²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^(A)

³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.^(A)

²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.^(A)

Living for God

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body,^(A) arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.^{(B) 2} As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires,^(C) but rather for the will of God.

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor,^(A) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(B) Then come, follow me.”^(C)

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.^{(A) 24} For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.^{(B) 25} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them^(C) when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^(D)

²⁷ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,^(A)

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^(A)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(A) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(B) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(C) for the sake of Christ^(D) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^(E)