Matthew 16

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (v24).  Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), but he still thought that meant Jesus would “win” and conquer in the way of the world.  Jesus rebuked him (v23), explaining that the only way to win in God’s kingdom was to surrender the self for the sake of God and others (v25).  For Jesus, that meant going to the cross to save us.

As “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v19), Jesus calls us to reject the world’s use of power and instead, motivated by love, to take up our cross and follow Him.