Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 8:34

"And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." — Mark 8:34 (ASV)

Now Jesus addressed the crowd as well as his disciples. Two requirements of discipleship are (1) denial of self and (2) taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. By denial of self, Jesus did not mean to deny oneself something, but to renounce self—to cease to make self the object of one’s life and actions. God, not self, must be at the center of life. Cross bearing refers to the way of the cross. The picture is of a man, already condemned, required to carry his cross on the way to the place of execution, as Jesus was required to do (cf. Lk 23:26). Certainly the Christians in Rome were acquainted with this pattern. To bear the cross means suffering and possible death—a message especially relevant to the Roman Christians.