³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me.

³⁸ And ^(A)whoever does not take his cross and ^(B)follow me is not worthy of me.

^26 (A)“If anyone comes to me and ^(B)does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, ^(C)yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ^27 (D)Whoever does not ^(E)bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

⁸ and ^(A)tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been ^(B)like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes,

^27 (A)My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

²⁰ I have been ^(A)crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives ^(B)in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, ^(C)who loved me and ^(D)gave himself for me.

²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(A)have crucified the flesh with its ^(B)passions and desires.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that ^(A)he laid down his life for us, and ^(B)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

²⁴ But my servant ^(A)Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has ^(B)followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me.