April 3, 2022
“If any of you wants to be My follower you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow Me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.”
Mark 8:34-35. NLT
How committed are you to our Savior’s request when He says, “Take up your cross and follow Me?” His request was not a suggestion! As you are pondering what Jesus said, please consider the following questions:
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means being alienated from your husband, wife, or children?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means giving up all of your possessions?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your closest and bestie friend?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing the support of your family or friends?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job security?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means hostility from your family?
- Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
How did you interpret this Scripture when you read it for the first time? I
must confess, it sounded as if this was something hard to do! I envisioned Jesus carrying the cross and hearing this passage of Scripture preached on several occasions made it sound as if it was something burdensome or even painful. Or, it was associated with some unfortunate life situations and often I would hear, things like “well this is my cross, or this is my cross to bear!” Was that what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me?”
Over two thousand years ago, to those in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop. The cross represented nothing but torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of their crucifixion, and bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death. When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, I doubt that anyone was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. Is that really what Jesus meant? How do you view what Jesus said?
Today, because of the reason Jesus died, we as Believers in Christ understand that the cross, His death, and resurrection are viewed as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. Therefore, when Jesus said “Take up your cross and follow Me” He is saying, are we willing to give up ALL to follow HIM? Are we to be willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self, an absolute surrender to His perfect will for your life.” The gospel of Luke 9:24-25, explains that each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” When we think of our eternal rewards ~ it is worth the call!
A MATURE 
HEART: Luke 14:27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. NLT Commitment to Christ means taking up our cross daily, giving up our hopes, dreams, possessions, and even our very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple The reward is worth the price.
FATHER GOD: Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross. Thank You for dying and taking away the guilty verdict against us and freeing us from the power of sin over our lives in the Precious, Powerful and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen!