17 · Words of Jesus

Take Up Your Cross; Follow Me

Mark 8:34–38

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Jesus teaches a crowd and his disciples about the cost of following him, with a heavy wooden beam visually suggesting the seriousness of the cross.

Jesus describes discipleship through the cross and self-denial.

What does Jesus mean by “take up your cross”?

Choose a perspective

There is no score – choose the perspective you find closest and discuss why.

Discuss: What might following Jesus mean when it truly costs something?

After your discussion: compare with our assessment

Our assessment

A captures “deny himself”: personal will, security, and interests can no longer function as the disciple's ultimate standard. C takes seriously both the historical force of the cross and verse 35, where Jesus explicitly speaks of losing life “for my sake and the gospel's.”

17 · Mark 8:34–38

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Text & context

Full translation

34 Then he called the crowd to himself together with his disciples and 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 for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and lose 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 unfaithful 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.”

Translated from the Greek text – SBLGNT

What is happening here?
The passage comes directly after Peter has confessed Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus has begun teaching that the Son of Man must suffer, be killed, and rise again. Peter objects and is sharply rebuked. Jesus then calls not only the disciples but also the crowd. His words about carrying the cross are addressed openly to anyone who wants to follow him. Jesus describes discipleship in three movements: deny oneself, take up one's cross, and follow him. Then comes the paradox of saving and losing life, including losing life for Jesus and the gospel.
Notice this

Jesus does not merely say “Take up your cross.” He says “Take up his cross and follow me.” The cross is not suffering for suffering's own sake. Mark also adds “for my sake and the gospel's,” and verse 34 begins with Jesus calling the crowd together with his disciples.

Language & translation

From the Greek

ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν – aparnēsasthō heauton

deny himself Aparneomai can mean to deny, renounce, or disown. The context concerns ultimate loyalty rather than self-hatred.

ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ – aratō ton stauron autou

take up his cross Aratō comes from airō, to lift or carry, and stauros means cross. The cross was associated with Roman execution.

ἀκολουθείτω μοι – akoloutheitō moi

follow me An imperative from akoloutheō. The movement is: deny oneself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.

ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου – heneken emou kai tou euangeliou

for my sake and the gospel's A distinctive feature of Mark's wording, explicitly connecting the loss of life both with Jesus and the gospel.

ψυχή – psychē

life / soul Can mean life, soul, or person. We use “life” to preserve the paradox across verses 35–37.

ἐπαισχυνθῇ – epaischynthē

is ashamed of In verse 38 Jesus warns against being ashamed of him and his words.

Translation note

Independent English translation from the Greek text, using SBLGNT as the primary Greek edition.

Compare for yourself

Read Mark 8:31–38 together with Matthew 16:21–26 and Luke 9:22–26.

  • aparneomai
  • stauros
  • akoloutheō
  • psychē
  • “for my sake and the gospel's” in Mark
  • verse 38 about being ashamed of Jesus and his words
  • Luke's addition of “daily”

Pay particular attention to:

Continue the conversation

Discuss further
  1. What is the difference between self-denial and self-contempt?
  2. Why does Mark connect losing one's life both with Jesus and with the gospel?
  3. What associations would the cross have carried under Roman rule?
  4. In what ways might a person today be tempted to be ashamed of Jesus or his words?
Parallel passages
  • Matthew 16:24–26
  • Luke 9:23–26
  • Matthew 10:38–39
  • Luke 14:27
Sources
  • The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (SBLGNT), Michael W. Holmes, ed.
  • Mark 8:31–38
  • Matthew 16:21–26
  • Luke 9:22–26
  • Standard Greek lexical resources for aparneomai, airō, stauros, akoloutheō, psychē, euangelion, and epaischynomai