Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. |
Subject: Following His Steps |
Bible Note: Indeed following His Footsteps is Denying Oneself as He has Denied Himself for us to follow. Giving up all Heaven has to offer for a world who did not love Him. I like how Edward Gritt put his words so"let us all, as we are called to it, take up our cross and follow Christ. There is no other way to follow him but to the cross, for he went no other way. By that cross let the world be crucified to us and us to the world. We must bear the cross if we would wear the crown. Let us commit all our interests to the divine management, in readiness cheerfully to endure whatever he shall impose who for us agonized in Gethsemane and Golgotha, and to resign whatever he shall require who gave up heaven and life for us. Let us never consent to exchange the trials which he has prepared, for thrones and kingdoms. "By patient continuance in well doing" through all self-denying scenes, let us "seek for glory and honor and immortality." And it shall "be no grief unto" us "nor offence of heart" when we come to stand on the everlasting hills, by the side of the fountain of life, inhaling immortal joys, and looking back on the trials of the wilderness. When we shall receive the high rewards of faith and patience, and find heaven the sweeter for all the deprivations of this life, it will be no grief to us that we renounced the pleasures and portion of the wicked, and continued faithful amidst all sufferings and crosses. O that the glorious prospects of eternity might smooth down all the ruffles of our impatient minds,-might nerve us with fortitude to meet all the evils with which human life is beset, to bear all with patience, and into the hands of God to give up all our interests with filial submission. Let "none of these things move" us, "neither" let us "count" our own "life dear" to us, "so that" we may "finish" our "course with joy." And then "our light affliction which is but for a moment," will work "for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," Finally, let us be supported and encouraged by the affectionate address of the risen Saviour to the church of Smyrna: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.-Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Amen. May the grace of God help us to follow His Steps faithfully not because of the reward but because we Love Him and we want to be Like Him! Godspeed! inheavenseyes |