Believe Jesus

November 24, 2024

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about who they think he is. The disciples answer, and Jesus responds with “Who do YOU say I am?” Peter responds with that classic line, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus commends Peter for this statement, and immediately tells them of his impending crucifixion, to which Peter essentially says, “NO! NEVER!’ Then Jesus tells them the implications of this: 

He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” —Mark 8:34 

Here’s the problem: We believe in Jesus, but we don’t believe Jesus. We expect life to treat us fairly, and get rattled when we face illness, ridicule, rejection, opposition, or tragedy of any sort. We expect to be blessed with health, happiness, and success, but Jesus here gives us what it means to confess him as Lord, as Christ, as the Son of God: a cross. It sounds pretty bleak until he adds, 

“whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” —Mark 8:35 

We cannot take Jesus if we are unwilling to take up his cross, but doing so is the only way to life.