Who Do You Say I Am? Deny, Take Up, Follow

Luke chapter nine comes right on the heels of the feeding of the 5,000, but Matthew and Mark help fill in the gap. The other Gospels show that Jesus has walked on water, healed, confronted Pharisees, fed 4,000 more, and kept revealing who He is. Luke brings the account straight to a private moment where Jesus is praying, and prayer matters because Jesus did it, and He is God.

The Simon Says picture sets the logic of the whole text. Simon is the authority in the game, and nobody moves unless Simon says. Jesus is not playing a game, but the question is still authority. If Jesus is God, then His word governs everything.

Jesus asks the disciples, “Whom say the people that I am?” The answers are all over the place: John the Baptist, Elias, or one of the old prophets come back. The warning is plain: be careful with what “they say.” The issue is not hearsay on the street, but what the Bible says about Christ.

Jesus then makes it personal: “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter’s confession nails it: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That confession means Jesus is God, Messiah, the promised One, Lord. Jesus does not correct Peter, because Peter is right. Flesh and blood did not reveal that truth. The Father did.

Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” and the rock is not Peter as the foundation. The rock is the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The church stands on Christ, the cornerstone, not on apostles, personalities, or human authority. The keys given to Peter open the gospel door first to Jews, then Samaritans, then Gentiles.

Jesus then gives the hard lesson: the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be slain, and rise the third day. Peter cannot handle that kind of King and says, “Not so, Lord.” Jesus answers, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” because resisting God’s will is not neutral ground.

Discipleship then comes down to three commands: deny self, take up the cross daily, and follow Christ. Denying self means surrendering the right to rule life. Taking up the cross does not mean having a bad back or financial trouble. It means being willing to die, putting to death anything that keeps a person from following Jesus. The Father seals it on the mount: “This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.”

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Hearsay cannot define Christ. The crowd has opinions, but opinions cannot carry the weight of eternity. The question of Jesus’ identity must be answered by revelation, not rumor, culture, or religious guesswork. The soul is never safe resting on “they say” when God has spoken plainly in His Word. [38:22]
• 2. Christ owns the whole life. The confession that Jesus is God is not a small religious statement added onto an already settled life. If He is Lord, then personal rights, private kingdoms, attitudes, bitterness, and self-rule all lose their throne. Denial of self begins where Christ’s authority becomes more real than personal preference. [55:07]
• 3. The cross means come die. The cross is not merely a hard season, a sore body, or a financial burden. The cross is the sentence of death placed on whatever refuses the rule of Christ. True obedience does not ask what can be kept alive while following Jesus, but what must be put to death so following Him is unhindered. [62:01]
• 4. Losing life gains Christ. Jesus overturns the natural instinct to hold tightly to control, comfort, and reputation. A life saved for self is finally lost, but a life yielded for Christ is not wasted, it is found in Him. The deepest loss is gaining the world while the soul is cast away. [66:43]
• 5. The Father says hear Him. The mount of transfiguration answers Peter’s confusion with divine clarity. Moses and Elias stand there in glory, but Jesus remains alone when the Father speaks. The command is not to admire every voice equally, but to hear the beloved Son and follow where He leads.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [31:40] - Simon Says and Authority
• [33:34] - Harmonizing the Gospel Timeline
• [35:49] - Prayer Before the Question
• [36:39] - Who Do People Say?
• [38:42] - Peter Confesses Christ
• [42:29] - The Rock and the Church
• [47:00] - Peter and the Keys
• [49:20] - The Suffering Son of Man
• [51:52] - Get Behind Me, Satan
• [54:14] - Deny Yourself
• [60:08] - Take Up the Cross
• [65:06] - Follow Me
• [68:10] - The Mount of Transfiguration
• [72:29] - Because He Is God

Bible Reading
Luke 9:18-27 (ESV)
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

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Observation Questions

1. What three answers did the disciples report when Jesus asked, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Luke 9:19)
2. How did Jesus respond to Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ of God”? (Luke 9:20-22)
3. What three actions does Jesus command for those who follow Him? (Luke 9:23)
4. In the sermon, what example was given to illustrate “denying yourself” in everyday life? [55:40]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus first asked the disciples about others’ opinions of His identity before asking for their personal confession?
2. Jesus says taking up the cross daily means being “willing to die” (Luke 9:23). How does this contrast with common misunderstandings of “bearing a cross” (e.g., trials or burdens)? [01:01:25]
3. Why did Jesus rebuke Peter so harshly (“Get behind me, Satan!”) when Peter rejected the idea of His suffering? (Matthew 16:23)
4. The Father’s voice at the Transfiguration says, “Hear Him” (Luke 9:35). What does this imply about how we should prioritize Jesus’ words over other voices?

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Application Questions

1. Where in your life do you most struggle to “deny yourself” (e.g., preferences, plans, or attitudes)? What would it look like to surrender that area to Christ’s authority? [55:07]
2. Jesus calls His followers to “take up the cross daily.” What specific habit, relationship, or mindset in your life needs to be “put to death” to follow Him more fully? [01:04:25]
3. The crowd’s opinions about Jesus were wrong. How can you actively replace cultural or personal assumptions about God with what Scripture clearly says? [38:22]
4. When have you been tempted to resist God’s will (like Peter did) because it didn’t align with your expectations? How can you respond differently next time?
5. The Father says, “Hear Him” (Luke 9:35). What practical step could you take this week to prioritize listening to Jesus’ words over other distractions or influences?
6. Jesus says losing your life for His sake is the only way to truly save it (Luke 9:24). What does “losing your life” look like in your current season (e.g., career, relationships, comfort)?