Our theme today is “The Cost of Discipleship.” In Luke 9, Jesus has just spoken about His own coming suffering and glory, and now He turns to the crowd to explain what it means to follow Him.
He does not hide the difficulty of discipleship but invites anyone who would come after Him to a life of daily self-denial and trust.
This matters because every believer must wrestle with what it means to belong to the Lord Jesus in a world that pulls us toward comfort, success, and approval.
Luke 9:23-27
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Devotional
Jesus says that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. In His day, the cross was an instrument of shame and death, so this picture shows that following Christ is not about adding a little religion to an otherwise self-centered life.
It means saying no to the old self that wants to rule and saying yes to Jesus as Lord, day after day. He explains that those who try to save their life on their own terms will lose it, but those who lose their life for Him will truly save it, because only He can give eternal life by His death and resurrection.
The Lord Jesus then asks what good it is to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit one’s very self. That question exposes our hearts when we are tempted to compromise for success, comfort, or the approval of others.
He warns that whoever is ashamed of Him and His words now will find Him ashamed of them when He comes in glory with the Father and the holy angels, reminding us that there is a real future judgment and a real kingdom.
Yet even this hard word is an invitation to loyal, honest discipleship: to stand with Christ and His Word in our homes, workplaces, and churches, trusting that whatever we seem to lose now is nothing compared with the joy of seeing His kingdom.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I praise You as the Son of Man who suffered, died, and rose again, and who will come in glory with the Father and the holy angels.
Thank You that You first bore the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and have true life with You forever.
I confess that I often want the benefits of following You without the cost, and I am tempted to cling to my own comfort, reputation, or plans.
Please forgive my fear, my selfishness, and the times I have been ashamed of You or Your words.
Teach me what it means today to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You in the specific choices before me.
Give me courage to stand with You even when it feels costly and to remember that gaining the whole world is nothing compared with knowing You.
Strengthen my heart to live as Your disciple in my relationships, my church, and my daily work. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Couple Things We’re Building
Thanks for reading. We’re grateful to be on this journey of learning and growing in the Word together.
Grace and peace,
The Christian Newsletter