A.T. Robertson Commentary Luke 9:23

"And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." — Luke 9:23 (ASV)

He said unto all (ελεγεν δε προς παντας). This is like Luke (cf. verse 43). Jesus wanted all (the multitude with his disciples, as Mr 8:34 has it) to understand the lesson of self-sacrifice. They could not yet understand the full meaning of Christ's words as applied to his approaching death of which he had been speaking. But certainly the shadow of the cross is already across the path of Jesus as he is here speaking. For details (soul, life, forfeit, gain, profit, lose, world) see discussion on Mt 16:24-26; Mr 8:34-37. The word for lose (απολεσε, from απολλυμ, a very common verb) is used in the sense of destroy, kill, lose, as here. Note the mercantile terms in this passage (gain, lose, fine or forfeit, exchange).

Daily (καθ' ημεραν). Peculiar to Luke in this incident. Take up the cross (his own cross) daily (aorist tense, αρατω), but keep on following me (ακολουθειτω, present tense). The cross was a familiar figure in Palestine. It was rising before Jesus as his destiny. Each man has his own cross to meet and bear.