Matius 16:21-26

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

16:21 From that time on ¹  Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem ²  and suffer ³  many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, ⁴  and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 16:22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: ⁵  “God forbid, ⁶  Lord! This must not happen to you!” 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” ⁷  16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, ⁸  he must deny ⁹  himself, take up his cross, ¹⁰  and follow me. 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life ¹¹  will lose it, ¹²  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 16:26 For what does it benefit a person ¹³  if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

Markus 8:31-37

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

8:31 Then ¹⁴  Jesus ¹⁵  began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer ¹⁶  many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, ¹⁷  and be killed, and after three days rise again. 8:32 He spoke openly about this. So ¹⁸  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 8:33 But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” ¹⁹ 

Following Jesus

8:34 Then ²⁰  Jesus ²¹  called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, ²²  he must deny ²³  himself, take up his cross, ²⁴  and follow me. 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life ²⁵  will lose it, ²⁶  but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. 8:36 For what benefit is it for a person ²⁷  to gain the whole world, yet ²⁸  forfeit his life? 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life?

Lukas 9:22-25

9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer ²⁹  many things and be rejected by the elders, ³⁰  chief priests, and experts in the law, ³¹  and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” ³² 

A Call to Discipleship

9:23 Then ³³  he said to them all, ³⁴  “If anyone wants to become my follower, ³⁵  he must deny ³⁶  himself, take up his cross daily, ³⁷  and follow me. 9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, ³⁸  but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 9:25 For what does it benefit a person ³⁹  if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?

[16:21]  ¹ tn Grk “From then.”

[16:21]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:21]  ³ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

[16:21]  ⁴ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[16:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”

[16:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “people.”

[16:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “to come after me.”

[16:24]  ⁹ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

[16:24]  ¹⁰ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

[16:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

[16:25]  ¹² sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[16:26]  ¹³ tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.

[8:31]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:31]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:31]  ¹⁶ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

[8:31]  ¹⁷ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.

[8:32]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate Peter’s rebuke is in response to Jesus’ teaching about the suffering of the Son of Man.

[8:33]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “people’s.”

[8:34]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:34]  ²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:34]  ²² tn Grk “to follow after me.”

[8:34]  ²³ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

[8:34]  ²⁴ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

[8:35]  ²⁵ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 35-37).

[8:35]  ²⁶ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[8:36]  ²⁷ tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.

[8:36]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[9:22]  ²⁹ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

[9:22]  ³⁰ sn Rejection in Luke is especially by the Jewish leadership (here elders, chief priests, and experts in the law), though in Luke 23 almost all will join in.

[9:22]  ³¹ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[9:22]  ³² sn The description of the Son of Man being rejected…killed, and…raised is the first of six passion summaries in Luke: 9:44; 17:25; 18:31-33; 24:7; 24:46-47.

[9:23]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[9:23]  ³⁴ sn Here them all could be limited to the disciples, since Jesus was alone with them in v. 18. It could also be that by this time the crowd had followed and found him, and he addressed them, or this could be construed as a separate occasion from the discussion with the disciples in 9:18-22. The cost of discipleship is something Jesus was willing to tell both insiders and outsiders about. The rejection he felt would also fall on his followers.

[9:23]  ³⁵ tn Grk “to come after me.”

[9:23]  ³⁶ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

[9:23]  ³⁷ sn Only Luke mentions taking up one’s cross daily. To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

[9:24]  ³⁸ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[9:25]  ³⁹ tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.