Lose it All

This week’s passage picks up right on the heels of Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ proclamation that He will build His church…

Mark 8:31–37 CSB

31 Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. 32 He spoke openly about this. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.” 34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life?

God’s plan can be hard to accept

Jesus told His disciples what was going to happen, He did not hide the plan

An interesting word keeps showing up “MUST” - Mark and Luke say Jesus MUST suffer, Matthew says Jesus MUST go to Jerusalem - all three point to Jesus’ rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection

We often tell God our plan is better than His

Jesus wasn’t calling Peter the devil just Peter’s prideful assertion

Keep focused on God “seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33 “33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” )

We must willingly lose our everything to gain God’s everything

Luke informs us we must take up our cross daily

The cross was a place of punishment, the guilty were on the cross

We must daily put our sins, our desire, our pride, our plans all the cross

We can do whatever we want and get everything we desire, but if we miss Jesus, we have gained nothing and in reality have lost everything.

Discipleship means surrender, not self-preservation.