Matthew 16

Devotional:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matt. 16:24-25).

Jesus told his disciples that “it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day” (v. 21). As if that revelation were not shocking enough, he goes on to call for the same level of commitment from his disciples: if they (and we) truly seek heaven’s rewards, they (and we) must die to self-will and pay whatever cost is required to faithfully do God’s will in our lives. Those who are “all in” pay the cost of discipleship with a blank check.

Pray it:
Jesus, thank you for giving up your life so that I might have eternal life. Remind me of your grace and love so that I may be able to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow you into true life. Amen.

Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?