Whoever Wants to Be My Disciple

Main Point: Following Jesus is about embracing the life He desires for us, not just pursuing what we want for ourselves.

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. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” —Mark 8:34-38

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. —Mark 8:31-32

When our focus is in the

place, even Jesus can seem misguided to us.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” —Mark 8:33

God does not value what the

values.

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.” —Mark 8:34

Following Jesus always involves self-sacrifice rather than

.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” —Mark 8:35

Life with Jesus is often

.

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” —Mark 8:36-37

No amount of power or possessions can compensate for a

that isn’t fully surrendered to God.

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” —Mark 8:38

Following Jesus won’t always be about

and

Reveal Answer

, but if we want to share in His glory then, we must walk in His footsteps now.

Takeaway: Are you truly following Jesus, or have you been influenced by human agendas?

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Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus” in your daily life?

2. Why do you think Peter rebuked Jesus? How do we sometimes react the same way when God’s plans don’t align with our expectations?

3. How does the world define success, and how is that different from how Jesus defines it?

4. Mark 8:36-37 warns about gaining the whole world but forfeiting our soul. What are some things people pursue that could lead to this danger?

Table Discussion Question: How does self-sacrifice in following Jesus contrast with the world’s emphasis on self-promotion? What are some practical ways we can live this out?