What does Luke 9:23 mean?
“Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Quick answer
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Discipleship is a daily death and a daily following.
What it means
"Deny himself" — not low self-esteem, but giving up the right to rule one's own life.
"Take up his cross daily" — Luke adds "daily," extending the cross from a one-time crisis to a way of life.
"And follow me" — the Christian life is not a list of rules but a person to walk behind.
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Original BibleDawn explanation · reviewed 2026-06-07. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.