Matthew 16:24-26

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him ¹deny himself and ²take up his cross and follow me.

25 For ³whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

26 For ⁴what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or ⁵what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Cross References

• 1. [2 Timothy 2:12, 13]
• 2. See Matthew 10:38, 39
• 3. [See ver. 24 above]
• 4. [Luke 12:20]
• 5. [Psalms 49:7, 8]

Footnotes

• [a]. The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26