Read Luke 9:21-27

JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH
Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ, because at this point they didn’t fully understand the significance of Peter’s confession. Everyone still expected the Messiah to come as a conquering king. But even though Jesus was the Messiah, He still had to suffer, be rejected by the leaders, be killed, and rise from the dead. When the disciples saw all this happen to Jesus, they could understand what the Messiah had come to do. Only then would they be equipped to share the Good News around the world.
This was the turning point in Jesus’ instructions to His disciples. From then on He began teaching clearly and specifically what they would expect, so that they would not be surprised when it happened. He explained that He would not now be the conquering Messiah because He first had to suffer, die, and rise again. But one day He would return in great glory to set up this eternal kingdom.
Christians follow their Lord by imitating His life and obeying His commands. To shoulder one’s cross meant to carry one’s own cross to the place of crucifixion. It meant to identify completely with Christ and His message, even if it means death. You must deny your selfish desires to use your time and money your own way and to chose your own direction in life without regard to Christ. Following Christ in this life may be costly, but in the long run, it is well worth the pain and effort.
People are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus would demand this much commitment from His followers? There are at least three conditions that must be met by people who want to follow Jesus. You must be willing to deny self, to shoulder your cross, and to follow Him completely. Anything less is superficial lip service.
If this life is most important to you, you will do everything you can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that might endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Christ is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. You may risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus will raise you to eternal life. Nothing can compensate for the loss of eternal life. Jesus’ disciples are not to use their own lives on earth for their own pleasure; they should spend their lives serving God and others.
When Jesus said some would not die without seeing the kingdom, He was referring 1) to Peter, James, and John, who would witness the transfiguration eight days later, or, in a broader sense, 2) to all who would witness the Resurrection and Ascension, or 3) to all who would take part in the spread of the church after Pentecost. Jesus’ listeners were not going to have to wait for another, future Messiah. The kingdom was among them, and it would soon come in power