“Take up the cross daily”

Read Luke 9:23-27

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The disciples needed to understand that Jesus being the Messiah meant that he would have to die (9:18-22). But they also needed to realise that this pattern would apply to their own discipleship too, in three particular ways (23):

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• “he must deny himself”. This means putting aside our own ambitions in order to do God’s will.

• “take up his cross”. For Jesus the cross meant suffering and shame and we too must be willing to experience such things for his sake. This is a choice which we must make “daily”.

• “follow me”. i.e. Follow his teaching, follow his leading, follow his will, and most of all follow that pattern of sacrificial service which took him to the cross.

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This seems like the way of loss but it’s the only way to find true life (24; Lk.17:33; Jn.12:24-25). Only God’s kingdom will endure for ever and so to live for that kingdom is the only reasonable thing to do, however costly it might appear to be (25-26).

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The section ends with an emphatic saying about that future coming of God’s kingdom (27; Mk.9:1). In Jesus, the kingdom was already present and advancing (Mt.12:28) and now three of the disciples were about to get a glimpse of his coming glory and power (Lk.9:28-36).

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