The Way of the Cross | Ken Jensen

As we read Mark 8:31-38, everything turns on one line most of us have heard but rarely slow down to face: “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” We talk about why this moment is the hinge in the Gospel of Mark, where the focus shifts from identifying Jesus as the Messiah to understanding what the Messiah actually came to do. If you have ever tried to follow Jesus while still negotiating the terms, you will feel the tension in Peter’s reaction and in Jesus’ blunt correction.