The Road Less Traveled Series

The word “follow” however, is in the present imperative, which commands the doing of an action and its habitual, moment by moment continuance. The first two imperatives give direction to the life. The last speaks of the actual living of that which has been given direction by two once-for-all acts (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Mk 8:34). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.).

There is a second personal effect of confessing Christ: embracing the paradox of the Cross. Jesus said further in verse 35: “For whoever wood or wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel`s will save it” (v. 35).

What may here seem to be a complex and contradictory idea is really quite simple. The Lord is saying that whoever lives only to save his earthly, physical life, his ease and comfort and acceptance by the world, will lose his opportunity for eternal life.

But whoever loses his life /is willing to give up his earthly, worldly life and to suffer and die, if necessary, for Christ’s sake, will find eternal life.

Please turn to Phil 3

This paradoxical saying reveals an important spiritual truth: those who pursue a life of ease, comfort, and acceptance by the world (The Easy Road) will not find eternal life. On the other hand, those who give up their lives (The Road Less Traveled) for the sake of Christ and the gospel will find it. Cf. John 12:25 (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mk 8:35). Nashville: Word Pub.).

What reflects the perspective of Gain in Christ?

Philippians 3:7-11 [7]But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8]Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9]and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- [10]that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11]that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (ESV)

Illustration: “When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the captain of the ship sought to turn him back. “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages,” he cried. Calvert only replied, “We died before we came here.”

Our chapter ends with Jesus saying:

Mark 8:38 [38]For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (ESV)

To be ashamed of Jesus means to be so proud that one wants to have nothing to do with him. Jesus knew that not only his sworn enemies, the scribes and Pharisees, but also their many followers were in that sense ashamed of him and of his teachings; hence, he speaks of “this adulterous and sinful generation.” Christ’s Jewish contemporaries were adulterous, unfaithful to Jehovah, Israel’s rightful Husband (Isa. 50:1ff.; Jer. 3:8; 13:27; 31:32; Ezek. 16:32, 35 ff; Hos. 2:1 ff.). Cf. Matt. 12:39; 16:4.