Lose Your Life to Save It (Mark 8:34-38)
Bob Schultz, May 4, 2014Part of the Gospel of Mark series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
We will study perhaps the most convicting passage in the whole Bible – Mark 8:34-38 as Jesus invites the uncommitted masses to Him. In this paragraph, we are reminded that salvation is a free gift but costs a person everything.
What is so attention grabbing about this section is that the invitation that Jesus gives is contrary to the way people approach evangelism today. Excluding the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, one could argue convincingly that this is the most important teaching in Mark’s gospel. In fact, commentators through the centuries have called this the crown jewel of Mark’s gospel.
Mark 8:34–38 (Listen)
34 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. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
(ESV)
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