Deny, Take Up, and Follow
The three verbs, deny, take up, and follow are all included in the instructions that Jesus gives to those who want to be His disciples.
Who Am I?
We continue in the Gospel of Mark. Our Bible reading is Mark chapter 8, verses 27 to 36:
“On the way (Jesus) asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man,’ and calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me … For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?’” (ESV)
Mark 8, verses 27 to 36:
The Meaning of Must
Jesus doesn’t just say that the Son of Man will suffer, but that he must suffer, must be rejected, must be killed, must be raised again”. What is the meaning of that word “must”? Well, it does not mean that Jesus was forced to die against his will. It means that it was necessary. It was necessary for Jesus to die a violent death. It was necessary that he pay the debt of sin because we couldn’t. It was necessary that the one who died be someone who was both man & God.
As a man, he could die physically: His breathing could come to an end. His heart could quit. The signals in his brain could stop. As God, the value of his death has no limit. He can give us a new heart that never quits, the breath of eternal life and the mind of Christ. As the infinite God, he can do that for unlimited people: Anyone and everyone who comes to God, repenting of their sins and putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Three Questions Answered
In this passage, Jesus answers 3 key questions: Who is he? Why Has he come? What does he demand from us?
Who is He? “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ Who is he? He is “The Christ”, the Savior for sinners. (Mark 8:29) Why has he come? “He has come to “suffer … be rejected … be killed … and rise again.’ (Mark 8:31) What does he demand from us? “Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)
In verse 34, I see three key verbs – my English teacher would be so proud of me. The verbs are, Deny, Take Up and Follow:
First, Deny ourselves: Replacing what is important to me with what is important to God.
Second, Take Up. Take Up the Cross.
Galatians 2:20 states:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Galatians 2:20
Third, Follow: Follow Jesus, faithfully and publicly, even though it can mean shame, suffering, or even death.
Jesus Tells Us Why
In the last verse of our passage Jesus tells us why we should deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow him:
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
(Mark 8:36)
180 years after the death of King Charlemagne, they opened his tomb, and found a sight more startling than his treasures. In the tomb was the skeleton of the king seated on a throne, the crown still sitting on his skull, and a copy of the gospels lying in his lap, with his bony finger pointing to Mark 8:36: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
Owning the whole world is not enough for anyone – not if it costs your eternal life in heaven. Instead, we should deny ourselves, take up the cross of Jesus and follow him. The rewards for following Jesus are “out of this world”.
Why do you think that Jesus used the three verbs, deny, take up, and follow to those who want to be His disciples. What do you think they mean? Contact us at HopeStreamRadio, or comment below.
Brian Stapley
Brian Stapley is the husband of Margaret and “Christian-proud” father of Tabitha, Ben, Jeremy and Joel. He has been director of the Boys JIM Club of America since 1981 and a “JIM Clubber” since 1958, the year he became a Christian. The mission statement of the JIM Club is, “Discipling boys to love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.”
He has been an educator since 1970, primarily as a high school English Teacher. (Don’t dangle your participles.) He has been in fellowship at Scottlea Gospel Chapel, St. Catharines, since 1976 and travels to preach about three dozen times a year, in Ontario and New York State. He is a ventriloquist, in company with Casey, Theodore, Dodo, Grumpa, and a menagerie of others. Also, a bit of a magician.
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Images Courtesy of:
Woman pointing – stokpic
Charlemagne – Pignatta
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