Luke 9:18

Luke 9:18 says, And 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?  When Jesus was alone with His disciples praying, He asked them Who did people say He was.  This is the question that every person ultimately needs to answer.  Verse nineteen adds, They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.  The disciples said that different people said different things.  Some said He was John the Baptist, some said Elijah, and others said one of the old prophets risen from the dead.  People may think that Jesus is just the same as some other long dead prophet, but until they see Him for Who He really is, the only begotten Son of God Who died to save mankind from the penalty of sin, it will do them no good to acknowledge that He existed in history.  Verse twenty states, He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.  Jesus then made it a personal question for the disciples, and at some point it will become a personal question that every individual will have to answer.  Peter answered and said that Jesus was the Christ of God, or the promised Messiah.  This is the only answer that will ever do us any good.  Verse twenty-one adds, And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;  At this time, Jesus told the disciples to not tell anyone this, but today we have His command to tell everyone.  Verse twenty-two  continues, Saying, 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.  Jesus then told them what He must suffer.  I am sure this is not what the disciples expected to hear.  They had left everything to follow Jesus, most likely expecting to reign with Him in power, and He was telling them that He was going to be persecuted, rejected by the religious leaders, be killed and raised the third day.  We cannot follow Jesus because we expect worldly riches and success, but as Christians must daily take up our cross and follow Him.  Verse twenty-three declares, And 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.  As just stated, if we are to follow Jesus, we must deny ourself and daily take up our cross, or die to ourself.  Verse twenty-four adds, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  Jesus said that if we value our physical life more than our relationship with Him, we will ultimately lose our everlasting life with Him.  On the other hand, if we value our relationship with Jesus more then even our physical life, then we will save our everlasting life by our faith in Him.  Verse twenty-five asks, For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?  Jesus asked the disciples what they would gain if everything in the world in the world belonged to them, but they lost their relationship with God and were cast away.  We must individually answer this question today.  Verse twenty-six adds, For 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.  Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him in this life that He will be ashamed of us when He returns in glory.  We need to live everyday for God's glory as followers of Christ and proclaim our faith to the world.   Verse twenty-seven continues, But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.  The disciple did not yet truly know Who Jesus was, but He said they would not face death until they did.  As long as we are alive, we have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we must do so before we die.