John Calvin Commentary Matthew 16:25

"For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it." — Matthew 16:25 (ASV)

For he who would save his life shall lose it. It is a most appropriate consolation that those who willingly suffer death for Christ's sake⁴⁶⁷ actually obtain life; for Mark expressly states this as the motive for believers in dying—for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel—and in the words of Matthew, the same thing must be understood. It frequently happens that irreligious people are prompted by ambition or despair to despise life, and it will be no advantage to such people that they are courageous in meeting death. The threatening, which is contrasted with the promise, also has a powerful tendency to shake off carnal sloth, when He reminds those who are desirous of this present life that the only advantage they reap is to lose life. There is a contrast intended here between temporal and eternal death, as we have explained under Matthew 10:39, where the reader will find the rest of this subject.⁴⁶⁸

⁴⁶⁷ “Ceux qui meurent alaigrement pour Christ;” — “those who die cheerfully for Christ.”;” — “those who die cheerfully for Christ.”

⁴⁶⁸ Harmony, vol. 1 p. 472..