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.”
Jesus has just told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised on the third day. Peter resisted this path, and Jesus corrected him. Jesus now explains that the way of the Messiah also becomes the way of those who follow Him. The disciple walks behind the Master and learns to shape his life according to Christ. Jesus says, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (v. 24). To deny oneself means to stop treating oneself as the center of life and to place one’s will under the will of God. It means allowing God to direct one’s choices, ambitions, relationships, and use of time.
The image of taking up the cross would have carried great force for Jesus’ hearers. The Romans used crucifixion as a brutal form of execution, and a condemned person could be forced to carry the crossbeam toward the place of death. Jesus uses this familiar image to describe complete commitment to following Him and doing God’s will, even when faithfulness brings suffering or the loss of earthly life.
Jesus then says, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (v. 25). The word “life” carries two related meanings. It can refer to earthly life, which eventually ends in death, and it can refer to eternal life with God in His Kingdom. A person may cling to earthly comfort or security for a time, but Christ offers a life that death cannot destroy. This gives meaning to Jesus’ question: “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (v. 26). Wealth, influence, achievement, and possessions remain within this passing world, while eternal life with God has a value beyond every earthly possession.
Jesus then speaks of His coming in glory: “The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct” (v. 27). The Son of Man is the just judge of all humanity. Our conduct reveals whether our lives have been shaped by faithfulness to God. In Matthew’s Gospel, this includes our words, thoughts, actions, forgiveness of others, obedience to God’s will, and works of mercy (Matthew 6:14–15; 7:21; 12:36–37; 25:31–46). For faithful disciples, this judgment also carries a promise. Their sacrifices, sufferings, and acts of love are known to God, and Christ will bring their fidelity into the light.
Jesus concludes by saying that some standing there would see “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” before they died (v. 28). The Transfiguration, which follows immediately, gives Peter, James, and John a glimpse of Christ’s glory. His Resurrection reveals His royal authority more fully, when He declares that “all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). These events reveal that the crucified Messiah is also the risen and reigning Lord.
The way of the cross is therefore the way to life because it is the way first walked by the Son of God Himself. He surrenders His life in love, rises in glory, and calls His disciples to follow Him. Every act of self-denial, every faithful acceptance of suffering, and every sacrifice made for Christ becomes part of the journey toward eternal life.
Lord Jesus, teach us to follow You with faithful hearts. Help us to surrender our will to the Father, carry the crosses placed before us, and seek the life that only You can give. Strengthen us to remain faithful until we share the joy of Your Kingdom. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Notes on Matthew 16:24–28 and Matthew 10:38–39.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Notes on Matthew 16:24 and 17:1–8, 37.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Notes on Matthew 16:21–28, 105–106.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 660, paragraph 106.
- Curtis, Mitch, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. Pages 212–213.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Pages 942–943.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully rev. ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Pages 1206–1207.
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