Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

34 And summoning the crowd together with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to come[a] after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me and of the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a person give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

And he said to them, “Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:34 Some manuscripts have “to follow”