For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Parallel translations
- WEB For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.
- KJV For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
- NKJV For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
- NASB For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.
- NLT If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it for Christ's sake will save it. True life is found by surrendering it to Jesus.
Overview
Jesus states a great paradox of the kingdom: self-preservation leads to ruin, while self-giving for His sake leads to real life. Clinging to this present life forfeits eternal life, but losing it for Christ secures it. The gospel calls us to trade temporary self-interest for everlasting life in Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 17:33Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
- John 12:25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
- Acts 20:23–24I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.
- Rev 2:10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- Rev 12:11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- Heb 11:35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 9:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.