Luke 9:23

23 Then he said to all of them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross every day and follow me.

Luke 9:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:23

And he said to them all
Not only to all the disciples, but "to the multitude", as the Arabic version renders it, who were now called unto him, with his disciples, as is clear from ( Mark 8:34 ) ,

any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me;
the same is said here, as in ( Matthew 16:24 ) ( Mark 8:34 ) , (See Gill on Matthew 16:24), (See Gill on Mark 8:34), only here the word, "daily", is added; and which, though as Beza observes, is not in the Complutensian edition, nor in five ancient copies; yet is in others, and in the Vulgate Latin, and in all the Oriental versions; and to be retained, as having a very considerable emphasis in it; showing that afflictions, trials, and persecutions of one sort or another, are to be expected every day by the people of God, and to be continually submitted to, and borne with cheerfulness.

Luke 9:23 In-Context

21 Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone.

22 He said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead."

23 Then he said to all of them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross every day and follow me.

24 If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me, he will save it.

25 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up his very self?