Taking Up Our Crosses and Following Jesus


Today’s Verses:
Mark 8:27-30
ESV

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.


Today, on the church calendar, we remember the Confession of Saint Peter. 

Peter’s bold confession, “You are the Christ,” is a significant turning point in Mark’s Gospel. It’s the moment when the disciples start to get the truth about Jesus’ identity. But even Peter’s confession isn’t complete. In the following verses, Jesus explains that being the Christ means going through tough times, being rejected, and even dying—a truth that Peter has difficulty accepting.

In our own lives, we often want Jesus to be our way. We want a Savior who brings us blessings without suffering and glory without the cross. But Jesus calls us to see Him as He is—the suffering servant who saves us not by his power but by his sacrifice.

Martin Luther reminds us that faith isn’t something we can do alone. It’s a gift from God. By the Holy Spirit, we confess with Peter that Jesus is the Christ, trusting in His work for our salvation. And like Peter, our understanding will grow as we walk with Jesus, learning to take up our own crosses and follow Him.

Prayers

A Prayer for Today:

Lord Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Strengthen my faith to trust in You, even when I do not fully understand. Help me to follow You wherever You lead. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luther’s Morning Prayer:

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.


The photo above is licensed through Unsplash+


A Song for Today


Previous
Previous

Acts of Kindness Through Anxiety

Next
Next

New Life Through Baptism