Matthew 16:25

16:25 For whoever wants to save his life ¹  will lose it, ²  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 27:42

27:42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down ³  now from the cross, we will believe in him!

[16:25]  ¹ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

[16:25]  ² sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[27:42]  ³ tn Here the aorist imperative καταβάτω (katabatw) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern of other conditional imperatives (imperative + καί + future indicative) outlined by ExSyn 489.