The passage
      v18-19. Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke does not locate this episode at Caesarea Philippi. Obviously, he wants to link it to the feeding of the 5,000, for theological reasons. Jesus' enquiry seeks to draw out the disciples' understanding of his person. The crowds have their opinions, but what do the disciples believe?
      v20-22. Peter, speaking on behalf of the disciples, states that Jesus is the messiah; the Son of Man is the Christ. The only problem is that their understanding of Jesus' messiahship is very limited. They see him as the Davidic king, the son of David, who has come to set up his kingdom in power, overcoming the Romans and purifying Israel. They have yet to understand that Jesus must represent the people of Israel, and travel the way of judgement, suffering and death (He is the suffering servant of Israel, Isaiah 53). The way of the cross is similar to the way of the wilderness. In the wilderness the people of Israel put God to the test and died in the desert. The suffering servant must also go this way, suffering on behalf of God's rebellious people. Only by this means can his people enter the promised land. It is this truth that the disciples must keep to themselves.
      v23-26. Jesus calls on his disciples to follow him into the wilderness. The disciples are to, as it were, leave Egypt, its security and plenty, and join with Jesus on the dusty road to the promised land. Jesus calls on us to take up the cross, in the sense of give allegiance to him and his journey of shame. We are to do this "daily", that is, identify with Christ's journey throughout the whole of our life.
      The imagery of cross-bearing powerfully illustrates allegiance to Christ. It certainly encourages sacrificial discipleship, self-denial, but above all it is a call to identification with Christ, a call to allegiance. Only Christ's self-denial has any eternal value, ours is flawed, compromised, "filthy rags." Are we willing to accept the shame of following a crucified messiah? Eternal life is found in our identification with (believing in) Christ, the rejected and suffering one.
      v27. Jesus has warned his disciples that those who fail to give their allegiance to him will inevitably be shamed in the day of judgement. He now states that there are "some who are standing" with him at this very moment who "will not taste of death before they see the kingdom of God." In what sense will "some" of his disciples see the kingdom? It may be in the sense of an inaugurated kingdom which still awaits its final realization in glory, a kingdom ushered in by the cross, resurrection, ascension and pentecost. The reference may be to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, of God's "coming" in judgment upon a rebellious people (Note Matt.16:28, "the Son of Man coming in his kingdom" = coming in judgment). It is obviously not his second coming, although there are those today who are of the view that Jesus thought his return would be in the first century. Our problem may lie with the meaning of "see". Jesus may be saying that those who are not ashamed of him, who willingly give their allegiance to him, who rely on the rejected and crucified suffering servant for their salvation, have entered (they "see", are in) the kingdom and even now witness something of its glory (manifestations: signs and wonders, etc.). On the other hand, those who are ashamed of Christ must wait till their death before they see anything of the kingdom, and in seeing are consumed.

Allegiance to Christ
      In my twenties my father gave me a block of land cut from his farm. The land was designed for a person with one leg shorter than the other. Precipitous is how I would describe it.
      Over the years I cleared the block and dreamt of putting a little cottage on it. Of course, it's one thing dreaming about it, it's another doing something about it. Still, I did inevitably commit myself to the project. I bought a kit home, saved up some holidays, took some leave without pay, and headed up to my block with a trailer load of bits and pieces to build the house. The youth fellowship in my church actually helped me drag the kit up the side of the hill to the building site. Without their help I would have been lost. So, for ten weeks I built my home. Day after day, as I dragged myself out of the tent I was camping in, I constantly asked myself, "what ever possessed me to start this project?" I did actually get it to lock-up. It took ten years to complete, and then, of course, I sold it, as you do!
      The disciples knew Jesus was the Messiah, but it was not enough to know who he was, they had to commit themselves to him, give their allegiance to him. He was about to undertake a wilderness journey that would destroy him, but would inevitably lead to glory and the promised land. They had to decide whether they would accept the shame of identifying with a crucified messiah.
      Over 50% of people in Western societies say Jesus Christ is real, but it is not enough to know that he exists. To reign in glory we must give our allegiance to Jesus, accept the shame of committing ourselves to the rejected and crucified "man of sorrows".

v18
      egeneto "once" - it came about, it happened. Used to introduce a new episode.
      en tw/ einai proseucomenon (proseucomai) pres. part. "when Jesus was praying" - while/during he is praying [alone]. The infinitive of the verb "to be" and the participle forms a paraphrastic infinitive. The preposition, with the articular infinitive, serves to form a temporal clause, "while/when", as NIV. The subject, "Jesus" (Gk. "he") is accusative = accusative of respect. "While Jesus was praying."
      kata monaV prep + acc. "alone" - according to alone. "By himself."
      sunhsan (suneimi) imperf + dat. "were with [him]" - Used of being with someone. Jesus has moved away from the frenzied feeding of the 5,000 and is now with his disciples, although probably off away praying by himself.
      ecloi (oV) "crowds" - Mark has "people" and for meaning we could use the word "people" instead of "crowds". The plural "crowds" indicates that Jesus is not just asking for the opinion of the crowd which witnessed the miraculous feeding.
      einai inf. "[Who do the crowds say] I am?" - The infinitive of the verb to be functions here as an interrogative pronoun, predicate of the subject "who", in that it tells us the identity of "who". "In the opinion of the people we have ministered to in the last year or so, who do they say I am?"

v19
      alloi de "[some say ..... ] but others" - The grammar may imply that the majority say John the Baptist, but some others say ....
      profhthV tiV twn arcaiwn anesth "one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life" - a certain prophet of the ancients rose again. Mark has "one of the prophets." There is some truth in the fact that Christ is a Baptist, Elijah and Prophet type, but the question is, do the disciples see beyond this limited understanding of Christ's person.

v20
      uJmeiV de "but what about you?" - but you. Emphatic
      eipen de autoiV "he asked" - he said to them
      ton criston tou qeou "the Christ of God" - Mark simply has "Christ". "God's messiah", God's davidic deliverer, but as we will see, Christ's messianic credentials are defined by the prophet Isaiah. That is, Christ's messiahship is expressed more as a suffering servant than a king. It is this function of Jesus' messiahship that Peter has yet to understand.

v21
      de "-" - but, and. Here connective, so not translated.
      oJ epitimhsaV (epitimaw) aor. part. "[Jesus strictly] warned [them]" - having warned/warning [to them he gave orders/ordered them]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "gave orders", so, "gave orders to them and warned" = "he forbid them strictly", Moffatt. Jesus is not rebuking his disciples, but giving them strict orders not to tell anyone that he is the suffering servant. "He gave them strict orders", NEB.
      legein (legw) pres. inf. "[not] to tell" - The infinitive forms a dependent statement , ie. what Jesus commanded his disciples, unlike Mark who crafts a hina clause.
      touto "this" - [to tell no one] this. What is the "this" that the disciples must not "tell"? Is it Christ's claim to messiahship, or more particularly, the suffering servant nature of his messiahship? Jesus is often less than frank about his messiahship and its atoning work. Numerous reasons are given for the "messianic secret", the most common being the necessity to limit popular messianic expectations and the inevitable reaction from the authorities. Yet, it is more likely that Jesus refrains from open disclosure so as to draw out the genuine seeker, those with eyes to see, eg. the kingdom parables. The synoptic gospels, as a whole, retain the nature of a riddle such that we are very much dependent on the apostle Paul to exegete the message for us. Only those who recognize Jesus as messiah have the right to know the secret that he is the suffering servant, the benefits of whose sacrificial death may be appropriated through faith.

v22
      eipwn (oJraw) aor. part. "and he said" - saying.
      oJti - that. Introducing a direct quote from Jesus that expands on the warning not to speak about the suffering-servant nature of his messiahship.
      ton uiJon tou anqrwpou "the Son of Man" - Jesus happily uses this messianic title with the crowds. Jesus is the Daniel Son of Man who possesses divine authority to reign. Yet, although a classic messianic title, in that it is Davidic in nature, it is also not easily recognized as messianic. For those without eyes to see Jesus is just "the man", a special man, but not necessarily the messiah. The special information for the disciples is not that Jesus is "the Son of Man" ("the Christ"), but that he "must suffer."
      dei "must" - it is necessary. Divine necessity is often implied when this word is used in the gospels.
      paqein (pascw) inf. "suffer" - to suffer. The infinitive functions as the subject of the sentence (along with the other infinitive), "to suffer is necessary for the Son of Man." The focus is necessarily on the cross, but includes the wider rejection of Christ's ministry.
      polla (polluV) neut. adj. "many things" - much, many. May be rendered as an adverb, "greatly".
      apodokimasqhnai (apodokimazw) aor. pas. inf. "be rejected" - to be rejected/repudiated. As above, the infinitive functioning as the subject of the sentence, "to suffer and be rejected is necessary ...."
      apo + gen. "by" - by, from. "At the hands of." The list of those who do the rejecting covers the members of the Sanhedrin.
      th/ trith/ hJmera/ "on the third day" - More accurate, or probably better, more precise than Mark's "after three days"
      egerqhnai (egairw) pas. inf. "raised to life" - to be raised. The passive indicates the divine act of raising. The authorities may condemn, but God vindicates his chosen one. The infinitive, as above.

v23
      pantaV "them all" - [and he was saying to] all. The "all" is probably the disciples, given the context. Mark has Jesus including the crowd with the disciples for these words, but Luke does not mention the crowd, further implying that, in his opinion, these are words for disciples, not crowds.
      ei tiV qelei "if anyone would" - if anyone wills, wants, wishes. The NIV "would" is a bit weak, the NRSV "if any want" is closer to the Greek and conveys a more decisive desire to follow.
      ercesqai (ercomai) pres. inf. "come" - to come/go [after me]. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of "wishes".
      arnhsasqw (arneomai) aor. imp. "he must deny" - let him deny [himself]. Usually understood to mean self-denial, setting aside the enjoyment of life for the greater cause of following Christ. Yet, it may mean the setting aside of self-reliance, as far as right standing in the sight of God is concerned, for reliance on a crucified messiah.
      aratw (airw) aor. imp. "take up" - let him lift up [his cross]. Usually understood to mean share in the sufferings associated with following Christ, suffering that involves self-denial through to persecution. Yet, it may well mean that the one who wills to follow must identify with Christ's suffering on their behalf, ie. it is a symbol of allegiance rather than self-denial / self-sacrifice. If this is the case the only negative consequence for the disciple is the shame of following a crucified messiah. Both ideas are present.
      kaq hJmeran (a) "daily" - Luke's addition to Marks' words of "daily", serves to underline the fact that taking up our cross is to be understood figuratively and not literally. A literal crucifixion is not intended.

v24
      gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason. Indicating that the person who saves their life is opposite to the one who takes up their cross. The person who takes up their cross is one who trusts in the suffering servant's redemptive work. This is the one who loses their life in their loyalty to the person and work of Jesus, and as a consequence, gains life eternal. The loss of their life entails the setting aside of any claim to righteousness on the basis of race, religious pedigree, or law-obedience. "The one who trusts God, who gives life and saves through death, gains for his life freedom and eternity", Grundmann, Markus.
      an + subj. This verse contains two conditional sentences - if you do so-and-so then this is what will follow.
      qelh/ (qelw) - "would" - wishes, wills... Here an intent backed up with action. If I think that I can gain eternity on the basis of my own goodness etc., then I am lost. On the other hand, if I abandon any dependence on my own self-righteousness and look to the righteousness of the crucified one, then I will find life eternal.
      swsai (swzw) inf. "to save" - save, preserve, keep.... The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "wishes".
      yuchn (h) acc. "life" - The Greeks used the word of the "soul", the spiritual element that separates from the body at death. The Jews had no such idea and used the word of a person's life force, their breath, their being as a God-breathed creation with the potential for immortality. The word "life" carries the sense of mere existence and is not the intended meaning. "Soul" is better, but in common thought it is understood in Platonic terms which inevitably work against the Biblical notion that we are a unified being. What about "eternal being"?
      apolesei (apollumi) fut. "will lose [it]" - will destroy/lose.
      eneken emou "for me" - on account of me. Definitely not "for the benefit of me", but rather "for my sake", ie. in loyalty to me.

v25
      gar - for. Here continuative. Again linking this verse to v23 and 24.
      wfeleitai (wfelw) pres. pas. "[what] good" - [for what] profits/benifits. "In what respect is a person benefited". The words illustrate a profit loss situation.
      kerdhsaV (kerdainw) act. part. "to gain" - having gained [the whole world]. The participle is probably adverbial, modifying "profits", probably conditional, "if he gain." Understandably commentators have generally understood these words in terms of the gaining of riches. On the surface, at least, v25 does seem to reinforce the interpretation that cross-bearing is all about self-denial. "Looking to one's own well-being and security in the world turns out not to be so important after all. Jesus' call to self-denial leads to life; the accumulation of the good things of this world cannot secure us against its loss", Nolland. Interestingly, Luke drops Mark 8:37, "for what can a person give in return for their life", and moves directly to "if anyone is ashamed .......", again with the connective gar, "for". So Luke has actually reduced the possibility of a literal interpretation, to encourage a figurative interpretation. Verse 26 clearly states that figurative meaning. Gaining the world is all about affirming our own self-righteousness through race, religious purity and law-obedience, rather than accepting the shame of following a crucified messiah.
      de "and yet" - Adversive, "but" ....
      eJauton ... apolesaV (apollumi) act. part. "lose [or forfeit] his very self" - himself having lost. The participle is adverbial as above, ie. conditional. "Having lost/ruined himself."
      h zhmiwqeiV (zhmiow) pas. part. "or forfeit" - or having forfeited. "Or be punished/destroyed/judged/lose everything...."

v26
      an "if" - Conditional sentence with a subjunctive in the protasis and a future in the apodosis, ie. 3rd class, where the condition has the possibility of being realized.
      epaiscunqh/ (episcunomai) sub. "is ashamed" - A sense of shame or disgrace. What we have here is an unidentified pressure which prompts shame and so causes the person to shrink from their reliance on the teachings of Jesus, and as a consequence, they disown him. If we are embarrassed to associate with the rejected suffering servant, then when he comes in his glory, he will be embarrassed to associate with us.
      touV emouV logouV "of my words" - "Of my teachings."
      oJtan elqh/ (ercomai) subj. "when he comes" - This construction forms a temporal clasue, as NIV. A reference to the coming Son of Man, Dan.7:13, the one who comes with his angels into the presence of the Ancient of Days, to receive dominion and power -rule. He is the one we must stand before on that dreadful day. Note that the "coming", assuming that this is an allusion to Daniel 7:13, is a coming into heaven, and not a coming to earth. In Daniel's perspective, the angels (messengers) are the saints, believers.
      en th/ doxh/ (a) "in the glory" - "Surrounded by /clothed In glory." In Mark, glory belongs to the Father, but here it belongs to the Son as well as the Father and also to the angels, all of whom add to the glory associated with Jesus' coming.