Who’s your Master? A light study on Luke 9:23 By Dr. Todd R. Bounds

Who’s your Master? “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  If anyone wishes Jesus uses the word “  ” (pronounced “I”) as a first class conditional “if.” This is done to emphasize reality to the disciples.

Conditional “if” statements in the NT Koine Greek uses Conditional “if” statements to emphasize four different realities of a statement: 1. Reality of the statement (If, and it is reality; if and it is true) 2. Non-reality of the statement (If, and it is non-reality; if and it is false) 3. Possible reality of the statement (If, and maybe it’s reality, maybe it’s not) 4. Desired reality of the statement (If, and I wish it were reality, but it’s not)

Who’s your Master? Jesus uses the word “  ” (pronounced “I”) as a first class conditional “if.” 1. Reality of the statement (If, and it is reality; if and it is true) Translation: Jesus is saying “If, in reality, anyone wishes to come after Me…”

Question #1 Do you, in reality, want to follow Jesus? Three options: 1. Yes, I do. (Keep Listening; Luke 9:23) 2. No, I don’t. (Repent; 1 John 1:9) 3. I haven’t really thought about it. (Start thinking) * “I do, just not right now” = “No, I don’t.” (Repent)

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  If anyone wishes Jesus then uses the word  (pronounced “tiss”) which means, “anyone.” Any person, male or female, adult or child, Jew or Gentile can follow Jesus. Anyone. Simple right?

Gender in Koine Greek Koine Greek uses gender to identify relationship correlations over biological construction. 3 Gender Types: 1. Masculine gender – identifies an initiator 2.Neuter gender – identifies a tool or instrument 3.Feminine gender – identifies a responder  is in the masculine gender which identifies it as an initiator.

Who’s your Master? Jesus then uses the word  (pronounced “tiss”) which means, “anyone.” The masculine gender identifies that those who do indeed want to follow Jesus are initiators. Translation: Wanting to follow Jesus is a choice you must initiate.

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  If anyone wishes Jesus uses  (pronounced theh-lei), to identify the type of wish He is talking about. He had a few options here, but specifically chose 

Who’s your Master?  (theh-lei) means, “wills.” It is not a mere thought or wish. It expresses the will of an individual toward a specific action. Jesus is saying, “If, in reality, anyone initiates his will to come after me…”

Question #2 Two truths we have learned so far. 1.) It is your responsibility to initiate your discipleship training. 2.) It is your decision to follow Jesus. Are you being lazy in your discipleship training?

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  to comeafterme Jesus uses  (pronounced ehr-kes- thay o-rih-so), which means, “to come behind.” It identifies following something, in this case Jesus.

Who’s your Master? Jesus has established a condition: “If, in reality, anyone initiates his will to come after me…” Next, Jesus establishes the action of the condition: “He must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  He must denyhimself  (pronounced ar-nae-sas-thoh) is a middle voice verb which means, “to refuse.” As a middle voice verb the action is participated in by the subject. Get ready.

Voice in Koine Greek Voice is used in Koine Greek to express how the subject operates in relationship to the verb. There are three types of voice in Koine Greek: 1.Active Voice – the subject performs the action. 2.Middle Voice – the subject participates in the action. 3.Passive Voice – the subject is acted upon by the action. “  ” is in the Middle Voice. This identifies the subject as participating in the action of “refusing himself.”

Question #3 What does it mean to refuse yourself? 1.) Refuse your sin nature (James 1:14). a.) Stop promoting yourself. b.) Stop satisfying your senses. c.) Stop worshipping material objects. 2.) Refuse your desire to sin (James 1:16). 3.) Refuse your own power (Galatians 3:3). 4.) Refuse self-governance (Philippians 2:5).

Who’s your Master Remember the middle voice! You participate in the action of refusing yourself with Someone else. Truth: When you refuse yourself, the Holy Spirit participates with you. He assists you in refusing yourself if indeed your desire is to follow Jesus.

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  take up Jesus uses  (pronounced ar-ah-toh) which means, “to take up and carry.” Jesus commands those who indeed will to follow after Him “to take up and carry” their cross.

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  of himthecross This phrase means, “his cross.” It identifies the object which Jesus commands his followers to take up and carry. The language emphatically identifies the cross as belonging to the follower.

Question #4 What does it mean to take up and carry your cross? Answer: The Cross symbolizes death. Complete, irreversible, and brutal death. To carry one’s cross is an idiom which identifies an individual with his death. Translation: Jesus is saying take up and carry your death.

Sidenote #1 Notice verse 24: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” The sweet harmony of Scripture. The cross identifies the death of an individual. Can this refer to martyrdom?

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  ’  according to day This phrase means, “each day.” It emphasizes the daily act of dying to oneself. Day in, and day out. Therefore this does not refer to martyrdom, but to the death of the individual in the body of Christ.

Who’s your Master? Examination of Jesus’ statement:  and follow me Lastly, Jesus identifies the type of following by using  (pronounced ah-ko-loo-thei-toh) which means, “follow behind.” Best example: Follow the Leader

Who’s your Master? Summary of the actions of a disciple of Jesus: 1. Refusal of oneself. 2. Daily dying to oneself. 3. Following behind Jesus’ leadership.

Who’s your Master? Truths Taught in Jesus’ Statement: 1.) It is your responsibility to initiate your discipleship training. 2.) It is your decision to follow Jesus. 3.) You participate with the Holy Spirit in refusing your sin nature, your desire to sin, operating under your own power, and governing yourself. 4.) You must die to yourself daily. 5.) You must follow behind Jesus’ leadership.