Matthew 16:24-27 Study #1

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Read Matthew 16:24-27

Matthew 16:24–27 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

What are the conditions that Jesus sets forth for anyone that desires to follow him?

Deny himself, take up his cross, follow Jesus

Do these refer only to the act of becoming a Christian or the whole Christian life?

I think this does have specific instructions for the person who is considering following Jesus. The person who is thinking about following Jesus must deny himself by recognizing that he cannot save himself. He must trust in Christ for salvation. But the instruction doesn’t stop there. These are our instructions every day. In Luke’s account of this event, he records Jesus saying, “…let him take up his cross daily and follow me.”

What does it mean to deny yourself in your daily walk?

Denying yourself means to set your natural, worldly desires aside in order to desire godly things. Paul tells the Colossians to “1 …seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Our natural self doesn’t do this, so we have to deny ourselves to do so.

How do we practice Jesus’ instructions here? How do we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus? Why is this a challenge for us?

We set our mind on things above by reading and studying God’s Word. We build up our faith when we spend time with other believers. We take up our cross when we follow Jesus even when it is hard. When everyone around us thinks we’re crazy or weird or when it might cost us something, we still follow Jesus.

This text brings up the reality of suffering for Christ. Why is it expected that believers will suffer for Christ?

The gospel of Christ is offensive. People don’t like to hear that they are sinful and in need of someone else saving them. Jesus taught that if the world hated him, they would naturally hate his followers.

Turn to Romans 5:3-5. How do these verses shape the way we should view suffering?

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Suffering is something we can ultimately rejoice in because of what it produces in us. We can know that God, who gives us His Spirit, is working in us through any suffering the world might throw at us.

How would you respond to someone who is thinking about following Jesus but they say that their life would just become too difficult if they committed to following Jesus?

As with any difficult question, we want to respond in grace and truth. In truth, we don’t downplay the reality of suffering as a Christian. It’s not all sunshine and roses when you become a Christian. We don’t want to give anyone the idea that they will have no more problems after becoming a Christian.

But in grace, we must remind them of God’s presence with his followers. Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” And then he sent his Spirit to dwell within us so that we would never be without him.

You can also remind them of the good that comes from suffering. Lessons learned, the endurance to persevere, the growth that it brings about it your faith. People counting the cost of following Jesus need to know both the reality of suffering, but also the reality of God’s presence with them. It is absolutely worth. We’ll talk more about it being worth it next week.

Prayer