Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. 28 Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
In this passage, Jesus speaks plainly: the path to life runs straight through the cross. Having just rebuked Peter for resisting the idea of a suffering Messiah (v. 23), Jesus now turns to all His disciples—then and now—and sets forth the conditions of true discipleship. The invitation is not to comfort or ease, but to a sacrificial union with Him. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (v. 24). This denial is not mere self-repression, but a reorientation of the heart—away from self and toward Christ, embracing the Cross that leads to life.
The phrase “take up his cross” would have stunned the original hearers. The cross was a brutal instrument of Roman execution. Yet Jesus redeems even this—transforming an image of death into a call to life. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (v. 25). In other words, clinging to one's own will, comfort, or control leads to spiritual death. But surrendering self to follow Christ—even to the point of suffering—is the gateway to eternal life.
This paradox echoes throughout Scripture. Moses chose to suffer with God’s people rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of Egypt (cf. Heb. 11:24–26). The prophets bore persecution for the sake of truth. And Christ Himself—the innocent Lamb—entered into suffering not as a victim of fate, but as the fulfillment of the Father’s plan to redeem fallen humanity. His words in this passage are not hypothetical. He will soon take up His own Cross and show us what it means to lay down one’s life in love.
Verse 27 reminds us of accountability and judgment: “The Son of Man will come with his angels… and then he will repay each according to his conduct.” This refers to both the final judgment (cf. Dan. 7:13–14; Rev. 22:12) and the reality that our earthly choices echo into eternity. Jesus is not only Savior but Judge—merciful and just.
The final verse (v. 28) speaks of “some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” This could be a reference to the Transfiguration (which follows in the next chapter), the Resurrection, or the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost—early signs of the inbreaking Kingdom of God before the final consummation.
This passage links back to the Old Testament theme of life through obedience and death through rebellion. In Deuteronomy 30:19, Moses says, “I have set before you life and death… Choose life.” Jesus, the New Moses, now stands before the people and sets before them the same choice—but He is the Life they must choose (cf. Jn. 14:6). Likewise, the notion of bearing one’s cross is foreshadowed in the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, who was “pierced for our offenses” and “bore the sin of many.” In the New Testament, this cruciform path—a way of life shaped by the Cross, marked by self-denial, sacrificial love, and trust in God through suffering—is affirmed by Paul: “If we have died with him, we shall also live with him” (2 Tim. 2:11).
Modern culture tells us that happiness comes from self-expression, autonomy, and avoiding discomfort. But Jesus tells us plainly that the path to true life runs through self-denial, surrender, and sacrificial love. This is not morbid pessimism—it is redemptive realism. We are not called to seek suffering for its own sake, but to embrace the crosses we cannot avoid with trust in the One who walks with us. Whether our cross is physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual, Christ offers to carry it with us and promises that it will lead to life.
In a world obsessed with gaining the world, Jesus asks the haunting question: “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (v. 26). It is a question that cuts through every age and every ambition.
Lord Jesus, You walked the road of suffering to bring us the hope of eternal life. Teach us to take up our crosses daily and follow You—not with fear, but with the joy of knowing that love is stronger than death. Strengthen us to surrender all that hinders us, that we may find our life in You alone. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- The Navarre Bible: Matthew, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Aguilar Chiu et al. (2018).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Bernard Orchard et al. (1953).
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Raymond E. Brown et al. (1990).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§618, 1435, 1816.
- St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons, 96:1 (c. 400 AD).
- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew, Hom. 55 (c. 390 AD).
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