Luke 9:18–27: “Daily” cross-bearing for Jesus’ sake

Abstract

This article explores Luke 9:18–27 by first understanding its placement in the greater narrative of Luke’s gospel. In the passage, Jesus makes a statement about his identity that Peter misunderstands. Jesus explains in 9:23 by applying what is about to happen to him to his followers. The act of self-denial is akin to one’s daily execution—an idea that is found in Luke 14:15–24 as well as 9:57–62. Elements of self-denial are also found in the summary statements that describe the early church in Acts 2 and 4. Ultimately, to deny oneself meant to the ancient audience what it means in the modern context: one’s identity is determined solely by the fact that one is a follower of Jesus. The article concludes by providing examples of what this may look like for a twenty-first century Christ-follower.