by. That is what people are looking for. There is some cross to-daythere will be some to-morrow. What is it? Have not you got far enough to answer the question for yourselves? If I speak generally, I should say that it is any afflictive dispensation. As, for instance, sickness, poverty, disappointment. But if I had to define it accurately, I should say it must be a trial which has something humiliating in it; something which brings a sense of shame; something which lingers; something which is painful to the old naturefor that is exactly what the cross was.
II. Follow Me.And this I understand not so much as a separate command as something which determines the character of the other two. For what is it worth to deny ones self how much soever, or to take up a cross however hard, if it be not done in reference to Christwith an express and deliberate intention toward Christ?
Illustration
To understand our relation to Christ we must bear in mind both His humiliation and His glory. The conjunction of these two experiences is warranted and required by our Lords own language of prediction, and by the recorded facts of the Gospel. He has already endured the Cross, despising the shame. He has already taken His place upon the throne; and His elevation to royal dignity is the pledge of His coming at the appointed time to judge mankind. We have to consider the twofold revelation, not only as matter of fact and belief, but as affecting our own religious position and prospects. It is made known to us that the manner in which we are related to Christ in His humiliation will determine the manner in which we shall be received by Him when He comes in His glory.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Chapter 15.
Discipleship and the Cross
“And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”-Mar 8:34 to Mar 9:1.
Cross-bearing: A Duty for All.
There is the closest and most vital connection between these verses and those just preceding them. It was Peter’s protest against the intimation of the Passion that drew from our Lord this solemn declaration that cross-bearing is the universal and indispensable condition of discipleship. “God forbid!” Peter had said, in his own hot and impulsive way, “this-a violent death at the hands of elders and priests and scribes-shall never be unto Thee.” “Say you so?” Jesus replies in effect (I quote Dr. A. B. Bruce’s paraphrase), “I tell you that not only shall I, your Master, be crucified, but ye too, faithfully following Me, shall certainly have your crosses to bear. If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” To lend emphasis to the announcement, to make it quite clear that this was a universal law, Jesus did not say this to the Twelve alone. “He called unto Him the multitude with His disciples.” This was not a law for the Apostles merely, it was equally binding upon the humblest believer; not for teachers and leaders only, but for the least and most insignificant of followers as well; not a law for the first Christians only, but for Christians of every age. King Arthur insisted upon conditions before a man could become a Knight of his Round Table. Everyone had to swear to speak no slander, no, nor listen to it; to live sweet lives in purest chastity; to ride abroad redressing human wrongs; to honour his own word as if his God’s; to break the heathen, and to uphold the Christ. But here is a law insisted upon by a greater Captain than King Arthur-the condition of entrance into a still nobler order of chivalry-“If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (viii. 34).
Master and Disciple.
The first truth all this suggests to me is that of the correspondency that exists between the Master and the disciple. Christ is not a solitary cross-bearer; every true Christian is a cross-bearer too. Our Lord warned us that His lot and ours was bound to be the same. “A disciple,” He said, “is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord” (Mat 10:24-25). There will be a correspondency, He said, between your fate and Mine. And so it was. As John puts it in his Epistle, “As He is, even so are we in this world” (iv. 17). “So are we;” the lot of the Master was the lot of the disciple also: in this respect among others, that the disciple, like the Master, had to bear a cross.
The Solitary Cross.
But when I talk about the Lord bearing a cross, and the disciple also bearing a cross, I do not want to be misunderstood. I do not say that the Master’s cross and the disciples’ cross are one and the same. There is a sense in which our Lord’s cross is solitary and unshared. In its redemptive aspect Christ’s cross stands alone. People talk about a “continuous atonement.” I do not know what they mean by it. If they mean that Christ’s work on the cross needs to be completed and perfected by some suffering or work of ours, I answer, first, that nothing we can do can possibly add to the atoning work of Jesus. We are sinful men and women; we cannot atone, we need atoning for. And, in the second place, I answer that Christ’s sacrifice does not need completing. It is complete. The sacrifice of the cross is a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction. “It is finished.” Nothing remains to be done. Christ did it all when He submitted Himself to death and shame. As a redeeming sacrifice the cross of Christ remains for ever unshared.
-And the Fellowship of Suffering.
But while the cross from one point of view is a redeeming sacrifice, from another point of view it represents the sacrifice of self, and the pains and penalties Christ endured because of His absolute and complete devotion to the righteous will of God. And in this respect we too must bear the cross as well as Christ. In this respect there is a strict correspondency between Master and disciple. We must enter into the fellowship of His sufferings. “As He is, even so are we in this world.” For that is what the Christian life is on its practical side; it is a life of conscious devotion to the holy will of God. And obedience to the will of God inevitably means the cross; for it means the hostility of the world, and the sacrifice of self. It means outward trouble and inward conflict. See what it meant for some of these disciples. If tradition speaks truly, following Christ meant for some of them not persecution only, but death. It meant a scaffold in Jerusalem for James, a cross in Rome for Peter. They drank of their Lord’s cup, and were baptised with their Lord’s baptism. They had literally to take up their cross and follow Him. And though these killing times are past, it remains true to this day that they who will live godly must suffer persecution.
The Hostility of the World.
The man who makes the will of God his law must make up his mind for the scorn and contempt of men. We can escape it only by cowardice and compromise. Many people refuse to rank themselves among Christ’s avowed followers because they are not prepared for this cross. “Nevertheless,” says John, “even of the rulers many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue” (Joh 12:42). That is it, they shrank from the cross. But there can be no compromising between the world and Christ. We must face the world, and defy the world, and break with the world. We must let the world do its worst. If we want to go after Christ, we must take up this cross, and follow Him.
The Surrender of Self.
And in addition to the hostility of the world, there is the sacrifice of self, the surrender of whatever there is in us which is contrary to the will of God, the extermination of those unholy desires and passions of the soul, so dear to the natural man, so alien to the law of God. And what a cross that is! No man can tell what another man’s cross is. But we have all a cross of some kind. You have yours. I have mine. They differ from one another; but there is not one of us who does not know that there are things in us to be fought, and repudiated, and torn up by the roots, if we would follow Christ. Do not confine what I am saying to what we speak of as the grosser sins. We can see that the drunkard and the profligate have to say good-bye to their evil habits before they can follow Christ, and we know what agony that means in many cases. But it is not to them alone this demand applies. It applies also to us. For there is not one of us who does not know perfectly well that in our own hearts there are things to be repudiated and put away, if we want to follow Christ.
A Real Crucifixion.
The putting away of these things, the denial of self and sense, what a conflict it is, and what agony it entails! There was no punishment so torturing as crucifixion. But what crucifixion was in the physical realm, that the denial and repudiation of self is in the spiritual. Indeed, crucifixion is the very word Paul uses for the process. “I have been crucified with Christ,” he cries (Gal 2:20). “Our old man,” he says in another place, “was crucified with Him” (Rom 6:6). “The world,” he says in yet a third place, “hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 6:14). While in another place he states his own experience as a general law, and in the very spirit of this text says, “They that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof” (Gal 5:24). “The flesh,” their own flesh. It is upon themselves they have executed this judgment. It is upon themselves they have inflicted this agony. They have driven the nails through their own quivering affections and lusts. In this respect of the denial of self in obedience to the holy will of God, Christ is but the first cross-bearer of a great host. That was the sign that a Knight had entered for the Crusades, in olden days-the cross upon the shoulder. This is the sign that we have entered the service of Jesus-the cross in the life, the marks, the stigmata, the nail-prints of Jesus, in the heart. “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mar 8:34).
Three Reasons for Cross-bearing.
Now I can imagine that, when the disciples heard this law first laid down, many of them may have said in their hearts, “This is a hard saying, who can bear it?” And perhaps some of them may even have contemplated leaving Jesus, and following no more after Him. He was making the price of discipleship so costly. I believe Jesus Himself realised that thoughts like these were arising in their minds, that many listening to Him were asking the question, “Is it worth while?” And so He proceeds to deal with that unexpressed doubt. “It is a heavy price to pay,” He says to these doubting and hesitating folk, in effect, “but it is worth while. Discipleship means the cross, but it is worth the cost.” And He proceeds to enunciate three reasons, each one of them introduced by a “for,” to show that it is worth while to follow Him, even though it means the cross and the daily self-denial. Let us glance briefly at each of the reasons Christ adduces.
(1) The Paradox of Losing and Saving.
-And the price of Ease.
(1) This is the first-“Whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s shall save it” (viii. 35). To understand this paradox-a paradox embodying so much of essential and vital truth that our Lord repeated it on more than one occasion-we must bear in mind that the word “life” is used here in a double sense. In the one connection it stands for mere life; in the other it stands for the “good of life,” life worthy of the name. It is life on the lower and the higher plane. As Paul would put it, it is life “after the flesh,” and life “after the Spirit.” So that this saying might be paraphrased thus, “Whosoever will make it his first business to save or preserve his natural life and worldly well-being, shall lose the higher life, the life indeed; and whosoever is willing to lose his natural life for My sake, shall find the true eternal life.” And we know by experience that this is true. If we concentrate our thought upon the lower self, upon comfort, and wealth, and sensual indulgence, the higher life suffers. You remember that grim verse in the Psalms, “They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert” (Psa 106:14-15), lusted for mere material good, for the flesh-pots of Egypt, “and He gave them their request”-they got what they wanted. But at what a price! for “He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” That is a sequence we see illustrated too sadly often before our very eyes. We see men getting their desires, getting comfort, ease and wealth; we see them pampering their lower self, and we see them paying for it in leanness of soul. On the other hand, when a man dies to self, when he crucifies his flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof, he rises with Christ into a new life, a rich life, an eternal life. Sacrifice of some kind must be made. The only question we have to settle is, which we will sacrifice, the lower or the higher, what the world calls life, or what He calls life. Here there is the first reason for obeying Christ’s call, and bearing the cross, by sacrificing self, by crucifying the flesh, by losing the lower life, we gain the life which is life indeed.
(2) The Profit and Loss Sum.
(2) And here is the second reason-it follows closely upon the first, and is indeed explanatory of it-“For what doth it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what should a man give in exchange for his life?” (viii. 36, 37). Here is our Lord’s profit and loss sum. He puts the lower life and the higher life in the scales, and weighs them against each other. For the lower life is just the “worldly” life, the life given up to things of time and sense; the life that seeks to satisfy itself with creature comforts and sensual joys. Supposing that a man gains the world, enjoys everything the world can give, is rich and increased with goods, and in need of nothing; like Dives, is clothed in purple and fine linen, and fares sumptuously every day; supposing that he gains the whole world at the cost of the life of his soul, he is a loser by the bargain. On the other hand, the whole world is too small, an utterly inadequate price to pay for the ransom of a soul once lost
-An Ever-present Alternative.
Christ’s question remains still unanswered. We are all of us confronted by this alternative, the world or the soul. And many of us are tempted to sacrifice the soul to the world. That is specially our peril in these materialistic days. But whoever sacrifices his soul to the world makes a bad bargain. For he is sacrificing the inward and essential to the outward and accidental, the enduring to the transient, the eternal to the temporal. Supposing a man gains the world, he cannot keep it. “The world passeth away.” “The rich man died,” that is his end. And the man who has made the world his choice loses everything. He is ushered into the next world, poor and miserable and blind and naked. For a man’s genuine and permanent wealth does not consist in cash, but in character, not in what he possesses, but in what he is. I know the world measures what a man is worth by the amount of money he has; but the real worth of man is measured by the amount of soul he has, by the amount of faith and hope and love and purity there is in him. And in face of this I want to know what shall it profit a man to gain the world, and lose his real life-his soul life? Profit! there is no profit in it, only sheer and utter loss. Indeed, that is the only person Christ describes as “lost,” the man who has lost his soul. And supposing a man has “lost” his soul, what can he give to buy it back? What shall a man give in exchange, or rather as an exchange, for his soul? Many a man, coming to the end of his life, would give anything and everything to get his lost soul back. He has got his wealth, perhaps; but face to face with eternity he sees his wealth is mere dust and dross compared to the soul, and he would give all he has to buy it back. But “it cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof” (Job 28:15). It is in view of all this that Christ urged men to crucify the world to themselves, and themselves unto the world, to deny themselves, and follow Him. It may mean poverty, as far as this world is concerned, but they shall be rich unto eternal life.
(3) The Time of Reckoning.
(3) And the third argument for cross-bearing is drawn from the Second Advent. I am not going just now to enter upon any discussion as to what we are to understand by the specific references to the Second Coming in the Gospel, and even in this particular passage. There is no doubt the disciples expected that coming to take place speedily. Indeed, the words that follow this verse, words which naturally belong to it (ix. 1), seem to promise that it shall take place within the lifetime of some who were then standing by our Lord and listening to His words. It may be that our Lord spoke of two comings, one near at hand, and another at the end of the world, and that these two got more or less confused in the recollections of the disciples. But be that as it may, one fact is quite clear: our Lord spoke of a day of triumph, when He should appear invested with the manifest glory of Messiah, and attended with a mighty host of ministering spirits-His reward for bearing His cross of ignominy and shame. And in that day of the Lord’s triumph those who have borne the cross and followed Him shall triumph too. Those who have suffered with Him shall also be glorified together. Those who have fought His battles shall wear the crown. “For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (viii. 38). In the great and awful day of judgment and searching and sifting, the one thing worth having will be the life-giving recognition and smile of the Lord; but if we have never enlisted in His army, if we do not bear the “marks” of the cross, what can He say but this, “I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity?”
A Searching Call.
“If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me”; it is a stern and searching call. And yet it is a reasonable call. For, just as Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame for the joy that was set before Him, so too, if we remember the “joy” set before us, we shall have strength to bear our cross. And let us remember this, farther. When we bear our cross we are in the blessed fellowship of Jesus. He marches at the head with His great and heavy cross. We follow after. And our crosses are light compared with His. “Shall Jesus thus suffer, and shall we refuse?” “Who shall dream of shrinking, by our Captain led?” “We will not shrink!” “Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest” (Mat 8:19).
Fuente: The Gospel According to St. Mark: A Devotional Commentary
4
Cross is used figuratively and means that following Christ requires one to make sacrifices. Many things must be denied to a man who tries to serve Jesus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
THE words of our Lord Jesus Christ in this passage are peculiarly weighty and solemn. They were spoken to correct the mistaken views of His disciples, as to the nature of His kingdom. But they contain truths of the deepest importance to Christians in every age of the Church. The whole passage is one which should often form the subject of private meditation.
We learn, for one thing, from these verses, the absolute necessity of self-denial, if we would be Christ’s disciples, and be saved. What saith our Lord? “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Salvation is undoubtedly all of grace. It is offered freely in the Gospel to the chief of sinners, without money and without price. “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9.) But all who accept this great salvation, must prove the reality of their faith by carrying the cross after Christ. They must not think to enter heaven without trouble, pain, suffering, and conflict on earth. They must be content to take up the cross of doctrine, and the cross of practice-the cross of holding a faith which the world despises, and the cross of living a life which the world ridicules as too strict and righteous overmuch. They must be willing to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to fight daily with the devil, to come out from the world, and to lose their lives, if needful, for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s. These are hard sayings, but they admit of no evasion. The words of our Lord are plain and unmistakable. If we will not carry the cross, we shall never wear the crown.
Let us not be deterred from Christ’s service by fear of the cross. Heavy as that cross may seem, Jesus will give us grace to bear it. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Php 4:13.) Thousands and tens of thousands have borne it before us, and have found Christ’s yoke easy, and Christ’s burden light. No good thing on earth was ever attained without trouble. We cannot surely expect that without trouble we can enter the kingdom of God. Let us go forward boldly, and allow no difficulty to keep us back. The cross by the way is but for a few years. The glory at the end is for evermore.
Let us often ask ourselves whether our Christianity costs us anything? Does it entail any sacrifice? Has it the true stamp of heaven? Does it carry with it any cross?-If not, we may well tremble and be afraid. We have everything to learn. A religion which costs nothing, is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come.
We learn, for another thing, from these verses, the unspeakable value of the soul. What saith our Lord? “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” These words were meant to stir us up to exertion and self-denial. They ought to ring in our ears like a trumpet, every morning when we rise from our beds, and every night when we lie down. May they be deeply graven in our memories, and never effaced by the devil and the world!
We have all souls that will live for evermore. Whether we know it or not, we all carry about with us something which will live on when our bodies are mouldering in the grave. We have all souls, for which we shall have to give account to God. It is an awful thought, when we consider how little attention most men give to anything except this world. But it is true.
Any man may lose his own soul. He cannot save it: Christ alone can do that. But he can lose it, and that in many different ways. He may murder it, by loving sin and cleaving to the world. He may poison it by choosing a religion of lies, and believing man-made superstitions. He may starve it, by neglecting all means of grace, and refusing to receive into his heart the Gospel. Many are the ways that lead to the pit. Whatever way a man takes, he, and he alone, is accountable for it. Weak, corrupt, fallen, impotent as human nature is, man has a mighty power of destroying, ruining, and losing his own soul.
The whole world cannot make up to a man the loss of his soul. The possession of all the treasures that the world contains, would not compensate for eternal ruin. They would not satisfy us, and make us happy while we had them. They could only be enjoyed for a few years, at best, and must then be left for evermore. Of all unprofitable and foolish bargains that man can make, the worst is that of giving up his soul’s salvation for the sake of this present world. It is a bargain of which thousands, like Esau, who sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage, have repented-but many, unhappily, like Esau, have repented too late.
Let these sayings of our Lord sink deep into our hearts. Words are inadequate to express their importance. May we remember them in the hour of temptation, when the soul seems a small and unimportant thing, and the world seems very bright and great. May we remember them in the hour of persecution, when we are tried by the fear of man, and half inclined to forsake Christ. In hours like these, let us call to mind this mighty question of our Lord, and repeat it to ourselves, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
We learn, in the last place, from these verses, the great danger of being ashamed of Christ. What saith our Lord? “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
When can it be said of any one, that he is ashamed of Christ? We are guilty of it, when we are ashamed of letting people see that we believe and love the doctrines of Christ, that we desire to live according to the commandment of Christ, and that we wish to be reckoned among the people of Christ. Christ’s doctrine, laws, and people were never popular, and never will be. The man who boldly confesses that he loves them, is sure to bring on himself ridicule and persecution. Whosoever shrinks from this confession from fear of this ridicule and persecution, is ashamed of Christ, and comes under the sentence of the passage before us.
Perhaps there are few of our Lord’s sayings which are more condemning than this. “The fear of man” does indeed “bring a snare.” (Pro 29:25.) There are thousands of men who would face a lion, or storm a breach, if duty called them, and fear nothing-and yet would be ashamed of being thought “religious”-and would not dare to avow that they desired to please Christ rather than man. Wonderful indeed is the power of ridicule! Marvelous is the bondage in which men live to the opinion of the world!
Let us all pray daily for faith and courage to confess Christ before men. Of sin, or worldliness, or unbelief, we may well be ashamed. We ought never to be ashamed of Him who died for us on the cross. In spite of laughter, mockery, and hard words, let us boldly avow that we serve Christ. Let us often look forward to the day of His second coming, and remember what He says in this place. Better a thousand times confess Christ now, and be despised by man, than be disowned by Christ before His Father in the day of judgment.
Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
Mar 8:34. Called unto him the multitude. The crowd was never far off. What He would now say was of universal application. He would prepare the multitude to hear what He had just revealed to the Twelve, and test their willingness to follow Him to death. He thus showed His wisdom as a Teacher, in adapting the truth to the audience.
Take up his cross. Luke inserts daily.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. How our blessed Saviour recommends his religion to everyone’s election and choice, not attempting by force and violence to compel any person to the embracing of it. If any man will come after me: that is, if any man chooses and resolves to be a Christian.
Observe, 2. Our Saviour’s terms propounded; namely, self-denial, gospel-suffering, and gospel-service.
1. Self-denial; Let him deny himself. By which we are not to understand, either the denying of our senses in matters of faith, or the renouncing of our reason in the matters of religion; but a willingness to part with all our earthly comforts, and temporal enjoyments, for the sake of Christ, when called thereunto.
2. Gospel-suffering; He must take up his cross. An allusion to the Roman custom, that the malefactor who was to be crucified, took his cross upon his shoulder, and carried it to the place of execution.
Where note, That not the making of the cross, but the patient bearing of it, when God has made it, and laid it upon our shoulders, is the duty enjoined. Let him take up his cross.
3. Gospel-service; Let him follow me, says Christ: that is, obey my commands, and imitate my example. He must set my life and doctrine continually before him, and be daily correcting and reforming his life by that rule and pattern.
Observe, 3. The reasons urged by our Saviour to induce men to a willingness to lay down their lives for the sake of Christ and his holy religion; He that will save his life, shall lose it; and he that is willing to lose his life for the gospel’s sake, the same shall find it.
Intimating to us, 1. That the love of this temporal life is a great temptation to men to deny Christ, and to renounce his holy religion.
And, 2. That the surest way to attain eternal life, is cheerfully to lay down our temporal life, when the glory of Christ, and the honour of religion, requires it at our hand.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mar 8:34-38. When he had called the people unto him To hear a truth of the last importance, and one that equally concerned them all; whosoever will come after me And be a disciple of mine, entitled to all the privileges and blessings which belong to my disciples in this world and the next; let him deny himself His own will, in all things, great and small, however pleasing, and that continually; and take up his cross Embrace the will of God, however painful, daily, hourly, continually. Thus only can he follow me in holiness to glory. See on Mat 16:24-26. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me Poor, despised, and a man of sorrows though I am; and of my words That is, of avowing by word and action whatever I have said, particularly this my precept of self-denial, and taking up the daily cross: and whosoever is not heartily willing to sustain the scoffs of a wicked world, to which the profession and practice of my religion may expose him; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, &c. He shall be ashamed to acknowledge one for his disciple who has acted in a manner so unlike his Master, and so unworthy of his religion. See on Mat 10:32-33.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
DISCIPLESHIP
Mat 16:24-26; Mar 8:34-37; Luk 9:23-25. Mark: Calling to Him the multitude, along with His disciples, He said to them, Whosoever wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. We have no mention of the multitude, since He has been at Caesarea-Philippi, till now, when it is said that Jesus called them to Him, that they might hear, along with His disciples. Hitherto He has been expounding the straight, practical facts relative to Himself, expository of His Christhood and atonement, which it is very important for His disciples to know with certainty at this late date of His ministry. Now that He proposes to elucidate the conditions of discipleship, the whole multitude are concerned; therefore we see that, desisting from these interviews with His disciples, He invites the multitude to enjoy His preaching. The conditions of discipleship are plain, positive, explicit, and unmistakable, beginning with total and unequivocal selfabnegation, and culminating in crucifixion. The sinners way crosses, antagonizes, and disharmonizes with Gods way. All this must be primarily and eternally abandoned. This is the great work of repentance, fundamental in salvation. Then he must follow this total self-abnegation by taking up his cross, and walking in the track of Jesus; this is justifying faith, which invariably involves the whole problem of practical Christianity, loving obedience to every commandment, and faithful discharge of every duty, however arduous and repellent to the flesh. N.B. The first hemisphere of this great transaction is total, unequivocal, and eternal self-abnegation, taking up the cross and following Jesus, through tempest and sunshine, prosperity and adversity, whether flowers bloom or fagots flame, birds sing or lions roar; i.e., forsaking all sin we do our whole duty, let it be ever so repellent to the flesh. Now, remember, there is another distinct hemisphere fitting on to the preceding, and constituting the beautiful celestial sphere of Christian discipleship Jesus carried His cross to die on it. Though He broke down on the way, a stout African disciple relieved Him. So if you break down under the cross of heavy and intolerable duty e. g., family prayer, public prayer, testimony, appeal, house-to-house visiting, slum work, street preaching God will send an angel to carry the cross for you, whether incarnate or excarnate.
Discipleship means following Jesus. The utility of His cross was to die on it. So, remember, you are not only to suffer while bearing the cross, but actually you are to be crucified on it, thus putting an end to all suffering, and radically reversing the former environments, putting you upon the cross; so that you no longer bear the cross, but the cross bears you. There is a woeful misapprehension appertaining to Christian discipleship, even among holiness people. It is generally taken for granted that the faithful cross-bearer is sanctified. This conclusion is utterly out of harmony with our Saviors exposition of discipleship. The masses of Church members simply refuse to bear the cross, thereby forfeiting all claims to discipleship, and putting themselves on a par with open sinners. A true conversion makes you a bona fide cross-bearer; while sanctification, crucifying Adam the First, and thus eliminating all repellency to Christian duty, puts you on top of the cross, so that henceforth it carries you; i.e., every duty to God which is heavy and irksome to the unsanctified, undergoes a mysterious and inexplicable metamorphism, so that, instead of being repellent and heavy, it is magnetic, charming, and delightful; so that, instead of chilling your enthusiasm and retarding your progress, it thrills you with new inspiration, giving you a fresh impetus on your heavenly way. To this there is no exception, even bloody martyrdom is disrobed of his terrors; so the pilgrim goes shouting to the burning stake. Hence you see that all who refuse to bear the cross of Christ are sinners. Those who bear it faithfully are justified; while the crucifixion which we receive on the cross, sanctifying us wholly, gives us the complete victory over all crosses, so that we carry them no more, but they carry us, every cross having eagle wings, mounting skywardly, and soaring away to glory, while we ride them triumphantly, with song and shouts of victory, till, welcomed by angelic millions, we sweep through the gates of glory.
Mar 8:35 : For whosoever may wish to save his soul, shall lose it; and whosoever may lose his soul, for My sake and that of the gospel, he shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he may gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? In this paragraph our Savior gives psyche, the regular and constant word for soul, four times. The E.V. translates it life in two instances, and soul in two more. I must confess, I see no reason for this change. If our Savior had meant life in verse thirty-five, He certainly would have said zoe.
The very fact that He says psyche all the time, is sufficient reason why we should do likewise. Methinks the translators simply failed to apprehend the deep spiritual meaning of our Lord in this beautiful passage, given literally by Mark and Luke. Jas 1:4; Jas 4:8, speaking of the double-minded man, uses this same word, dipsychos i.e., double- souled applying it to the unsanctified Christian; setting forth the fact that the unregenerate have one evil soul, the sanctified one good soul, and the unsanctified Christian the double soul; i.e., the good soul created by the Holy Ghost in regeneration, and the bad soul inherited from Adam the First, subjugated in conversion, and kept subordinated by grace, but still surviving, and an antagonistical element in the deep interior of the heart, causing much hindrance to duty and many a defeat in spiritual conflict, and a perpetual impediment to our efficiency for God, till eradicated and removed in the second work of grace, in which case you are no longer double-minded, unstable in all your ways, but free as a bird of Paradise, and happy as a lark, soaring into the sky; unincumbered by a solitary impediment, you fight, conquer, sing, and shout your way to heaven. You see from our Saviors deliverances, that all religion is self-denial. The sinner refuses to deny himself of carnal pleasures, and sells out his soul to the devil for a mess of pottage. The unsanctified Christian finds self-denial hard and repellent to the flesh. There is where he flickers, lets go his hold on Jesus, and goes down to bell; while a sanctified man finds all self-denial no longer hard, but easy, and even delightful, so that he enjoys it, and runs after it, finding that every self-denial gives him an elastic bound for glory.
Here our Savior simply assures us that all who save their souls, shall lose them; and those who lose their souls for His sake, shall find them. We come into the world with a bad soul, which we must not only antagonize, but get rid of it altogether, coming to Jesus for a new soul, created in His own image and likeness. Hence the unpopularity of the true religion in all ages, and the paucity of its votaries. It is because the heavenly road is beset with crosses, which Adam the First can not pass, because they were put there to crucify him. Consequently, the carnal clergy, with the devil to help them, have in all ages led the people some other way. Satan has laid earth and hell under contribution, the last six thousand years, to render the way of death pleasant and charming to travelers. He has cut down the mountains, filled up the valleys, macadamized the road, paved it with gold, strewn it with flowers, and enchanted it with the most charming music, thus intermitting neither labor nor expenditure to make the road satisfactory to all, Church members and outsiders. No theology, Churchism, nor priestcraft can ever change the law of discipleship here propounded by the Prince of glory. If you would be a disciple, you must actually lose that evil soul you have had all your life, and take chances to get another; i.e., the man of sin must consent to lie down and die, taking the risk about living again.
The people of this world hold to the maxim, A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. Consequently they hold on to the soul which they have had since their earliest recollection, willing to take all the religion which they can have compatibly with that soul; i.e., they will join the Church, take water baptism, weekly sacraments, work faithfully in the Church machinery, do some very nice parrot talk in the social meetings, pay their dues, attend church, receive official honors, represent the Church in the Conferences, and, with a collegiate education, actually preach the gospel in their way. But to have heavy hands laid on them, nailing them to the cross, to bleed and die like Jesus, taking chances on the resurrection life, is utterly out of the question, and to be rejected contemptuously as the vain hallucination of the holiness cranks, who ought to be run out of the country. Good Lord, shine through us, and enable us to take Thy plain and simple Word, and be Thy true disciples!
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 34
The people. The foregoing conversation had been a confidential one between Jesus and the disciples alone. We notice how naturally the course of remark which he addressed to the people at large, flowed from the subject of the private conversation which had held with his immediate followers. The doctrine of the passage Mark 8:34-38 is, that whoever becomes the follower of Jesus Christ, must expect, not worldly prosperity and honor, but self-denial, trial, and suffering. He must be prepared to put life, and all that is dear in life, at hazard; but then he will, in the end, secure what is of inconceivably greater value,–the salvation of the soul.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
This is most likely a part of Christ’s response to the reaction of Peter. Christ called all together and declared several truths.
A. Anyone that will deny himself is to take up his cross and follow Christ. If you deny yourself you automatically are burdened with problems, losses and missed opportunities for friendships reward and wealth. This seems to be in Christ’s mind a cross to bear. Nothing about suffering death with Him or anything that spiritual, just taking upon oneself the burden of doing without.
When we went off to Bible College we did so with no money and no prospects of finances supplied. In my young Christian life I was under the impression that Christ meant what He said in the Gospels about denying yourself, trusting in Him for supply and all those out-of-date items that we do not talk about anymore in our churches.
We arrived far from home with no job, no place to live and little money to find an apartment. It is odd. God did supply the need. I found a job within a day or two, and that was after we had found an apartment in fairly short order. No, we had no frills, our life was on the order of poverty, but we had what we needed and God provided at just the right time.
Most of our married life we have most likely qualified for a number of welfare programs but were never on any of them because God was providing nicely without the help of government. Actually looking back on those days I am not sure I could consider it a cross. Christ died on one of those for me, why should I not do all I can for Him? Simple philosophy of life I suppose, but it seems to have worked for me and my house.
Consider denying yourself for His gain. That is what it its – giving Him the gain that you could have had. A simple method of trying to repay the debt that you owe.
Many are the illustrations of Christ’s simple request – J. Hudson Taylor, William Carey, and other early missionaries. Pick up one of their life stories and give it a read and see what some have done for their Lord. Deny yourself, it can only produce eternal gain for both you and your Lord.
B. If you save your life you will loose it. In short if you choose to serve yourself you will save your life for your own living, for your own purposes and your own gain, but in truth you will loose the joy of having served the Lord your God.
Indeed, there may be an even more serious part to this. Joh 15:1-27 seems to show that God removesunproductive believers from this life. Add to that the lack of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ and you will have a good picture of the possible loss.
C. If you lose your life you shall have it. On the other side of things if you lose your life or give it back to the one that bought it for service you will have a life worth having.
After a long life of service I have often looked back and wondered what I might have done with my life if the Lord had not called me to his work. I am left with a complete blank. I was a near high school dropout, drinking and swearing like a sailor which I was, going nowhere very quickly.
Had God not stepped into my life I probably would have done nothing with my life. He has done what He wanted to do with my life and that is adequate for me.
D. And what price is the soul, can you buy it back with your worldly profits, seems to be the thought. If you lose your life you will certainly never be able to beg, barter or buy it back again.
My father-in-law was a godly man but in the end when he faced terminal cancer he realized that he could have done so much more for the Lord and the regrets were great. From the prognosis on he was witnessing to every friend and family that entered his room. He had lived a good life before the Lord but he knew he could have done better. Do not face this sort of regret in the end begin now to serve the Lord as you ought.
E. If you gain the world you may well lose your soul. This does not mean that you will lose your eternal destination, but you will lose your life here on earth. Your history, your worth, your meaning to the Lord will be of total loss. You may be rich, you may be popular and you may have great meaning for the world but to God you will be lose.
Yesterday they announced that Senator Kennedy had a malignant brain tumor. I began to pray for the man on the spot, but had no idea of how to pray for him. Most likely not a believer, he has committed his entire life to pleasure and politics – serving his fellow man. He has great worth to the world as evidenced by the outpouring of concern by fellow congressmen and the media.
My when I am that age I trust this is not true of me for it would prove to all that are witness that I have served other than my Lord Jesus Christ all my life. Serving man is noble, but what is it on the grand stage of God’s plan and decree? Nothing but lose.
This is not meant to detract from Senator Kennedy’s accomplishments for they are many. But it is to say, even though I disagreed with most of what he stood for and what he did, he was a powerful man for the world and indeed devoted to those things most meaningful to him.
F. If you are ashamed of Christ and His in this generation then He will be ashamed of you when He comes.One must wonder at just what spiritual condition one might be in to find himself ashamed of Christ. How far must one backslide to find an association with Him to be distasteful?
This generation is our job, our task, our responsibility to evangelize, just how well are we doing?
Are we speaking to our own generation about the Lord? Are we vocal for the one that died for our sins?
On the other hand picture yourself when He comes – you have brought Him to be ashamed of you by your actions in this life. How will you handle that one? Will there be any answer that you can give Him? Who or what will you blame or will you be up front and admit that it was your self-service that was the problem?
He also marked His own generation as adulterous and sinful. One must wonder what He would call our present generation. We take all of His generation and shove it into every home on a cable or a wire and call it television and the Internet. It is available in nearly every room to any that can throw a power switch.
I personally am appalled at some of the television shows believers watch. Shows that are full of terrible language, shows that are filled with terrible violence and shows full of terrible subject matter. I have no idea how people relate those viewing habits to Php 4:8-9 “8 Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Our focus in this life should be Him and His desires, plans and work, not our own pleasures to satisfy self.
As an overall application of this last passage I would like to relate a question asked of me once. I was interviewing for a position in a large church in CA and one of the board members asked me the question “How do you live your life to gain the reward that you want in eternity?”
I must say that the question shocked me due to the fact that I had never considered the idea of “doing” here for “reward” there. I thought for a few moments to see if I was missing something then answered along the lines that I had never considered how I should live in relation to rewards, nor had I considered what rewards I might gain, much less in relation to what I have or have not done in this life.
I related that Christ died on the cross for me so anything and everything I can do in this life could never make up for that sacrifice made on my behalf. As to rewards I told him that I had never considered what I might gain. Being in heaven with the Lord is enough for me and that due not one whit with what I have done.
Doing for the Lord should be our goal, our life and our gain, everything else that comes along isjust so much more grace from Him that died for us.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
8:34 {10} And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(10) The disciples of Christ must bear bravely whatever burden the Lord lays upon them, and subdue the desires of the flesh.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jesus addressed the crowds as well as the disciples because the requirements are the same for anyone who contemplates discipleship. Some in the crowd were thinking about becoming Jesus’ disciples but had not yet made up their minds.
"He stated two requirements which, like repent and believe (cf. Mar 1:15), are bound together." [Note: Grassmick, p. 140.]
One negative requirement is self-denial, replacing one’s own preferences and plans with God’s priorities and program. [Note: See Michael P. Green, "The Meaning of Cross-Bearing," Bibliotheca Sacra 140:558 (April-June 1983):117-33.] The other positive requirement is following Jesus faithfully and publicly even though that would mean shame, suffering, and perhaps physical death (cf. Mar 1:17-18; Mar 2:14; Mar 10:21; Mar 10:52).
Four explanatory clarifications follow, each introduced by "for" (Gr. gar, Mar 8:35-38) plus an encouragement (Mar 8:38). They are appropriate warnings for present disciples and those considering discipleship. For believers they apply to the loss of reward and for unbelievers to the loss of eternal life, salvation. Both types of people were in Jesus’ audience when He said this.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
2. The requirements of discipleship 8:34-9:1 (cf. Matthew 16:24-28; Luke 9:23-27)
Jesus now proceeded to explain to His disciples that suffering would not only be His destiny but theirs too.