Mark 8:31 (MSG) He (Jesus) then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man (Jesus) proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.”
This explicit pronouncement by Jesus to His followers is the heart of Mark’s Gospel and is repeated (9:31; 10:32-34). And this is the norm for committed discipleship—Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (8:34). Mark leads his readers to the cross. He teaches that a life of discipleship involves following Jesus along the same path of misunderstanding and rejection. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (8:34-35). In what ways have you let go of your life in order to embrace the new life in Christ? What have you turned your back to in order to fully focus on Jesus and His Lordship in your life? Every day, we have opportunities to choose life in Christ or default into old dysfunctional patterns of behavior. How are you choosing faith in Jesus today?
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