Jesus strictly warned them not to tell anyone. And He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
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Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themself and take up their cross daily. It’s not a suggestion or an option. Jesus says MUST. Being a follower of Jesus means dying to self: to your opinions, desires, and thoughts. But remember, it’s for a great purpose. It’s to follow Jesus. If we are more worried about our life…we have missed the point. Our daily focus should be about Him…not us. Doing His will…not ours. Now sometimes those two will be the same…but sometimes they won’t. We are in a worship battle: choose to worship God, or choose to worship self. What will it be for you? Is Jesus worth sacrificing your opinions and desires today? He should be…
A Journey With Jesus 