Mark 8:31-38Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Girl 2
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
³¹ Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. ³² He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
³³ But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said,“Get behind Me, Satan, because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns,^[a]but man’s!”
Take Up Your Cross
³⁴ Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. ³⁶ For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life? ³⁷ What can a man give in exchange for his life? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Questions:
1.   Why do you think Peter didn’t like what Jesus was saying?
A.   Jesus is Peter’s friend, He loves Jesus, Peter left everything to follow Jesus, and now Jesus is saying He is going die.  Peter doesn’t like it.
2.   What does Jesus mean by whoever loses his life because of Me and the Gospel will save their life?
A.   It means that if we stand up for our faith in Christ, or die for Christ we will actually save our Life and have eternal life with Christ.  We need to live in this world, but not be of this world.  Live for Christ not for ourselves.
3.   What does it mean for you to take up your cross and follow Me?
A.   Jesus used this image of carrying a cross to show the ultimate submission that requires a follower to moment by moment live for Him.  To do His will even when it is difficult and the future looks bleak.