06/25/2026

 

Samuel Clifford

 

Scripture:

 

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.the glory But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.””

Luke 9:23-27 NASB1995

 

This passage in Luke is so full of wisdom and yet is also so often misused. In today’s article, we will dive into the scripture for a deeper understanding of this verse. What does it mean to take up your cross? Does this verse indicate that works play a role in salvation? These are questions I hope to answer below.

 

Prior Context:

 

Luke 9:23-27 is part of a broader passage that starts in Luke 9:18. Jesus was speaking to his disciples and asked “Who do the people say that I am?” (v. 18). The “people” (Gr. ochloi, the uncommitted masses) are likely the 5,000 in the verses prior, but may also extend further to anyone the disciples had heard speak about what role Jesus fulfilled. That was the intent in Jesus’ question, he wanted to know what the people thought He fulfilled. The disciples then responded with what they had heard some say. Some believed John the Baptist had risen from the dead (9:7,19). Others believed Jesus was Elijah the Old Testament prophet and even others guessed He was some other prophet that rose again (v. 19). 

 

Jesus then asked the disciples what they personally thought Jesus was and Peter was the one to answer for all of them. He answered that Jesus was the Messiah whom God had sent. This rejects the ideas of the crowds that Jesus was simply another prophet or a prophet that had risen. Instead, He and presumably the other disciples all believed that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.

 

“But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.””

Luke 9:21-22 NASB1995

 

Just before the passage we are analyzing, Jesus predicts His suffering and death.  Jesus warned the disciples not to publicize His true identity as the Messiah because this would have eventually resulted in certain unnecessary pressures from the Jewish crowds. His disciples needed to know that there were sufferings ahead for Him and death. But they also needed to know that He would resurrect on the third day. 

 

Scripture In View:

 

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

Luke 9:23 NASB1995

 

The first part of this verse that needs to be analyzed is who the “anyone” refers to in this verse? Is Jesus speaking to the entire world? Is Jesus speaking to the people of His time? Who is He speaking to? From the context of the verses, it seems that the “anyone” refers directly to the group of disciples. The reasoning for this is three fold:

 

1. When Jesus was speaking he was speaking directly to his disciples (v. 18). This would mean that the “anyone” in verse 23 refers to anyone before Jesus at that time (His disciples). It’s like how if a person is in a restaurant and says “anyone who shakes my hand gets free food.” The person isn’t speaking of literally everyone across the world. Instead, we understand him to be meaning the people who were in the restaurant at that time. Similarly, Jesus’ words here seem to fit a local audience of the disciples rather than a broader audience like all Christians.

 

2. In verse 27, Jesus says:

 

“But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:27 NASB1995

 

Jesus used the phrase “standing here” which once again shows a local audience is in view as this passage connects to the prior passages. The the "some" in this verse appears to refer to a few of the disciples, namely, Peter, John, and James. The Transfiguration was a preview of the kingdom of God in which three disciples saw Jesus in the glorified state that will be His in the kingdom (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18). Therefore, this part of the passage certainly limits itself to the disciples and indicates that the surrounding passages are also for the disciples.

 

3. In verse 23, Jesus used the phrase "come after me.” This phrase is only used in Discipleship contexts. It isn't the phrase "come unto me" like in Matthew 11:28.

 

What Did It Mean To Take Up Your Cross and Deny Yourself?

 

Following Jesus or “coming after” Him means to become a disciple of His. It means to forsake one’s personal ambitions, such as getting rich or sexual desires, etc. Instead, a disciple of Jesus follows the will of God. In those times, criminals that were going to crucifixion would normally carry the crosspiece of their own cross. Therefore, to carry one’s own cross implies bearing the burden that comes with choosing to follow God. As we know, many spiritual principalities are at war against God and those who follow Him. This means that burdens can and will follow from someone who chooses to follow God’s will. Jesus then means that His disciples had to bear a burden that those who were not his disciples didn’t have to experience. 

 

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels the glory”

Luke 9:24-26 NASB1995

 

Verse 24 continues the idea set forth in the verse prior that one who follows Christ will endure loss and shame. One must give up their life, their desires and wants, to save their life. This means that God will certainly reward any sacrifice that a disciple makes to follow Him faithfully. This fits other verses in which rewards are given in heaven for worldly sacrifice (cf. Colossians 3:24; Revelation 22:12). 

 

It should be strictly noted that Jesus is not describing the conditions for receiving eternal life but the conditions for following Him as a committed disciple. Eternal life is a free gift (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9), but discipleship is costly (Luke 14:25-33). The audience, language, and context all point to discipleship rather than justification.

 

In verse 26 Jesus contrasts between glory the disciples can receive on earth versus the glory they can receive in heaven. Jesus then exalted this glory by speaking about the glory of the Son of Man when he returns. The use of the term “Son of Man” seems to indicate that this return is the Second Coming/Revelation and not the rapture. He exalts it more when speaking of the Father and the Holy Angels.