What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Told Us to “Take Up Our Cross”?
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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
“Well, I guess that’s my cross to bear.”
We’ve all heard such, haven’t we? It refers to some burden that a person must deal with in their lives. Financial pressures; a thankless, joyless job; a strained relationship; a physical illness of some kind. The expression can be used to apply to all manner of circumstances or situations.
Too often, it comes across, intended or not, as a bit of self-pity coupled with some sort of twisted sense of superiority of what one must deal with. The struggles we face and the sacrifices we must make. In this sense, we use the cross as a symbol of persistent annoyance we must deal with – or some type of burden.
Then, too, we hear in sermons about how we need to pick up our cross. As we should, mind you. But it sometimes seems to roll off the tongue of the preacher and kind of goes in one ear and out the other, without pausing for serious consideration or impact. I mean, we have all heard Jesus’ words before, right?
But is that what Jesus meant when He said to follow Him that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross? Did He really mean that “taking up our cross” was about enduring hard times? Is the cross just a symbol of inconvenience?
What Does the Cross Symbolize?
Here 2,000 years later, Christians see the cross as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Of atonement and forgiveness. Of mercy, grace and love.
Then too, we seem to take the cross for granted. We wear crosses and put them on display at home, but even gangsters and drug dealers have been known to do that. For so many, it has become nothing more than a piece of jewelry. And we are all inclined to more or less take it for granted as simply a symbol of one’s faith.
Perhaps it’s time we take it a bit more seriously. Perhaps we need to realize the cross is a symbol that ought to strike at our very hearts.
In Jesus’ time, the cross wasn’t simply a symbol of suffering, it was a well-known symbol of execution. To “carry a cross” was to face a painful and humiliating public execution – a horrible end. But to Jesus, the cross was not simply a tool of Roman capital punishment, it was the culmination of who He was and why He came. A culmination of the life He lived in perfect obedience to God’s will (Philippians 2:8).
To Jesus, the cross was not a symbol of inconvenience. The cross was a tool of full surrender. The cross was the tool of our salvation. The cross represents the core of the gospel message. He died for us. And then rose again – for us
“…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
The Cost of Discipleship
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26).
In his book, “The Cost of Discipleship,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Well, Jesus warned His disciples what was expected of them. They would be expected to put to death their own plans and desires for their lives. They were to turn their lives over to Him. To do His will – not their own – every day for the rest of their lives.
Two different times Jesus repeated this lesson to His disciples. The first was after He asked the disciples what people were saying about Him – who did they say “the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13; Luke 9:18). The disciples gave truthful answers about what the crowds thought. But leave it to bold Peter to speak absolute truth in answer to Jesus’ next question. “Who do you say I am?”
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16).
Jesus warned them not to tell others that truth. And He predicted His death – telling them how He would suffer, be rejected, and killed. Then, Jesus taught that they must be willing to do the very same if they truly wanted to be His disciples.
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels’” (Luke 9:23-26).
The first word Jesus speaks, “whoever,” is critically important. It means His message is not intended only for the disciples following Him then. It is also intended for the disciples following Jesus now. Today.
Jesus does not call us to simply believe that He existed. “Even the demons do that – and shudder” (James 2:19). Or even just to believe in Him and who He is. Nope. Jesus calls on us to commit our whole lives to Him. Not just our heads, but our hearts.
The Romans did indeed force convicted criminals to carry their own crosses on the way to their execution – as they did Jesus. Bearing a cross in such a manner meant that person was about to die and be forced to face ridicule and disgrace. Jesus’ call to take up our cross and follow him was a call to self-sacrifice. A call to give our entire lives up for Him. A call die to self in absolute surrender to God.
Yes, it is a call that seems very tough in today’s world. But the reward is beyond measure. Nothing in this world is worth passing up what we will have by giving our lives to Jesus. Eternal life.
“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).
Count the Cost
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even their own life — such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:5).
We are not alone in realizing how challenging some of Jesus’ teachings are. When He calls us to “hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters” it sounds, well, unreasonable, doesn’t it? But Jesus goes on to tell a parable about a man who wants to build a tower but didn’t count the cost and couldn’t finish. He also tells about a king who was going to war but first counted the cost.
Jesus wants is to be first in our lives. No one and nothing should be sitting on the throne of our lives except for Him. If our parents don’t believe and threaten to disown us – Jesus is first. If our spouses or our children don’t accept us because of our faith – Jesus is first.
His challenging and difficult statement about hating our family means we must count the cost of being His disciple. That cost is everything. In order to be His disciple, we must be willing to prioritize our relationship with Him over any other relationships – including our family.
Of course, many believers will never have to make that painful choice to turn their backs on their families in order to follow Christ – but the same cannot be said everywhere or for everyone. Imagine the Muslim who gives his or her life to Jesus. Imagine the Hindu or the Buddhist. In His day – imagine the Jews who followed Jesus. They lost everything, family and friends, and were no longer welcome in their synagogues. We must be willing to do the same.
Yet, we too must be willing to count the cost. Are we ready to take up our cross and follow Jesus…
…if it means changing who we are and how we live?
…if it means losing our closest friends?
…if it means becoming an outcast at work, or worse, losing our jobs?
…if it means alienation from members of our family?
In many places in the world, such consequences are a reality. Following Jesus doesn’t mean these things will happen to you. But if we choose to be a disciple of Christ, we must be willing to suffer loss. We must each decide if we are willing to take up our cross and give up our lives.
All Christ-followers are called to acknowledge Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and to show Him preference over all earthly ties. Yet, those who sacrifice earthly relationships are given this promise:
“…no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — along with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
Just Enough Jesus
“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).
Many of us though, face somewhat different choices. Let’s face it, today, there are immeasurable pressures on lives: on our time and our finances, what we drive, where we live, cell phones, vacations, hobbies, the list is endless. Often, this means sacrificing a lot of ourselves for our jobs in the name of “financial well-being” – yet we might call it “taking care of our family.” Meanwhile, our families are likely better off with us around than off making more money.
Recently I saw a reel on social media that stuck with me:
“We want just enough Jesus to get to heaven, but not enough Jesus to change us on earth.
We want just enough Jesus to inspire us, but not enough Jesus to transform me.
We want just enough Jesus to bless my plans, but not enough Jesus to change them.
We want just enough Jesus to wear a cross, but not enough Jesus to carry one.
Just enough Jesus to be inspired on Sunday, but not enough Jesus that it makes a difference Monday through Saturday.”
Sadly, one response to the post said something to the effect of, “But we have to live in this life too.” Perhaps the words were misunderstood and not intended as they came across, but they were so indicative of the attitudes of a great many.
Convenient Christianity. Let it save me, but don’t let it interfere with my life. How common is that though? “I want the benefits but not the commitment.” “I want the gains, but not the hard work required to get those gains.” We want the easy money. We want the gain but not the pain.
But that’s just not going to cut it. Jesus wants all of us. He wants to be number one in our lives and let everything else take a back seat.
We are all familiar, I’m sure, with the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, after which the disciples witness Him walking on water. I can’t imagine how that must have felt. But when they got to the other side of the lake, the crowd found Him and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” But Jesus knew their hearts. He knew why they were chasing after Him:
“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill’” (John 6:26).
The thing is – what Jesus offers us is worth it. No, it isn’t easy money, but the things of this world are only temporary. What Jesus offers us is, eternal, and eternal life starts here, today. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”
When we give Jesus our all – everything we are, everything we have, everything we do, our hearts, minds, and bodies – then life here changes for the better by leaps and bounds.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 14:24-25).
What Is Our Choice?
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval” (John 6:27).
Commitment to Christ Jesus means taking up our cross. Every. Single. Day. Disciples of Christ must be willing to take up their cross and suffer loss. It means giving up our own hopes, dreams, possessions, even our families and friends, if need be. We must each then ask ourselves, have we put to death our own plans and desires of this life – for Him?
Jesus does not want our leftovers. Our leftover hearts and minds, our leftover time, our leftover finances. He comes first. Are we willing to make Jesus our entire world? If faced with that choice – Jesus or the comforts and pleasures of this life – which will you choose?
Jesus’ teaching could not be more clear. Only if you willingly take up your cross for Him may you be called His disciples. Yes, it is a high price to pay, but the reward makes it worth that cost.
Let us remember, Jesus led the way for us. Jesus set the example. He, too, picked up and carried His cross. He lived for us and died for us. He gave everything for us. Shouldn’t we be willing to give everything for Him?
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it’” (Mark 8:34).
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/mbolina
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.