“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words
in this adulterous and sinful generation …”
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:26–27).
(1) Today, as I meditate on the passage of Luke 9:26–27 together with Matthew 16:27–28 and Mark 8:31–9:1, I desire to receive the lesson that the Lord gives us:
(a) First, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man (I) also will be ashamed of that person when He comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels. I will repay each person according to what he has done’ (Lk. 9:26; Mt. 16:27; Mk. 8:38).
(i) What, then, does Jesus mean by “this adulterous and sinful generation” (Mk. 8:38)?
· ‘It refers to a faithless and rebellious generation that is ashamed of and rejects Jesus Christ and His gospel, and that follows its own desires and worldly values rather than God. This expression goes beyond mere sexual corruption and points to spiritual corruption that despises God, seeks signs, and tries to avoid the suffering of the cross.
- Spiritual adultery and apostasy: It means unbelief that is ashamed of Jesus and His word, choosing friendship with the world instead of faithfulness to God.
An evil generation seeking signs: Despite having already witnessed numerous miracles and messages, they refuse to believe and continually demand additional signs, thereby testing God.
Self-centered living: It characterizes a generation that seeks personal desires, comfort, and glory without suffering, rather than the will of God.
An object of judgment: It refers to those who reject the gospel and do not walk the path of the gospel, and who will be put to shame when Jesus returns.
In short, ‘this adulterous and sinful generation’ is a critical expression denouncing every unbelieving social climate that refuses to accept Jesus as Savior and instead rejects Him’ (Internet).
· In Mark 8:38, the Greek word translated as “adulterous” is μοιχαλίδι (moichalidi). This word appears seven times in the Greek New Testament and, literally, refers to a woman who has broken the marriage covenant, while figuratively it refers to a people who have broken their covenant with God (Internet). This term goes beyond physical adultery and signifies spiritual unbelief and apostasy—loving the values and signs of the world more than God. It refers to spiritual adultery, meaning the abandonment of the covenant with God and the worship of idols (Internet).
- The words of Hosea and Ezekiel come to mind. In the time of Hosea, the people of Israel committed spiritual adultery by offering to Baal the abundant blessings they had received from God. In the time of Ezekiel, the Israelites trusted in the splendor God had given them and, because of their own fame, committed prostitution—engaging in whoredom with Egypt, the Philistines, Assyria, and the Chaldeans—yet were never satisfied. The people of Israel did not use the blessings God had bestowed upon them (their splendor and reputation) for the glory of God, but instead abused them, thereby committing the sin of spiritual adultery.
n I would like to share just two portions from a short devotional reflection I wrote on June 12, 2022, under the title “Let Us Draw Near to God”:
“What is our church like today? Even now, the church is committing the sin of spiritual adultery, like a prostitute. The church today is committing the idolatrous sin of greed, serving both God and money. Today, instead of using the blessings God has given us for the Lord and for the church, which is the body of Christ, we are using them for ourselves and for the world. The church today has failed to internalize the splendor God has given, instead externalizing it and joining hands with the world, living no differently from it, and giving glory not to God but to the church itself. Today, instead of offering our children—who are gifts of grace from God—to God, we are offering them to the world. Even church officers strive not to offer their children for Jesus Christ, His gospel, His church, and His kingdom, but instead try to help them climb the ladder of worldly success. Though these children were born for God, we are offering them for ourselves and for the world. But an even greater problem than this is that we now regard this sin as something small. To that extent, the church today has lost the ability to recognize sin as sin.
As those who are committing spiritual adultery in this way, by becoming friends with the world and joining ourselves to it, we ourselves have become enemies of God (Jam. 4:4). Clearly, Romans 5:10 tells us that while we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet we do not draw near to the God who saved us; rather, by drawing near to this sinful world, we make ourselves enemies of God (v. 4).”
# The Bible calls those of us who draw near to the world instead of drawing near to God “adulterers.” This is from James 4:4 in Today’s Korean Bible: “You adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” They are spiritually adulterous people. Not drawing near to God, but drawing near to the world and becoming friends with it, is spiritual adultery.
(ii) Here, in Luke 9:26, what does Jesus mean when He says to His disciples, “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words”?
· The phrase being ashamed of Jesus and His words means having an attitude of hiding the gospel of the cross out of fear of the world’s gaze or values, or hesitating to live according to Jesus’ teachings and even denying them. It contains a mindset that regards the truth as foolish, or that seeks to avoid persecution and disadvantages that may come because of faith. This refers to failing to boldly reveal before the world the life of being Jesus’ disciple—a life that must walk the path of suffering, the cross, and the narrow way—or to the act of hiding one’s faith by conforming to worldly values (Internet).
‘Essential meaning: Just as Jesus Himself was rejected and crucified, it refers to a fear that proclaiming and following the gospel will become an object of mockery in the world.
Practical manifestations:
Reluctance to confess openly before others that one is a Christian.
Turning away from practicing Jesus’ teachings (love, forgiveness, service) in everyday life.
An attitude that values worldly popularity or pride more than the gospel.
In other words, this is a denial of one's identity as a disciple of Jesus, or a feeling of shame about walking the path of the cross’ (Internet).
· What, then, is the lesson that Jesus’ words give to us? As Jesus’ disciples, we must not be ashamed of Jesus and His words (the gospel), but rather boldly confess in the world that we are His disciples, fearlessly face the suffering of the cross, and courageously proclaim the gospel of Jesus.
- The apostle Paul confessed, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Rom. 1:16). How was Paul able not to be ashamed of the gospel? It was because Paul had complete confidence in the gospel (Moo). This complete confidence in the gospel means absolutely believing that “… this gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (v. 16). In other words, because Paul fully trusted that the gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to all who believe, he was not ashamed of the gospel.
n Like the apostle Paul, we must fully trust that the gospel we proclaim “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” That is, we must proclaim the gospel with complete faith in the power of the gospel—the power of God. When we do so, this power of the gospel, the saving power of God, will be manifested “to everyone who believes” (v. 16).
(iii) Here, in Luke 9:26, Matthew 16:27, and Mark 8:38, what does Jesus mean when He says to His disciples, ‘The Son of Man (I) also will be ashamed of that person when He comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels’?
· This statement is a warning that those who, in this adulterous and sinful world, are ashamed of Jesus and His words (the gospel), hide the fact that they believe in Jesus, disobey by failing to practice His words, and do not even proclaim His gospel, will be rejected and shamed by the Lord when Jesus returns in glory as the Judge at His second coming (Internet).
- The return and judgment of the Son of Man: Jesus will come again as Judge, and His glory will be revealed as the glory of the Father and the glory of the angels.
Ultimate shame: It is a warning that those who denied and were ashamed of Jesus in this world will be turned away by Jesus at the most glorious moment on the last day (Internet).
n This is an exhortation to the disciples that, even though the life of taking up one’s cross and following Jesus involves suffering, they must not be ashamed, but boldly confess their faith while looking toward eternal glory. It means that confession of faith and obedience must be boldly manifested in one’s present life (Internet)
(iv) Here, in Matthew 16:27, what does Jesus mean when He says to His disciples, “then He will repay each person according to what he has done”?
· This statement also appears in Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to repay each person according to what he has done.”
- Here, the Greek word translated as “what he has done” is πρᾶξιν (praxin), which means “deeds” (Acts 19:18), “function,” or “activity” (Rom. 12:4). It refers to a practical life that becomes the basis of evaluation regarding whether each individual has faithfully carried out the responsibilities entrusted to him (Lk. 12:47–48; 1 Cor. 3:12–14; Rev. 20:13). Although salvation is entirely a gift of God’s grace (Eph. 2:8), each person will nevertheless be evaluated before God at the end concerning his or her earthly life (2 Cor. 5:9). That is, Jesus will give not only punishment but also appropriate rewards according to deeds; these rewards are differential and conditional, given according to each person’s labor (1 Cor. 3:8; 2 Tim. 4:6–8; Rev. 22:12) (Hochma).
- This statement signifies the principle of just judgment: on the day of judgment at Jesus Christ’s second coming, all people will receive reward or retribution according to the acts of faith and the fruit of life they practiced on earth. It goes beyond the mere question of salvation and reveals the principle of heavenly rewards, according to which God gives differing rewards to saved believers based on their good works and faithfulness.
Core Meaning and Background
The justice of judgment according to works: God judges fairly not on appearances or words alone, but on each person’s actual actions (life).
The fruit of faith: This statement emphasizes that faith must be proven by deeds in one’s life, and that true faith necessarily reveals itself through actions aligned with God’s will.
He will repay each person according to what he has done” (just judgment): It means that final reward or judgment will be rendered according to the deeds (fruit of life) that appear as the result of faith.
Good deeds: They receive the blessing of approaching the tree of life and entering the holy city.
Evil deeds: They receive judgment and remain outside the city.
The Second Coming and rewards: This word was given so that, when Jesus returns, He may grant appropriate rewards to those who have acted faithfully.
In conclusion, this passage is both a warning and a promise that exhorts believers not to live a vague or careless faith life, but to live responsibly and holy lives before God.
(b) Second, “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingship (as the King of the kingdom of heaven) and the kingdom of God coming with power” (Lk. 9:27; Mt. 16:28; Mk. 9:1).
(i) What does “the kingship of the Son of Man” mean here?
· Fulfilled kingship: It does not mean that Jesus becomes a political king on earth, but rather refers to the spiritual and heavenly authority by which Jesus, through the cross and the resurrection, breaks the power of sin and death and begins to reign as Lord and Christ (Internet).
(ii) What does “the kingdom of God coming with power” mean here?
· In the event of the Transfiguration, which Jesus showed six days later before Peter, James, and John—where Jesus’ clothes became radiant, He appeared together with Moses and Elijah, and God declared, “Listen to Him”—the disciples witnessed the kingdom of God coming with power through this glorious scene. Here, “the kingdom of God coming with power” does not refer merely to the distant future of the Second Coming, but means that Jesus’ reign and authority are manifested in a real and tangible way within present life (Internet).
- Here, “the kingdom of God” refers to the realm in which God’s sovereign rule is exercised. It does not simply mean a specific place, but encompasses both God’s gracious reign that is presently being realized and the ultimate kingdom that will be completed in the future. It has already begun on this earth through Jesus Christ and is expanded through those who believe His word and obey it (Internet).
n The major meanings of the kingdom of God are as follows:
The rule of God: It refers to every realm in which God’s sovereignty and rule are realized. This includes both the spiritual realm experienced by believers in the present and the completed world of the future.
The ministry of Jesus Christ: Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and, through His ministry, showed that the kingdom of God had come upon the earth. Jesus Himself is the center of the kingdom of God, and with Him the reign of God began.
A people as its members: The kingdom of God is not a building, but is composed of people who submit to God’s rule. The church serves as an important member of this kingdom of God and as a channel through which it is expanded.
The two aspects of present and future: The kingdom of God is a realm that can be experienced in the present through faith in Jesus, and at the same time it is a kingdom of blessing that will be completed in the future through the Second Coming of Jesus.
The fulfillment of God’s will: The kingdom of God is where God’s word is fulfilled and where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore, listening to and obeying God’s word is essential (Internet).
(iii) This saying (Lk. 9:27; Mt. 16:28; Mk. 9:1) is a promise that the disciples, during their own lifetimes (especially through events such as the Transfiguration eight days later), would witness the kingdom of God coming powerfully upon the earth through Jesus’ glorious authority, His resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
· The key interpretations are as follows:
The glory of the Transfiguration: Through the event immediately following this saying, in which Jesus was transformed into a glorious appearance on the mountain (the Transfiguration), Peter, James, and John would be given a foretaste of Jesus’ kingship and the glory of the kingdom of God.
The resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit: Through Jesus’ death on the cross, His resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the kingdom of God begins among the disciples in a spiritual sense and with real power.
The present reality of the kingdom of God: It emphasizes that the kingdom of God does not come only in the distant future, but has already begun among the disciples (in their inner lives and in the community) with Jesus Christ.
In other words, this saying affirms that the disciples would experience the glory of the kingdom of God as they witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the work of the Holy Spirit that came upon the early church (Internet).