From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. (Mt 16:21-27)
Jesus presents himself as a model (he began to show his disciple). His life is a life spent for the others. This is lived by making a journey to Jerusalem and suffering greatly at the hand of the elders, chief priests, and the scribes. (These are the people who exercise power over people. They exercise power over religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, social beliefs). Jesus shows that he will stand against these powers and the powerful will destroy him but God will raise him up.
Peter presents himself as a representative of the people who want to live in this world and be in this world. This is the reason Jesus tells his disciples: “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”. People in the world want to hold on to life at any expense and want to possess the world by any means.
Jesus not only presents himself as a model but also demands from his followers the same way of life. He says: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”. His disciples are asked to deny life (a life that is attached to earthly things), and pick up their crosses (their goals, mission and all the means attached in fulfilling this mission) and follow after him (every disciple of Jesus has his own Jerusalem to reach to and his own Calvary to climb up to).
