Keraia
Mark 8

Mark 8:34

Take Up Your Cross · Mark 8:34–38
Read Mark 8

Translations

Modern
Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And having summoned the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Latin
Et convocata turba cum discipulis suis, dixit eis: Si quis vult me sequi, deneget semetipsum: et tollat crucem suam, et sequatur me.

Interlinear

Greek
English
Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Notes

Mark 8:34–38

  • Jesus invites his disciples and the crowd to understand what following him will cost them.

  • must deny himself: This means letting Jesus decide your goals and purposes in life. Taking up your cross is a metaphor (compare Luke 9:23). It means being faithful to Jesus, even to the point of death if necessary. Following the teachings and example of Jesus requires continual commitment.

Mark 8:31–38

Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again: Jesus now clearly predicted what he had previously revealed in a hidden way (2:19–20). In response, Peter objected, so Jesus taught him and the other disciples the nature of his mission and what it really means to follow him.

Mark 8:27–38

Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, God’s chosen king) and the first prediction of his death mark a turning point in the Gospel of Mark. This begins a new stage in his ministry. The question, “Who is this?” asked by the disciples in 4:41, is now answered by Peter.

Mark 8:27–9:1

This section is the first cycle (a repeated pattern) that includes three parts:

  • Jesus predicts his suffering (8:31),

  • the disciples respond with misunderstanding (8:32–33), and

  • Jesus teaches about discipleship (what it means to follow him; 8:34–9:1).

Compare with 9:30–10:31.

Events

Parallels

Matthew 16:24–28 Luke 9:23–27

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Crucifixion Jesus Christ Mark, Gospel of

Topics

Commandments: Precepts of Jesus--Explicitly Stated, or Implied in Didactic Discourse Cross: Figurative Devotedness to God: Bearing the Cross Devotedness to God: Self-Denial Following Christ Following Jesus Jesus Requires Self-Denial and |Crosses| Jesus, the Christ: Foretells his own Death and Resurrection (Near Caesarea Philippi) Jesus, the Christ: Miracles of One Blind Man Cured Self-Denial: General Scriptures Concerning