Mark 8:34–38

Thinking about our last youth group at Kempsey I have stopped to think about Jesus’ words in Mark 8:34-38.

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple MUST deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? 37 Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? 38 If any of you are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.””

Have a think about this paragraph…….

Don’t you just want to brush it off?! Come on Jesus surely being a Christian doesn’t have to be so drastic?!

Have a read of how Jesus describes his work for US!

Mark 8:31–32

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this,”

Is not Jesus’ work for sinful humanity radical? Jesus denied the very human desires of his self, that we also feel, to be perfectly obedient to God and to be the perfect Saviour and Lord over all things!

Deny self

If this is Jesus and we call ourselves Christians than we must take Jesus’ words in Mark 8:34-38 seriously. Are you willing to deny yourself?

“The Central thought in self-denial is a disowning of any claim that may be urged by self,… a willingness to say ‘NO’ to oneself in order to be able to say ‘YES’ to God.”

If we are Christians than we live a radical life. We don’t live our lives for ourselves, BUT in accordance with God’s will. Which is to have faith in His Son Jesus as Christ!

Take up your cross

Are you willing to take up your cross?

“The saying evokes the picture of a condemned man going out to die who is forced to carry on his back the cross beam upon which he is to be nailed at the place of execution….. Jesus’ words were a sober caution that the commitment for which he asked permitted no turning back, and if necessary, a willingness to submit to the cross in pursuance of the will of God.”

The cross is a sign of humiliation! Not something we want, especially when our culture encourages us to exult ourselves! To be all we can be! To be happy with who we are as long as we have everything we want.

But Jesus’ words call us to be radical. Consider God’s call to be lights in the world, to share the Gospel in a world that hates God enough to kill Him.

Follow Me

Are we willing to follow Jesus?

Jesus’ words “provides a vivid reminder that suffering with the Messiah is the condition of glorification with him (Rom 8:17)” – “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Following Jesus is radical. You dont find many people willing to follow Jesus. They weigh up the costs and come to the conclusion that following Jesus in this world is not worth the Glory we will have in the next.

 

THe major question from this is:

If we say we are Christians, are we denying self? Taking up our cross? And following Jesus?

 

quotes from Lane, W.L; ‘The Gospel of Mark’ (New International Commentary on the New Testament)

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