23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:23-27 KJV)
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
Jesus also prepared them for their own suffering. Rather than avoid his sufferings, they had to be ready for theirs. He taught them to live lives of self-denial and endurance (Luke 9:23). Following him meant not indulging comfort or ease, but being ready to suffer and carry their cross daily. Trials will come in the path of obedience, and when they do, we must accept them and follow Christ faithfully.
He warned that those who try to save their lives by denying Christ—whether to preserve freedom, wealth, or status—would ultimately lose their souls (Luke 9:24). But those who lose their lives for his sake would save them eternally. Even if someone were to gain the whole world by turning from Christ, it wouldn’t make up for losing their soul forever (Luke 9:25). Our souls are our very selves. If we are judged unworthy at the end for betraying Christ, what good is worldly success?
Jesus warned them never to be ashamed of him or his message (Luke 9:26). Anyone ashamed of him now, when his cause is despised, will find Christ ashamed of them at his return. Just as Christ has both a state of suffering and a state of glory, so does his cause. Only those who are willing to share in its humiliation will share in its triumph. Christ will reject those who reject him.
To encourage them, Jesus described the majesty of his return. He will come in his own glory—glory he had with the Father before the world began and which was restored to him after his work was complete (John 17:4-5). He will also come in the Father’s glory, publicly affirmed as the Judge and Son of God, and accompanied by the holy angels, who will magnify his appearance (Luke 9:26). If we truly believed this, we would never be ashamed of him.
Finally, Jesus assured them that some standing there would live to see the kingdom of God come in power (Luke 9:27). Though his second coming was far off, his reign would begin in their lifetime. They would witness the Spirit’s outpouring, the spread of the gospel, and the conversion of nations. They would also see judgment fall on the unbelieving Jewish nation. All of this was the beginning of his kingdom on earth.