MARK 8:27-35
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
10 Points to Ponder
Many people think Jesus is a good guy. Few believe He is God. Sadly, the wide road leads to destruction, and there are many who travel that way.
If Jesus claimed to be God (and He did), than He is either a liar, a lunatic, or He is the Lord!
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.
C.S. Lewis)
Your actions, not your words, are a better demonstration of who you truly think Jesus is. If He is Lord, He must be Lord of your life.
Peter’s declaration about Jesus was simple and correct, but incomplete. We will never get every jot and tittle correct, but childlike faith is what gets us to God.
If Jesus did what He said He would do, then we must take seriously what He said about Himself. He is the giver of abundant life. He is the only way to the Father. He holds the keys to eternal life.
Following Jesus means following Him into suffering, rejection, and even death. But it also means following Him into resurrection.
The teaching that Christians won’t or shouldn’t suffer is straight from the pit of hell. Suffering is an expected part of every Christ-follower’s experience.
If I don’t join Jesus in death, I will die for eternity. If I align with Jesus’ death (by dying to self), I will live for eternity.
In every relationship, you are either influencing, being influenced, or a combination of the two. Be wise about who you spend the majority of your time with.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalm 1:1-2)
Losing my life means letting go of my own agenda and expectations and clinging tightly to what God has done for me and what He is doing in me.
Friends are great. Many times, our friends become closer than family. Our friends laugh with us, care for us, and shape us. You’ve probably heard the expression that all of us are the average of the five people with whom we spend the most time.
Sometimes our friends shape us toward joy. When we are with them, their high spirits are contagious. They are full of encouragement, always speaking well of everyone else, and always seeing the positives in every situation.
But sometimes, our friends shape us in a darker direction. We began to adopt their proclivity for complaining. The criticisms they aim at everyone else become a weapon in our arsenal as well. Being with them leads us to see problems and persecution everywhere.
If the people around you encourage anger in you, find a new group of friends. Their negativity is a trap. They’ll snare you with gossip and eventually lead you into depression and despair.
Find friends who lift you up and lift others up. Surround yourself with people who see the best in you and in those around you. You are what you eat and you are like those with whom you meet.
So avoid those who gather to conspire, and instead meet up with people who inspire.
Click on the image to download the DiscipleQuest PDF
The DiscipleQuest PDF includes 7 days of verse study prompts. You can use these seven studies to dig deeper into the following verses about letting go so we can hold more tightly:
- Matthew 16:26
- Philippians 3:7-8
- Hebrews 12:1
- Isaiah 43:18-19
- Colossians 3:8,12
- Galatians 5:19-23
- 1 Peter 2:1-2
Use these questions as journal prompts or as conversation starters with a group of friends or a Bible study group:
- When you hear Jesus say, “If anyone would come after me,” what emotions or reactions does that stir in you right now—interest, resistance, curiosity, fear? Why?
- Where do you feel the tension most clearly between following Jesus and preserving your own comfort, preferences, or control?
- What three commands does Jesus give in verse 34, and how do they build on one another rather than stand alone?
- According to verse 35, how does Jesus redefine what it means to “save” or “lose” your life? How is His definition different from the world’s?
- Why do you think Jesus connects self-denial and taking up a cross with following Him, instead of listing beliefs or religious behaviors?
- What does “losing your life” not mean, based on the context of this passage? What misunderstandings might people bring to this phrase?
- In what ways can a person actively try to “save” their life—and yet slowly lose it spiritually, relationally, or eternally?
- How does Jesus’ promise that losing your life for His sake actually leads to saving it challenge the way you define success, security, or fulfillment?
- What is one area of your life right now where following Jesus would require a real letting go—of control, approval, ambition, or comfort? What might obedience look like there?
- If someone watched your choices this week, what evidence would they see that Jesus—not self—is the one you’re following? What is one specific step you can take to make that clearer?
Lake Bible Notes 
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