Luke 9:18-27 Meaning: Who Do You Say I Am?
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.”
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.
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.
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.'
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.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus asks His disciples a personal question about His identity, then teaches what it means to follow the Christ of God.
Context
This scene comes right after the feeding of the five thousand, the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. Luke alone tells us Jesus was praying alone when His disciples were with Him. The crowds have been buzzing with opinions. Some think Jesus is John the Baptist come back from the dead. Others say Elijah or one of the old prophets has returned. But Jesus turns the question from public speculation to personal confession: "But who do you say that I am?" Peter speaks for the group and names Him the Christ of God. Then Jesus immediately connects this confession to suffering, self-denial, and the cross. This is a hinge moment in Luke's Gospel.
Key Words
Christ of God. The Greek word behind "Christ" is Christos, the translation of the Hebrew "Messiah," meaning the Anointed One. For centuries God's people had waited for this deliverer. Peter uses the definite article: not just a Christ, but the Christ, the one sent by God Himself. This is the highest confession a person can make.
Deny himself. The verb arneomai means to disown or renounce, the opposite of claiming something as your own. Jesus calls His followers to say "no" to their own claims on life, not just once as a decision but daily. Luke alone adds the word "daily" here. Wesley observed that a day without taking up your cross is a lost day.
Life or soul. The same Greek word psyche carries both meanings. Jesus builds a paradox on this double sense: trying to hold onto your life on your own terms destroys the life you were made for. Giving it up for His sake finds the real thing. Vincent notes this is a common-sense question of profit and loss, like a merchant weighing a deal.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions treasure Peter's confession but emphasize different aspects. Catholics see this moment as the rock on which Christ builds His Church, pointing to Matthew's fuller version where Jesus names Peter the rock. Protestants focus on the personal nature of the question: faith cannot be secondhand. Orthodox Christians highlight the title "Christ of God" as joining the human Jesus with divine anointing, a mystery to be worshiped rather than explained.
On verse 27, many see the Transfiguration, which happens just eight days later, as the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that some would see the kingdom before tasting death. Others understand it as the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost or the spread of the gospel in the apostles' lifetime.
A common misunderstanding
Many people read "take up your cross" as a call to bear a difficult burden God has given you, like a chronic illness or a hard marriage. But in Jesus' day a cross meant only one thing: an instrument of execution. Taking up your cross is a voluntary, daily choice to follow Jesus even to the point of death. It is active allegiance, not passive endurance. Luke's addition of the word "daily" makes this a repeated decision, not a one-time surrender.
Living This Out
This week you will hear many voices telling you who Jesus is. Maybe you will hear opinions on a news feed, at work, or from a family member. Jesus' question to you is more personal: "But who do you say that I am?" Your answer should shape how you live. That might mean choosing honesty when a small lie would be easier. It might mean speaking up for someone when staying quiet would protect you. Following Jesus is not a single dramatic moment. It is the daily decision to set aside your own agenda and walk behind Him, trusting that the life you lose is the life you find.
Main takeaway: Jesus is the Christ of God, and following Him means a daily surrender of your own life for His sake.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus asked His friends, "Who do people say I am?" They told Him different answers. Then Jesus asked, "Who do YOU say I am?" Peter said, "You are the Christ of God." Jesus wants you to know that He is God's Son.
For ages 9, 12
Jesus didn't just want His disciples to repeat what others said about Him. He wanted them to decide for themselves. When you say Jesus is the Christ, you are saying He is the one God sent to save the world. That choice changes everything. Following Jesus means you sometimes have to say no to what you want and yes to what He wants. He promises that when you give up your life for Him, you actually find it.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jesus pray alone before asking who He is?
Luke often shows Jesus praying at key moments. Only Luke mentions that Jesus was praying alone before this conversation. This detail suggests that Jesus grounded His ministry, including this turning point, in His relationship with the Father. The question of identity and its cost was not something He approached without prayer.
What does 'Christ of God' mean?
Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means 'anointed one.' In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil to show God had chosen them. By calling Jesus the Christ of God, Peter meant that Jesus is the long-awaited deliverer God had promised through the prophets.
Why did Jesus tell the disciples not to tell anyone He was the Christ?
Jesus knew that people had wrong ideas about the Messiah. Many expected a military king who would overthrow Rome. Jesus needed to redefine what kind of Christ He was, one who must suffer and die. The disciples needed to understand the cross before they could tell others the full truth about who He really is.
What does it mean to taste death and see the kingdom in verse 27?
Most Christians see this promise fulfilled in one of two ways. Some point to the Transfiguration just eight days later, where Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in glory. Others understand it as the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost or the spread of God's kingdom in the years that followed. Both views agree that Jesus was speaking about an event that would happen within the lifetime of some standing there.
If following Jesus means suffering, why would anyone want to follow Him?
Jesus does not hide the cost, but He shows what is at stake. The question in verse 25 puts it plainly: what good does it do to gain everything the world offers and lose your real self? Jesus promises that the person who gives up their life for His sake will actually save it. The suffering is real, but the life He gives is worth more than anything the world can offer.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study