The Cross Before the Crown | Mark 8:31-33

The Daily Devotional by Vince Miller

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Dean Eklund from Wichita, KS. Your partnership with us through Project 23 is helping people put the Cross before the Crown. This one's is for you.

Our text today is Mark 8:31-33:

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." — Mark 8:31-33

Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Christ—the long-awaited King. But then Jesus starts talking about suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. It was not exactly the victory speech they expected of a King.

And we can tell Peter can't handle this part of the message. He pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him. Imagine that—rebuking the Lord.

Peter's fabrication of Christ at the conclusion couldn't include a cross. He wanted a Lord but did not imagine lashings. He wanted a Savior but did not imagine suffering. He wanted the Crown without the Cross.

And maybe that's not so different from us.

We want the power, the joy, the glory of the Christian life. But not the pain. Not the loss. Not the surrender.

But Jesus doesn't soften the message. He sharpens it. He rebukes Peter—"Get behind me, Satan!" Because in that moment, Peter unknowingly echoes the same temptation Satan offered in the wilderness: a Crown without the Cross. And Jesus won't have it.

You can't follow a crucified Savior without carrying your own Cross.

If your version of Jesus doesn't include suffering, surrender, and sacrifice, then you may not be following Jesus. You're following a version that's safer, easier, and ultimately self-serving. Faith isn't about avoiding suffering—it's about trusting the God who uses suffering for our good. Today, set your mind on God's ways, not on man's. Stop chasing comfort. Start embracing the calling—even when it's hard.

Because on the other side of the suffering… is salvation.

#TakeUpYourCross, #Mark8Devotional, #FollowJesus

ASK THIS:

1. Why do we resist a suffering Savior?
2. What’s one cross you’re avoiding in your faith walk?
3. How do you set your mind on the things of God?
4. Where have you prioritized comfort over calling?

DO THIS:

Write down one area of resistance in your walk with Christ—and surrender it to him in prayer today.

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, help me embrace the cross—not run from it. I want to follow you fully, even when the path leads through suffering. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Lead Me to the Cross.”