Luke 9:18-27 · Bible study
Luke 9:18-27 Commentary: Confessing Christ, Taking Up the Cross
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Luke 9:18-27: Peter's confession, Jesus' call to deny self, take up the cross daily, and follow Him. Exegetical insights and pastoral reflections.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus' identity as the suffering Messiah demands a discipleship of self-denial, cross-bearing, and total allegiance.
- Key words: δεῖ (must, divine necessity), σταυρός (cross, the cost of discipleship), ψυχή (life/soul, the eternal self at stake).
- Main debate: What does verse 27 refer to? Some see the Transfiguration, others Pentecost, or the destruction of Jerusalem; all agree it points to a foretaste of the Kingdom's power.
- Theological theme: Christology (Jesus as suffering Christ) and the paradoxical nature of following him: losing to gain, weakness as strength, shame leading to glory.
- Best use: Teaching on discipleship, the cost of commitment, and the centrality of Jesus' identity for daily faith.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
18One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that a prophet of old has arisen.”
20“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you truthfully, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
18As he was praying alone, the disciples were near him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
19They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
20He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21But he warned them and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
23He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
24For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it.
25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?
26For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see God’s Kingdom.”
KJV King James Version 1769
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
18And it came to pass, as he was praying apart, the disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who do the multitudes say that I am?
19And they answering said, John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20And he said unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21But he charged them, and commanded them to tell this to no man;
22saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
23And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
18And it came to pass, as he is praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he questioned them, saying, `Who do the multitudes say me to be?'
19And they answering said, `John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was risen;'
20and he said to them, `And ye--who do ye say me to be?' and Peter answering said, `The Christ of God.'
21And having charged them, he commanded them to say this to no one,
22saying--`It behoveth the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and the third day to be raised.'
23And he said unto all, `If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me;
24for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake, he shall save it;
25for what is a man profited, having gained the whole world, and having lost or having forfeited himself?
26`For whoever may be ashamed of me, and of my words, of this one shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he may come in his glory, and the Father's, and the holy messengers';
27and I say to you, truly, there are certain of those here standing, who shall not taste of death till they may see the reign of God.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
18And it came to pass as he was praying alone, his disciples were with him, and he asked them saying, Who do the crowds say that I am?
19But they answering said, John the baptist; but others, Elias; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.
20And he said to them, But ye, who do ye say that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21But, earnestly charging them, he enjoined [them] to say this to no man,
22saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
23And he said to [them] all, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me;
24for whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, he shall save it.
25For what shall a man profit if he shall have gained the whole world, and have destroyed, or come under the penalty of the loss of himself?
26For whosoever shall have been ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his glory, and [in that] of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27But I say unto you of a truth, There are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they shall have seen the kingdom of God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples also were with him: and he asked them, saying: Whom do the people say that I am?
19But they answered and said: John the Baptist; but some say Elias: and others say that one of the former prophets is risen again.
20And he said to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering, said: The Christ of God.
21But he strictly charging them, commanded they should tell this to no man.
22Saying: The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the ancients and chief priests and scribes and be killed and the third day rise again.
23And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: for he that shall lose his life for my sake shall save it.
25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world and lose himself and cast away himself?
26For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of man shall be ashamed, when he shall come in his majesty and that of his Father and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth: There are some standing here that shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 9:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage forms a hinge in Luke's Gospel. Jesus' prayer before the question (v.18) sets the scene: as Matthew Henry puts it, Jesus prayed alone so that his disciples might receive revelation from the Father. Peter's confession, “The Christ of God” (v.20), affirms Jesus as God's anointed Messiah, but Jesus immediately redefines what that means. The Son of Man must suffer (v.22), using the Greek δεῖ (dei), a divine necessity woven into the plan of God. Followers are then called to deny themselves, take up their cross daily (Luke alone adds “daily,” v.23), and follow. The paradox of losing life to save it (v.24) and the warning about being ashamed of Christ (v.26) ground discipleship in the cost and reward of allegiance to Jesus. Vincent notes that the cross was a Roman instrument of shame; to take it up meant accepting social stigma and possible death. On verse 27, most see a reference to the Transfiguration or the coming of the Kingdom in power soon after.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus is the Christ of God who must suffer, and his followers are called to deny themselves and follow him even to the point of losing their lives.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of Jesus as Messiah | Peter's confession 'the Christ of God' is affirmed as a correct identification of Jesus as the promised Messiah. | How much of Jesus' messianic role includes suffering and death. Some traditions emphasize the victory of the cross; others the atoning sacrifice. Both see suffering as essential. |
| The command to silence (v.21) | Jesus deliberately restricted the announcement of his messiahship until after the resurrection. | Why? Some see it as a way to avoid premature political upheaval; others as a pedagogical tool to reshape the disciples' understanding of Messiah before they preach. |
| The meaning of 'take up his cross daily' (v.23) | This call to self-denial and willingness to suffer is central to discipleship. | The literal meaning: some see it as readiness for martyrdom; others as daily surrender of selfish desires. Both agree the cross represents costly commitment. |
| The timing of 'see the kingdom of God' (v.27) | Jesus promises that some hearers will not die before witnessing the Kingdom's arrival in power. | Interpretations include: (1) the Transfiguration six days later; (2) Pentecost and the spread of the church; (3) the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Each has support from the Gospel contexts. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places this scene after the feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:10-17) and before the Transfiguration (9:28-36). Matthew and Mark specify the location as Caesarea Philippi, a city named after Caesar and Herod Philip, built near the source of the Jordan River. This was a pagan region, full of temples to Caesar and the god Pan. Asking “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” in such a place sharpens the contrast between human opinion and divine revelation.
The disciples report popular guesses: John the Baptist raised, Elijah returned, or another ancient prophet risen. These reflect first-century Jewish expectations rooted in Malachi 4:5 (Elijah before the Day of the Lord) and Deuteronomy 18:15 (a prophet like Moses). But none of these identifications capture Jesus' unique identity. Peter's answer, “The Christ of God”, uses the Greek χριστόν (christon), the translation of Messiah, the Anointed One. Yet Jesus silences this confession (v.21) and immediately speaks of suffering and death. The Cambridge Bible suggests Jesus did so because the disciples' faith was still weak and because his work was unfinished; premature publicity could hinder it.
The call to “take up his cross daily” (v.23) would have shocked Jewish ears. The cross was a Roman torture device, not a metaphor for minor burdens. Crucifixion was reserved for rebels and slaves. Jesus uses this image to signal that following him means embracing shame and death, the very fate he himself must undergo. The phrase “daily” (only in Luke) emphasizes the ongoing, repeated nature of this commitment, not a one-time decision. Wesley notes that “that day is lost wherein no cross is taken up.”
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one significant variant: the word “daily” (kath' hēmeran) in verse 23. Adam Clarke observes that it is omitted by many reputable manuscripts and early church fathers, and that the parallel passages in Matthew and Mark do not include it. However, the majority of later manuscripts include it. The weight of evidence supports the inclusion, but the variant reminds readers that Luke’s emphasis on ongoing, daily commitment may have been a scribal clarification. No other variants of interpretive consequence are reported in the supplied excerpts.
Reception History
This passage has shaped Christian discipleship across traditions. The command to “take up his cross” became a rallying cry for martyrs in the early church, who saw their own deaths as participation in Christ's sufferings. In the medieval period, the call to self-denial fueled monastic movements and the devotion of the saints. The Cambridge Bible notes that Ignatius Loyola used verse 25 (“What does it profit a man…?”) to win the lifelong devotion of Francis Xavier for missionary work. During the Reformation, the call to “deny himself” was understood not as earning salvation but as the proper response to grace. In modern evangelical preaching, this passage is among the most frequently cited for missionary and evangelistic appeals. The solemn warning of being “ashamed of me and of my words” (v.26) has echoed in sermons through the centuries, calling believers to bold confession in hostile settings.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Who is Jesus? Public opinion versus revealed truth (vv.18-20).
- The unexpected Messiah: The Son of Man must suffer (vv.21-22).
- The cost of following: Deny self, take up the cross daily, lose life to find it (vv.23-27).
Five-point outline
- Prayer reveals identity: Jesus praying alone before the question (v.18).
- Confession: Peter declares Jesus the Christ of God (v.20).
- The suffering necessary: The cross before the crown (v.22).
- Discipleship defined: Self-denial, cross-bearing, daily following (vv.23-25).
- The coming vindication: Not ashamed now, glory then (vv.26-27).
Illustration hooks
- Public polling: People today also have various opinions about Jesus (teacher, prophet, good man). Like the disciples, we must move from what others say to a personal confession.
- The cross as job loss: A believer faced with a choice between career advancement and integrity. Taking up the cross daily might mean losing status but gaining Christ.
- “Daily” discipline: The word “daily” suggests discipleship is not a weekend commitment but a daily surrender, like brushing teeth or eating meals, it must be habitual.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know I am following the real Jesus, not a comfortable version I have created?
- What does “taking up my cross” look like in my ordinary life, at work, at home, with friends?
- Why did Jesus tell his disciples not to share their confession? Should we ever keep our faith private?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the identity of Jesus and the shape of authentic discipleship. Peter's confession sounds correct, but Jesus immediately redefines what being the Christ means, linking it to suffering and shame. Then the call comes to everyone: deny yourself, take up your cross, follow. The questions below are designed to move your group from observation to interpretation to personal application.
Discussion questions
- What different opinions about Jesus are floating around in your workplace, school, or family today? How do they compare to the crowds' guesses in vv.18-19?
- Why do you think Luke mentions that Jesus was praying alone just before asking about his identity? What connection between prayer and understanding do you see?
- Peter calls Jesus “the Christ of God.” Based on the Old Testament, what would a first-century Jew expect the Christ to do? How does Jesus' prediction of suffering (v.22) turn that expectation upside down?
- Jesus says, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” What does “deny himself” mean in practical terms? Is it the same as hating yourself or ignoring your needs?
- The phrase “take up his cross daily” appears only in Luke. Why do you think he added the word “daily”? How does this change the way we view discipleship?
- Verse 24 says, “whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it.” Share an example of a time when holding on to something (control, reputation, comfort) actually led to losing something better.
- Verse 26 warns against being ashamed of Jesus and his words. Where are the pressures greatest for you to be ashamed of the gospel? How can the promise of Jesus' coming glory (v.26) encourage you to stand firm?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 16:13 | Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” |
| Matthew 16:16 | Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” |
| Matthew 26:36 | Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” |
| Mark 8:27 | Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” |
| Mark 8:30 | He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. |
| Luke 11:1 | When he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” |
| Luke 22:39 | He came out and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him. |
| Luke 22:41 | He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights a distinction between temporal and spiritual loss. Gaining the whole world could compensate for any earthly damage, but even the smallest spiritual harm to the soul cannot be repaid by the entire universe. Earthly goods can only repair earthly losses, never a breach in the soul's peace or holiness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes defines "Christ" by its literal meaning: "Anointed." For him, calling Jesus "the Christ of God" points directly to the Messiah whom God had personally chosen and promised through the ages. The title declares Jesus as the long-awaited, divinely appointed deliverer.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights a detail unique to Luke: Christ entered this conversation about his identity while alone in prayer with his disciples. For Henry, this shows that even the busiest person needs private time with God, and solitude is best used for devotion so we are never truly alone.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Christ spoke this command after praying apart from the crowd. His distinctive emphasis is the word "daily"—every day must include taking up the cross, or that day is lost. This underlines the constant, unbroken nature of self-denial.