In Luke 9:18–27, Peter rightly confesses Jesus as the Messiah, but Jesus immediately redefines what that means: the Messiah must suffer, die, and rise again, and His followers must walk the same path by denying themselves and taking up their cross daily. True discipleship isn’t about power or comfort—it’s about surrender, humility, and dying to selfishness so that we can discover real life in Christ. Like C. S. Lewis’s picture of Eustace shedding his dragon skin, following Jesus can feel painful, but it’s ultimately freeing, stripping away false identities until only true life remains. To follow the crucified and risen Messiah is to lose ourselves—and in doing so, to find joy.

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Good morning, it’s good to be with you on this Friday. I hope you’ve had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. College football kicks off tomorrow, and I’ll be down in Hattiesburg watching the Southern Miss band march and enjoying the game atmosphere. Whether you’re cheering for Southern, State, or someone else, I hope it’s a fun and good day for you.

Today, we’re in Luke 9:18–27, and I want to hold two moments together, because they frame something essential about Jesus and discipleship.

Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying alone with his disciples nearby, he asked them: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered with guesses—John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. Then he turned it personal: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah of God.”

That’s a huge confession. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus blesses Peter for this Spirit-given insight. But Luke keeps it short and to the point: Peter declares Jesus as Messiah.

Then, immediately, Jesus redefines what that means. The Son of Man—this apocalyptic figure from Daniel’s prophecy—must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and on the third day be raised. In other words, yes, he is the Messiah, but not the kind of Messiah people expected. His path will go through suffering and death.

And then comes the harder word: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.”

It’s not just Jesus’ path—it’s ours too. Following him means laying down our lives, not clinging to control, not living for self. “What does it profit you to gain the whole world but lose yourself?”

That’s hard, isn’t it? Dying to self is never easy. But it’s the only way to real life. Think about relationships—whether in marriage, friendship, or community. To truly love someone requires humility. Sometimes it means saying, “I’m sorry.” Sometimes it means putting the other person ahead of yourself. That’s a small but real picture of what Jesus means by taking up the cross. We die to selfishness, and in that death, we discover a deeper kind of life.

C. S. Lewis captures this in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The boy Eustace turns into a dragon, covered in scales. Then Aslan, the great lion, tears away the dragon skin with his claws. It hurts, but it’s the only way Eustace can be free and become himself again. That’s what following Jesus feels like sometimes: painful in the moment, but freeing, because it strips away false identities, idols, and illusions until only true life remains.

So today, remember: Peter was right—Jesus is the Messiah. But he’s the Messiah who suffers, dies, and rises again. And to follow him is to walk the same way—losing life so that we might gain it.

Friends, what do you need to lay down today? Where is Jesus calling you to deny yourself, so you can find real life in him?

That’s the way of the cross, and it is also the way to joy.

God bless you, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. We’ll pick up again Monday as we continue in Luke’s gospel.