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Mark 8:35-37 - Sacrificing Self.

Mark 8:34-37 (NLT) Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

Mark 8:34 (EAV) And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. 35 For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God]. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? 37 For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]?

INTRODUCTION

   The Romans, Mark's original audience, knew what taking up a cross meant. Death on a cross was a form of execution used by Rome for dangerous criminals. Prisoners would carry their own crosses to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome's power. Jesus used the image of carrying a cross to illustrate the ultimate submission required of his followers. He is not against pleasure, nor was he saying that we should seek pain needlessly. Jesus was talking about the heroic effort needed to follow him moment by moment, to do his will even when the work is difficult and no immediate rewards are in sight.
   Jesus did not teach self-denial as an end in itself. He does not desire us to be miserable for misery's own sake. We deny the aspects of the self that lead to death - selfishness, cruelty, and indifference - in order to experience life and bring true life and hope to others. Taking up your cross will require sacrifice and possibly pain, but it will lead to a life with a new level of appreciation for Jesus and service to others.
   We should be willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Good News, not because our lives are useless, but because nothing - not even life itself - can compare to what we gain when we follow Jesus. Jesus wants us to choose to follow him rather than to lead lives of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants us to stop trying to control our own destinies and to let him direct us. This makes good sense because, as the Creator, Jesus knows better than we do what real life is about. He asks for submission, not self-hatred; he asks us only to lose our self-centered determination to be in charge.
   Many people spend all their energy seeking pleasure. Jesus said, however, that worldliness - which is centered on possessions, position, or power - is ultimately worthless. Whatever you have on earth is only temporary; it cannot be exchanged for your soul. If you work hard at getting what you want, it might seem like you have a satisfying life, but eventually you will find that it is hollow and empty. Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the pursuit of pleasure for pleasure's sake? Follow Jesus, and you will know what it means to live abundantly now and ultimately to have eternal life. [Life Application SB 2019]

COMMENTARY PEARL

Laying Down Your Self
   We are living in a selfie culture. You don't have to look far to find examples of "build your own" or "you do you" or "what's in it for me?" ways of thinking.
   But if you want to worship God intimately and authentically, you're going to have to embrace the sacrifice of self. You're going to have to buy into the invitation to take up your cross and follow Jesus. This isn't God trying to punish or restrict you. The Spirit of the Lord isn't one of condemnation and fear but of freedom. He loves us and wants what is best for us, which He knows is more of Himself and less of us.
   If you are afraid to surrender your whole life to God, let the gospel sink down into the very depths of your heart. Let the nail-pierced hands open the doorway to eternal freedom. The truth is, when you lay down your ways to embrace His holiness and love, you actually win in the end. In laying down your life and taking up His cross, He gets glory, and you get everlasting life.
   Dear Lord, I lay myself aside today, looking to You as the example. You carried Your cross, so I take up mine. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio]

COMMENTARY
The Beauty In Dying To Christ
   There's an old blues line that says, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." If we're not careful, we'll cherish the here and now more than the promise of eternity as we push ourselves to the center of our own little galaxies.
   Yet in the stars, we see beauty in dying. Even as stars collapse, they often emit fantastic beams of light. Consider their Maker, Jesus Christ, who willingly surrendered to the most glorious death of all. Beyond this, He chose to take our blows, to carry our shame, to bear sin's weight, and to suffer in death. And as gruesome as His last hours were, Jesus' death is still the most beautiful story of redemption this world has ever seen.
   So let us model after Jesus. Why should we be afraid to die to ourselves daily while we are still alive here on earth? This "death by choice" frees us from our own small and fading stories, allowing our days to count for something much larger and more enduring than our earthly lives alone could ever be.
   Dear God, show me the joy that comes through the death of my own small-mindedness. Expand my vision to see Your glorious resurrection more clearly. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio]

CLOSING THOUGHT

Tipping the Scales for Jesus.
   Every year millions upon millions of human souls are passing into eternity unwarned and unsaved... Days, weeks, and months are passing; we have one day, one week, one month less in which to do our work... Put into one scale Jesus, which means eternal treasure, life, truth, heaven, and the joy of Christ in souls redeemed; put into the other every attraction the world can offer... Weigh for time and for eternity. While you are thus engaged, Christ speaks: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36. COL 374 [Remnant SB]

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Mark 8:35 - Full Surrender.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220815-0844.html

Mark 8:35 - The Right Way to Find Happiness.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211210-0856.html

Mark 8:34-37 - FOLLOWING JESUS.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211023-0935.html

Luke 9:23 - FOLLOWING JESUS.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210410-0922.html

Matthew 10:39 - Living for Jesus or for Self?
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200202-0944.html

John 3:30 - Jesus Must Increase and I Must Decrease.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250426-1335.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/