This is the pivotal verse in my life when it comes to how I think about life as a follower of Jess. To deny yourself is simply to take yourself off your pedestal and make Christ the most important thing in your life. In our previous studies, we have seen that beginning with chapter 6 of Mark, Mark is dealing with our Lord's training of the twelve disciples as He seeks to instruct them about who He is and help their faith grow. Let’s begin by reading Mark 8:34-35, “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. And (we pray!) Posted by DJL on Jul 3, 2012 in Daily Bread | 0 comments. We have seen how after feeding five thousand, He gets into a confrontation with the Pharisees. I now understand that I must lay my entire life on the sacrificial alter, as a willing offering.. and be ready and willing to say, 'not I but Christ'. And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (NASB) Mark 8:34. Mark 8:34-38 For our understanding and application today, here is one of the clearest statements of discipleship anywhere in the New Testament. Can you explain Ecclesiastes 12:12? Mark 8:34-38. Mark 8:34 Translation & Meaning. However, it was to trigger a sharp rebuke from Jesus, which laid the foundation for Christ to tell all His followers the enormous price of true discipleship in this passage. The answer will determine your eternal destiny. He is the supreme model of the self-denial to which He calls others. Indeed if we choose to ‘save our lives’, we will actually ‘lose our lives’. Here is the one rule which binds us to-day. on the other oar is the word "Works." This time of year we receive many invitations. Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. The Greek term “aparneomai”, translated in English as “deny” has the meaning … For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. And 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. What does it say about smoking pot in the bible? SECOND, we are to identify with His suffering and death and THIRD, we are to obediently follow Him, and trust His word.. no matter what the cost, or how difficult it may become. Mark 8:31-34. 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.” We might think of this portion as ‘the cost of following Christ’. CHAPTER 8 The Feeding of the Four Thousand. Have you determined to ‘save your life’? When Jesus summoned the crowd to come, and listen to Him, together with His chosen disciples, and made His astonishing demand... that anyone who wanted to follow Him was to deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow Him... we find that this requirement was recorded immediately after Peter had pronounced his divine revelation from God. Let’s begin by reading Mark 8:34-35, “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. It means that you don’t think of yourself (your desires, your wants, your lusts, your personal happiness, etc.) The notion people have that the faculties of a man ripen by a certain amount of indulgence, is a mere deceit of Satan. Let us die to our own desires and live our life for Christ alone. LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS 34 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. '” (Mark 8:34). (280.10). Mark 8:34-38. It means the loss … 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Why does Christ have to say things like this? The conditions for true discipleship are hard, and Jesus made clear what was involved. Look up the Greek term for “deny” and discover what the term meant to these Hebrew writers. Close. What about you, dear reader? What does this verse really mean? This is the pivotal verse in my life when it comes to how I think about life as a follower of Jess. It is packed with teaching each of us can apply, to be certain we are authentic disciples of Christ. Yet, to value our own individual lives and refuse to live a life of self-denial, suffering, and service to the Lord, is to reject Christ as Lord and Savior. at all. Mark 8:34-37 The Word of God . He said to them, 'If you desire to come after me, you should deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. There are three points in it—they are not all the same—‘Let him deny himself,’ ‘Let him take up his cross,’ ‘Let him follow Me.’ A man may deny himself in no Christian spirit. all that God is for you in Christ explodes with faith, and joy, and love. Scripture Summary Mark 8:34-35. 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:6 "And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before [them]; and they did set [them] before the people." Mark 8:34-38 For our understanding and application today, here is one of the clearest statements of discipleship anywhere in the New Testament. Mark 8:34–38 May 16, 2017. Does it matter if I pray vigorously or gently? However, once a person is truly born-again and saved by the blood of the Lamb, they have a choice.. to follow Christ afar off, remain in spiritual infancy and live in carnality OR deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him.. as a true, sacrificial disciple - for we read: if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. While suffering is certainly not appealing to us, there is great value in it. There are many descriptions in the Bible of the path of discipleship and why it is so different from the world, but my favorite is in the book called “Mark,” chapter 8, verse 34. 31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. The price for our salvation was paid at Calvary, through the shed blood of Christ, such that whosoever BELIEVES on the Lord Jesus Christ is saved by God's grace, because of their faith. Let us seek to become sacrificial disciples of Christ, and not merely saved followers. Mark 8:34. In fact, He calls His followers—at least metaphorically but often literally—to join Him on the cross (Mark 8:34). Τὸν ὄχλον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς , 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. You are making God's way the choice of life. If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. And (we pray!) Subscribe ... Mark 8:34–38: You Can’t Buy a … Scripture: Mark 8:34-35, 2 Timothy 2:4, Jeremiah 29:13, Luke 8:17, 2 Corinthians 7:10 (view more) (view less) Denomination: Evangelical Free. Jesus teaches self-denial to His disciples not only with His words but also by His actions. Or are you willing to lose your life for Christ and the Gospel’s sake? FIRST, we are to surrender ourselves to Him completely. He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. The two times Jesus show the disciples a hint of His glory, He tells them to tell no one (Mark 8:30; 9:9), but He never gives a similar order about His coming disgrace and death. mark 8:34-38. The oars are symbolic of our ministry as followers of Christ. Mark 8:31; Mark 8:33. What does this verse really mean? What does Mark 8:35 mean? If anyone wants to be a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, he must die to his own desires and personal wishes, and live for Christ alone - even though this may be very difficult. Notice that His call to self-denial comes immediately after predicting His own sacrificial death. 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 thier cross and follow me.For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." g.].— ἀκολουθεῖτω , … Jesus Foretells His Passion & Death (Mark 8:31-33) In the previous passage Jesus acknowledges that he is the Messiah, but here we find that Jesus refers to himself again as “Son of man.” If he wanted news of his being Messiah to remain just among them, it would make sense if he used that title when out and about. Let’s begin by reading Mark 8:34-35, “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. Mark 8:34-37 . * 1In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,a he summoned the disciples and said, 2“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. Apple YouTube Email. You watch his pen “draw out” meaning. Matthew and Mark tell of the 4,000 fed. What is the meaning of Mark 8 34-36? " Jesus teaches self-denial to His disciples not only with His words but also by His actions. Mark 8:34 Context. There are those who graduating from high school or college. The Way of the Cross. While it is true that the Lord will strengthen and comfort us for whatever we have to endure, it is also true that following Christ involves hardship. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. When Jesus says, “come after,” the Greek words mean “to come to a point of being with” Him. It is a total surrender of our own wishes and personal desires. You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. 32 And he spake that saying openly. In a parallel passage, we read that whoever does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. The rebuke of love. What did Jesus mean “deny yourself and take up your cross”? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell of the 5,000 fed with the five loaves and two fishes. Heavenly Father, thank You that I have been saved by grace - through faith in Christ. Let us not overlook this loving rebuke; for. Mark 8:34. May I be prepared to say, in all things - 'not my will but Yours be done', and help me to deny myself, take up my own cross and follow You, willingly and joyfully - to Your praise and glory - this I ask in Jesus name, AMEN. What Does It Mean to Take Up Our Cross? Mark 8:34-38 ¶“ 34 Jesus called the crowd to join him and his disciples. In Mark 8:27-38, we see who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him on the ``Road Less Traveled``. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell of the 5,000 fed with the five loaves and two fishes. To follow Him is to experience what He experienced, to suffer what He suffered. Jesus called the people and His disciples to Him and said, 'If anyone wants to be a follower of Mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Subscribe. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for My sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. The cross is a symbol of suffering. It is disassociating ourselves from our own wishes and personal desires, and living life with a divine perspective, where we are willing to say, not my will but Thine be done. It has been said that to deny oneself doesn’t mean that you think bad things about yourself, neither does it mean that you think good things about yourself. Subscribe. You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. The first thing we have mentioned is SELF-DENIAL. However, to take up our cross is to identify with the suffering of Christ - NOT His sacrificial work on the cross, which He alone accomplished. Mark 8:34 Translation & Meaning. Mark 8:35 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Mark 8:35, NIV: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." Billy Graham used to say: "Salvation is … Mark 8:31-34. Peter's protest, which attempted to save Jesus from being handed over to the Gentile nations, and crucified on the cross, to pay the price for the sin of the world, may have been born out of deep love for his Master, but ignorance of God's perfect plan of redemption. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Sermon Mark 8:34-38 The Costs of Discipleship Check out these helpful resources Biblical Commentary Children's Sermons Hymn Lists Mark 8:34-38 The Costs of Discipleship Dr. Philip W. McLarty In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer [⇑ See verse text ⇑] "Loses his life" refers to a Semitic phrase "to trifle away one's life." 1. Mark 8:34 MATTHEW L. SKINNER ccording to the lectionary’s distribution of Scripture texts, the reading of Mark.8:27-38 occupies what appears to be a rather unassuming Sunday. Mark 8:6 "And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before [them]; and they did set [them] before the people." John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. But make no mistake; you are going to feel the pull to go back to self. It is to walk in the same path that our blessed Lord walked. That the Son of Man must suffer many things. Mark 8:34 Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. all that God is for you in Christ explodes with faith, and joy, and love. Everyone has fled him by then. If we choose to live our lives in search of pleasures and ease, we are denying the words of Christ and are refusing Him the rightful place of Lord of our lives. Luke 20:45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Whosoever. Subscribe ... Mark 8:34–38: Save … 1 Peter 3:14 tells us, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.” What joy is found in suffering for the Lord’s sake and know that you are honoring Him for doing so! It is to participate with Him, in the abuse and hatred that Jesus received during His lifetime and which has continued to be poured out on members of His mystical body - which is the Church, for centuries of time. You watch his pen “draw out” meaning. Matthew and Mark tell of the 4,000 fed. We read in Ephesians 2:10 that, as believers on the Lord Jesus that we were “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The one who is truly repentant of his sins, and who turns to the Lord Jesus for salvation, will have a heart to live for and serve the Lord Jesus. This self-denial should include everything, even to life itself, which we ought to be willing to give up for the sake of Christ. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Keywords. Again, Mark 8:34-38 offers an extremely difficult description of what we call Christian discipleship. The Cost Of Discipleship Series Contributed by David Owens on Oct 12, 2020 | 1,779 views. Notice that His call to self-denial comes immediately after predicting His own sacrificial death. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. It is packed with teaching each of us can apply, to be certain we are authentic disciples of Christ. Study Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23. 34 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. But Lord, I realise that to truly become a disciple of Yours, I must deny myself, and all that it entails. In this we see: 1) The Disciple's Confession (Mark 8:27-33) and 2) The Disciple's Lifestyle (Mark 8:34-38) Mark 8:27-33 [27] And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Mark 8:34(NASB) Verse Thoughts When Jesus summoned the crowd to come, and listen to Him, together with His chosen disciples, and made His astonishing demand... that anyone who wanted to follow Him was to deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow Him... we find that this requirement was recorded immediately after Peter had pronounced his divine revelation from God. Some tend to think that when we accept Christ as our savior and begin to follow Him, that life suddenly becomes easy. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life … Mark 7:14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: Luke 9:23 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. Depending upon your calendrical dialect, this is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Proper 19B, or the current year’s Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Sermon Mark 8:34-38 The Costs of Discipleship Check out these helpful resources Biblical Commentary Children's Sermons Hymn Lists Mark 8:34-38 The Costs of Discipleship Dr. Philip W. McLarty In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Believers, if you choose this path laid out in Mark 8:34-38, I am telling you, you are making a good choice. Peter had just confessed, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, following which, he was immediately and severely reprimanded, for attempting to prevent the Messiah of Israel, from carrying out His God-appointed work, on the cross of Calvary. To follow Christ as a disciple, may necessitate the forsaking of creature comforts, earthy ambitions, material riches, relational ties and even life itself. Mark 8:34-35. To deny self has nothing to do with 'self-denial', where we give up this or that, now and again. Remember, this book concludes with no one still following Jesus, at least in a literal sense. We read in 1 Peter 2:21-24, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that YE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”, HOWEVER, if we choose to put ourselves above Christ, if we choose to live our lives by pleasing ourselves, or if we refuse to live a life of suffering for Christ, we lose the opportunity to live eternally with the Lord. 2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8:34-9:1. We read in Philippians 1:29, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE.” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION.” The Lord said in Matthew 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” Suffering is part of the believer’s life. True discipleships places Christ at the centre of a life and above everyone else. Mark 8:35, ESV: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it." The Way of the Cross. Mark 8:34-38 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his 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 someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Soon there will be those who are preparing for a life together and we are invited to celebrate with them as they exchange vows. Because human nature is driven by the impulse that the only way to the things a person deeply desires is through self-centered, assertive, competitive concentration on getting what it wants. There are many descriptions in the Bible of the path of discipleship and why it is so different from the world, but my favorite is in the book called “Mark,” chapter 8, verse 34. I. Self-denial is the secret of success in everything. It is offering our entire life as a living sacrifice, which is set apart for God and remains holy to the Lord. Interesting and Hidden Aspects: The English translation hides … He is the supreme model of the self-denial to which He calls others. He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. John Piper @JohnPiper. Mark’s Gospel seems aware of this. Why is SELF-DENIAL and SUFFERING necessary to follow Christ? But as Jesus mentions in our text, such discipleship requires a cost. Faithful are the wounds of a friend: but the wounds which the Saviour inflicts are kindest of all. The next thing necessary to be a true follower of Christ is to TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. From Peter’s weakness let us learn how hard it is to see all truth at once.