![[Description of Image]: A thumbnail image featuring a symbolic representation of a journey through scripture. It includes a man wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, backpack, and a red baseball cap, holding a flashlight and pointing it towards a "door" cutout into a giant-sized Bible. The scene is set in a desert or barren land, with the sun in the distance. A white dove is also depicted in the image, representing peace and guidance [Text Overlay]: "Wednesday in The Word" live stream thumbnail with the Bible book reference Mark 8:31-38 and the date May 22, 2024.](https://wedintheword.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/witw-2024-05-22-thumbnail-1024x576.jpg "Wednesday in The Word for May 22, 2024")
Mark 8:31-38
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Context
- How could Peter rebuke Him after such a great confession? (Proverbs 14:12, Mark 8:32, 9:31, 10:33, 14:29-31, James 3:10)
Reflection
- Why such a harsh rebuke from Jesus? (Matthew 4:10, Mark 8:33)
- What does Jesus mean by ‘deny yourself’, ‘take up your cross’& ‘follow me’? (Matthew 10:37-39, 16:24-27, Luke 9:23-27, 12:51-54)
- Why does losing my life mean saving it? (Psalm 16:11, Matthew 13:45, 46, Luke 19:8, 9, Acts 20:24, Philippians 3:7-9, Hebrews 11:24-26)
- How could you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? (Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 12:14-21, 16:25, 18:22-27, 1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Testimony Time
- What would you give in exchange for your soul? (Psalm 84:10, Matthew 7:14, 2 Corinthians 4:18)
- What has it cost you to follow Jesus? (Daniel 3:16, 17, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:49-53, Hebrews 11:13, 35-40)
- Who am I inviting to follow Him? (2 Corinthians 5:11, 20)