Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Luke
Chapter 9: Take Up His Cross Daily, and Follow Me
Luke 9 is a chapter of turning points. Jesus sends the twelve to preach the kingdom and heal, then feeds five thousand from five loaves. When He asks, 'Whom say ye that I am?', Peter answers, 'The Christ of God,' and Jesus at once foretells His cross and calls all who follow Him to 'take up his cross daily.' On the mountain He is transfigured, and Moses and Elijah speak of His 'decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem,' while the Father's voice says, 'This is my beloved Son: hear him.' Coming down, He heals a demon-tormented boy His disciples could not, foretells His betrayal again, and teaches that the least is the greatest and that 'he that is not against us is for us.' Then, as the time draws near, He 'stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,' rebukes a spirit of vengeance, and calls disciples to a following that holds nothing back: 'No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.' The chapter reveals the Christ of God resolved for the cross, and the wholehearted discipleship He requires.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Luke chapter 9. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Jesus sends the twelve, feeds the multitude, is confessed and transfigured, and sets His face for Jerusalem. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Give Ye Them to Eat
He sends the twelve to preach and feeds five thousand.
The Christ of God
Peter confesses, and Jesus calls for daily cross-bearing.
Hear Him
Transfigured, He speaks of His decease at Jerusalem.
He Set His Face
Resolved for Jerusalem, He calls for wholehearted following.
They Did Eat, and Were All Filled (Luke 9:1-17)
Jesus empowers and sends the twelve to preach the kingdom, and feeds a great multitude from a boy's small lunch.
Preach the Kingdom, and Heal the Sick
"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."
Word Study
"were all filled," Greek echortasthesan (ἐχορτάσθησαν). The word means to be fed to the full, satisfied, filled up, originally used of feeding animals till they wanted no more. From "five loaves and two fishes" Jesus fed five thousand men, and they "were all filled", not merely given a token, but fully satisfied, with "twelve baskets" left over. Christ's provision is never meager; where He supplies, there is abundance and more than enough. The One who satisfies the hungry with bread is the same who says, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger."
Explanation
Jesus sends the Twelve with His own authority to preach and heal, and their mission stirs Herod's guilty question, "who is this?" -- the question the chapter will answer. When the crowds follow, the disciples want to send them away, but Jesus says, "Give ye them to eat," and feeds five thousand from five loaves with twelve baskets to spare. The apostles who could cast out demons still cannot imagine feeding a crowd -- power in ministry and faith for daily provision are learned separately. The Shepherd who sends His servants also supplies what the task requires, out of almost nothing placed in His hands.
Gospel Focus
Jesus multiplies His ministry by sending the twelve. He gives them "power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases," and sends them "to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." He sends them in radical dependence, taking almost nothing, trusting God to provide, and warns that where they are rejected they are to "shake off the very dust" as a solemn testimony. The gospel of the kingdom goes out through His sent ones. Meanwhile guilty Herod, who had beheaded John, is "perplexed" and "desired to see" Jesus, his troubled conscience stirred, a foreshadowing of the day he would see Jesus at the trial and mock Him. When the apostles return, Jesus withdraws with them, but the crowds follow, and He "received them," teaching the kingdom and healing. Then comes the feeding of the five thousand, the one miracle in all four Gospels. When the disciples urge Him to "send the multitude away" to find food, He gives the faith-stretching command: "Give ye them to eat." From "five loaves and two fishes" He feeds the multitude, and "they did eat, and were all filled," with twelve baskets to spare. Notice the pattern: He takes the little offered, "looking up to heaven, he blessed... and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude." Christ still works this way, taking the little we surrender, blessing it, and multiplying it through His people's hands until all are satisfied. Two lessons meet here: the mission of the sent ones to preach the kingdom in dependence on God, and the abundance of the Saviour who satisfies the hungry. Bring your five loaves to Him; the compassionate King multiplies what is surrendered, and there is always more than enough.
Take Up His Cross Daily (Luke 9:18-27)
Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ of God, and Jesus reveals the cross He must bear and the cross His followers must take up each day.
Whom Say Ye That I Am?
"And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God."
Word Study
"daily," Greek kath' hemeran (καθ' ἡμέραν). Luke alone records this word in the call to discipleship: "let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The cross is not carried once but taken up fresh every day. Self-denial and dying to self-will are not a single dramatic act but a daily discipline, a continual choosing of Christ's will over our own. Every morning the disciple must again pick up the cross and follow. This little phrase turns the call to the cross from a distant heroism into the ordinary, daily shape of the Christian life.
Explanation
Luke sets Peter's confession in the context of prayer -- "as he was alone praying" -- and to "whom say ye that I am?" Peter answers, "The Christ of God." But Jesus at once redefines the title by the cross: the Son of man "must... be slain, and be raised the third day," and every disciple must "take up his cross daily, and follow me." The great paradox governs all: "whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." To confess Christ rightly is to embrace a crucified Messiah and a cross-shaped life, counting the loss of the whole world nothing against the gaining of one's soul.
Gospel Focus
As Jesus prays alone with His disciples, He asks the great question: first what others say, and then, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answers for them all: "The Christ of God", the Anointed One sent from God, the true and central confession. But the moment they confess who He is, Jesus reveals what kind of Christ He is: "The Son of man must suffer many things... and be slain, and be raised the third day." The crown would come by way of the cross; there was no other way to save. And then, having named His own cross, He names the disciple's: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." To follow the crucified Christ is to take up a cross, and Luke's "daily" makes plain it is not a one-time heroism but the everyday shape of the Christian life, denying self and choosing His will each morning. Then the great paradox: "whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." The self-preserving life is the self-destroying life; the surrendered life is the saved life. He presses it with the most sobering question: "what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself?" One soul outweighs the whole world. And He warns against the shame that shrinks from Him: to be "ashamed of me and of my words" now is to be disowned when He comes "in his own glory, and in his Father's." So the confession of who Christ is leads straight to the cross, His and ours. It is not enough to say "The Christ of God" with the lips; we must take up the cross daily and follow Him. Deny yourself, carry your cross today, and you will find that in losing your life for His sake you have saved it.
This Is My Beloved Son: Hear Him (Luke 9:28-45)
On the mountain the glory of Christ shines and His coming death is named; in the valley His power heals what the disciples could not.
His Decease Which He Should Accomplish at Jerusalem
"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying."
Word Study
"decease," Greek exodos (ἔξοδος). The word means a departure, an exit, a going out; it is the very word "exodus." Luke alone tells us that Moses and Elijah "spake of his decease (exodos) which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Jesus' death is His "exodus", His departure through death, and more: as Israel's exodus was their deliverance out of bondage by the blood of the lamb, so Christ's death would be the great exodus, delivering His people out of the bondage of sin by His own blood. The One who gives the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) both testify to His saving death as the true exodus.
Explanation
On the mountain, again "as he prayed," Jesus is transfigured, and Moses and Elijah speak with Him of "his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem" -- His exodus, the death that would deliver His people. The Father's voice silences Peter's babble: "This is my beloved Son: hear him," and "Jesus was found alone," for the Law and Prophets hand their witness to Him. Down in the valley the disciples fail to heal an afflicted boy, and Jesus again foretells His betrayal -- but "they understood not." The glory on the mount and the failure in the valley both point to the cross they cannot yet grasp.
Gospel Focus
Eight days after speaking of the cross, Jesus takes three disciples up the mountain to pray, and as He prays "the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." The veil of His flesh is drawn back and His glory shines out. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appear "in glory," and, Luke uniquely tells us, they "spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Even in glory, the great theme is the cross, His "exodus," the saving death by which He would deliver His people, the fulfillment of all the law and prophets pointed to. Peter, half-asleep and overwhelmed, wants to build "three tabernacles," putting Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus, "not knowing what he said." Heaven corrects him: a cloud overshadows them, and the Father's voice declares, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." And "Jesus was found alone." Moses and Elijah fade; the law and the prophets have done their pointing, and now the Son stands alone, to be heard. This is the lesson of the mount: Jesus only, the beloved Son, God's final word. But from the glory Jesus descends immediately into a valley of need and failure: a father's demon-tormented "only child" whom "thy disciples... could not" heal. Jesus grieves the "faithless and perverse generation," then rebukes the spirit and heals the boy, and "they were all amazed at the mighty power of God." Yet even amid their wonder, Jesus turns their eyes back to the cross: "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men." They "understood not," for their minds were full of glory, not a cross. The chapter holds the two together: the glory of the beloved Son whom we must hear, and the cross, His exodus, that He came to accomplish. Behold His glory; and hear Him, for the way to that glory ran through the cross.
He Stedfastly Set His Face to Go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:46-62)
Jesus overturns the disciples' pride, rebukes a spirit of vengeance, and turns resolutely toward Jerusalem, calling for a following that holds nothing back.
No Man, Having Put His Hand to the Plough, and Looking Back
"Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Word Study
"stedfastly set his face," Greek esterisen to prosopon (ἐστήρισεν τὸ πρόσωπον). The phrase means to fix or firmly set the face, a Hebrew idiom for unshakable resolve. "When the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." Jesus knew what awaited Him there, betrayal, suffering, and the cross, yet He set His face like flint (Isaiah 50:7) and would not turn aside. This marks the great turning point of Luke's Gospel: from here Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem and the cross with fixed, deliberate resolve. He went to die for us not by accident but by unwavering purpose.
Explanation
The disciples argue who is greatest, and Jesus sets a child beside Him: "he that is least among you all, the same shall be great." He rebukes their wish to call down fire on an unwelcoming Samaritan village -- "ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of" -- for He came to save, not destroy. Then three would-be followers meet the cost of discipleship: no place to lay one's head, no delay even for a burial, no looking back once the hand is on the plough. The kingdom demands a wholehearted allegiance that outranks comfort, family, and every backward glance.
Gospel Focus
The chapter closes with lessons on the heart of a true follower, set against the backdrop of Jesus turning toward the cross. First, the disciples dispute "which of them should be greatest," and Jesus overturns their pride by setting a child beside Him: "he that is least among you all, the same shall be great." Greatness in the kingdom is lowliness and service, receiving the little and the overlooked in His name. Second, John's sectarian spirit, forbidding an outsider who cast out devils in Jesus' name, is corrected: "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." We must not draw the circle of Christ's work more narrowly than He does. Then comes the great pivot: "he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." From here the shadow of the cross lies over the whole journey. When a Samaritan village refuses Him, James and John, "sons of thunder," want to call down fire like Elijah, but Jesus rebukes them: "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." His mission is salvation, not vengeance, and the spirit of His followers must match His own. Finally, three would-be disciples meet the searching cost of following. To the eager one, Jesus warns of hardship: "the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." To another, called to follow, who asks first to bury his father, He says, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God", the kingdom's call takes precedence even over pressing duties. And to the one who would first bid his household farewell, He gives the sober word: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." A plowman who keeps looking back cuts a crooked furrow; a disciple who keeps looking back to what he left is not fit to follow the resolute Christ. As Jesus set His face for Jerusalem without turning aside, so He calls His followers to a wholehearted following that holds nothing back and does not look back. Put your hand to the plough, fix your eyes forward, and follow the Christ who set His face to save you.
Chapter 9 in Review
Luke 9 gathers the turning points of the gospel. Jesus sends the twelve to preach the kingdom and feeds five thousand, who "were all filled." To "Whom say ye that I am?", Peter confesses, "The Christ of God," and Jesus at once foretells His cross and calls all to "take up his cross daily." On the mountain He is transfigured, and Moses and Elijah speak of His "decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem," while the Father's voice commands, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." In the valley He heals a boy His disciples could not, foretells His betrayal, teaches that the least is greatest, and that "he that is not against us is for us." Then He "stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem," rebukes a spirit of vengeance, and calls for a following that does not look back.
For the Apostolic reader the chapter binds the confession of who Christ is to the cross He set His face to bear. He is "the Christ of God," the beloved Son whom the Father tells us to hear, whose glory shone on the mountain, and whose death is the great "exodus," the saving departure by which He delivers His people, foretold by the law and the prophets. And the whole chapter presses the shape of true discipleship on those who follow such a Christ: take up the cross daily, deny self, lose your life to save it, be least in order to be great, refuse the sectarian and vengeful spirit, and follow with a fixed face that does not look back. As Jesus set His face for Jerusalem without turning aside, so He calls His people to a wholehearted, daily, forward-looking following. Confess Him as the Christ of God, hear the beloved Son, and take up your cross today to follow the One who set His face to save you.
- Christ satisfies fully; the multitude "were all filled," with baskets to spare (9:17).
- "The Christ of God" must be confessed, and His cross embraced (9:20-22).
- The cross is taken up daily, the everyday shape of discipleship (9:23).
- His death is His "exodus," the saving deliverance foretold by law and prophets (9:31).
- Hear the beloved Son; when all fades, He is found alone (9:35-36).
- He set His face for Jerusalem; His followers must not look back (9:51, 62).
Questions for Reflection
- Whom do you say that Jesus is, and have you embraced His cross?
- Are you taking up your cross daily, denying self and choosing His will?
- Do you hear the beloved Son as God's final word, content with "Jesus only"?
- Have you put your hand to the plough without looking back?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Christ the bread of life: John 6:35, 48-51. Daily dying to self: 1 Corinthians 15:31; Romans 12:1. The Servant who set His face like flint: Isaiah 50:7. Christ's death as the true exodus and redemption: 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Colossians 1:13-14. Not come to destroy but to save: Luke 19:10; John 3:17; 12:47. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The sending of the twelve and the feeding of the five thousand: Luke 9:1-17; Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:7-44; John 6:1-14.
- Peter's confession and the call to the cross: Luke 9:18-27; Matthew 16:13-28; Mark 8:27-9:1.
- The Transfiguration and the demon-possessed boy: Luke 9:28-45; Matthew 17:1-23; Mark 9:2-32.
- Greatness and the cost of following: Luke 9:46-62; Matthew 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-41; Isaiah 50:7.