Jesus Teaches About Commitment
Mark 8:31-38
This seems to be the first time in the Bible that Jesus openly told his disciples of his coming rejection and death, and they did not like it. Peter, often a spokesman for the group, confronted Jesus about these negative comments—surely things weren’t that bad, he thought. Peter wanted Jesus to change his mind and forget all this talk about dying.
Here we see a clear statement about what it means to follow Jesus. Too often we think of God as someone who will give us the things we want, a powerful being who can help us advance our own agendas and achieve our own goals. Instead, truly following Jesus means listening to what he says, discovering his will for our lives, and then obediently following, no matter how attractive or repulsive that may seem to us at the time.
The next segment of the passage takes that concept a step further. A crowd had gathered to hear Jesus, and he wanted to clarify his meaning. Jesus pointed out how difficult it may be to become a disciple. Denying oneself means turning away from selfish, self-protective attitudes and seeking the true humility and faith God wants to see in us. In the terms of the Joy acronym, it means putting Jesus first, others second, and yourself last.
What does it mean to take up your cross? Jesus no doubt used that wording because he knew he was going to die on a cross. For his disciples to each take up his own cross didn’t mean just to endure suffering. It meant to accept the suffering they would face because of their faith in Christ. Sometimes we speak too lightly of “taking up our cross,” when in fact we are suffering for our own sins or weaknesses, not for our identification with Jesus. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that their faith might cost them something, a message not too often heard in our culture today.
As he spoke of what it means to follow him, Jesus knew that many in the crowd around him would soon be shouting, “Crucify him!” They would suddenly be ashamed of the one they had followed out of curiosity. Our generation is much like that of Jesus’ day. People who claim to be religious—or even Christian—shy away from a bold witness for Jesus. It’s easy today to say you believe in God, but it’s much more difficult to admit you’re a Bible-believing, Jesus-following Christian.
Devotion for Leaders
The One Thing: Humans are willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of those they love. Your relationship with Jesus will require sacrifice, risk, and loyal commitment—but it’s all worth it!
Weaving Faith Into Your Life: How can you take up your cross? Try living out the Joy acronym: Pray about one specific way you’ll put Jesus first (such as spending time with him first thing each day), put others second (such as washing a friend’s car), and put yourself last (such as giving up TV time in order to minister to others).
