Matthew 16:24-28, Take Up Your Cross

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Comments

If discipleship means identifying with one’s Master, then a disciple must suffer what his Master suffers and share the same fate by choice, giving up one’s rights. Each disciple faces a fundamental choice: does one’s true allegiance lie with God or the world? The choice leads to blessing or condemnation.

There is no reason to interpret the “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” as a literal coming to earth. In Daniel 7:13-14 we read:

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Here Jesus, the “son of man” comes to God, “the Ancient of Days” to receive “his kingdom.” It is not so much in a single event, but the understanding that Jesus, risen and vindicated at God’s right hand, is now in the position of supreme authority. This will culminate in the Second Coming, the Last Judgment, but this specific event is not what Jesus refers to here. It is his own crucifixion and resurrection that Jesus has in mind.

Prayer