Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Luke 9:18-20 NIV
That’s a question that each one of us must answer for ourselves. Who you believe Jesus to be will determine how you choose to live your life. Do you believe Jesus was God incarnate, who came and shed His own blood to set you free from sin? Belief, in this context, must be more than just mental ascent, it must be a deeply held conviction that drives you to abandon everything else in pursuit of God alone.
And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Luke 9:22 NIV
Jesus modeled for us a life of abandonment. He suffered so that we might be saved.
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Luke 9:23-25 NIV
Discipleship requires following Jesus in a life of abandonment. Are you willing to deny yourself, take up your cross and simply follow Jesus? Is there anything in your life that you just won’t give up for God? The irony is, those who have the courage to give up everything are the ones who, in the end, live the most fulfilled lives of all.
Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1b NIV