Our Cross

Our Cross

What does “Take up your cross and follow Me!” mean?

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39 NKJV also study Luke 14:25-33)

“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, LORD; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offence to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of GOD, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of the Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.’” (Matthew 16:21-27 NKJV also study Mark 8:31-38 & Luke 9:21-26)

“Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is GOD. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not bear false witness,” “Do not defraud,” “Honor your father and your mother.”’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up your cross and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great passions.” (Mark 10:17-22 NKJV)

I’ve never truly understood what the people (even the disciples) thought when Jesus would tell them that to follow Him they must take up their cross. They (even the disciples) did not yet understand what He meant about following Him, it seems to me that they (even the disciples) mostly followed Him because of the signs and wonders and the hope He would free them from Roman rule. They all knew what the cross was, the Roman form of a torturous death penalty. But they did not understand what Jesus meant when He told them they had to take up their cross and follow Him. After His crucifixion some might have thought He meant they would have to carry their own cross and be crucified like He did, to follow Him (and many have), I am sure that the disciples thought this and feared this not understanding the fuller meaning of dying to themselves and following Christ.

It was not until the day of Pentecost and Holy Spirit filling the disciples with His presence and the knowledge of who and what Christ was and had done that suddenly they understood everything they had heard, seen and experienced with Jesus in the context of eternal salvation rather than mortal life. I am sure that most if not all of the first converts after Pentecost were people who had heard Jesus teach and seen Him do signs and wonders, but they had no context in which they could understand what He was teaching and demonstrating.

Not until Holy Spirit downloaded into the disciples and they began under His influence and power to expound and demonstrate the Kingdom of GOD did they and the people begin to understand what Jesus had been teaching about His eternal Heavenly Kingdom. That the pursuit of it verses the natural world was GOD’s plan for humanity all along and that Jesus was the only bridge that allowed sinful humans to cross over from the natural world with its’ eternal destruction into His Heavenly Kingdom with its’ eternal rewards.

Today many in the Church seem to have lost the understanding of this essential concept! There is much teaching in the Church about our comfort and prosperity in this life rather than building up treasures in Heaven. More Christians are presence minded than Kingdom minded, we are to, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of GOD, did not consider it something to be held onto, to be equal with GOD, but emptied Himself of His privileges, taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore GOD also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV)

How did Jesus do this and how are we to do this?

Jesus took up His cross and was crucified because He only did what He saw the Father do and He only said what He heard the Father say. He fully yielded His will to the Father knowing the cost. “But I have said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:36-40 NKJV Also study John 5:16-30, 8:21-30, 12:42-50, 14:7-11)

“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from Heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, ‘Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.’” (Luke 22:39-46 NKJV also study Matthew 26:36-46 & Mark 14:32-42)

So why is this so hard for us as believers? Because we are slow to know that GOD has called us not to live our life, die and go to Heaven to be with Him for eternity; but to die to ourself, crucifying our flesh and our will and to live our life to do His will; the works of His Kingdom now in the earth. “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” (Mark 16:14-18 NKJV also study Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:19-23 & Acts 1:4-8)

Father, forgive us our desire to live our own life rather than the life that You wrote out for us while we were yet in our mother’s womb. Holy Spirit, thank You that You instruct us in the way of your Kingdom and teach us how to yield to and obey GOD’s call for our life. Amen!