Last Sunday we looked at
the first part of the demands of the Cross. So today, we shall look at the
second part of “THE DEMANDS OF THE CROSS!”
The next demand of the Cross is that you must
take up your Cross! Jesus said, “If
any man will come after Me, let him … take up his cross daily…” (Lk.
9:23).
What did Jesus really
mean when He said ‘Take up your cross?’ Let us begin with what Jesus didn't
mean. Many people interpret the cross as a burden they must carry in their
lives – a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical sickness that has
refused to go.
With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have
to carry it.” Such an interpretation is
not what Jesus meant when He said, ‘Take up your cross.’ When
Jesus was carrying His Cross up to Golgotha to be crucified, no one was
thinking of the cross as ‘a burden to carry.’
To a person in the
first-century, the cross meant death by the most painful and humiliating means
man could develop. 2000 years later, the church built the Cross as a symbol of
atonement, forgiveness, grace and love.
But in Jesus’ Day, the
Cross represented nothing but tortuous death. In that day, the Romans forced
the convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion.
Because of this, bearing
a cross meant: ‘carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along
the way to death.’ Therefore, ‘take up your cross’ means being willing to die
in order to follow Jesus.
After each time Jesus
commended cross bearing, He said, “For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself,
or be cast away?” (Lk. 9:24-25)
Although the call is
tough, the reward is matchless. ‘Take Up Your Cross’ means:
1. Opposition: A
Cross was used to execute criminals who had the state of Rome in opposition to
them.
2. Shame: This
execution was reserved for the worst criminals, and the victim was usually
naked on a cross for hours.
3. Suffering: This
kind of execution was designed to prolong excruciating pain.
4. Death: The aim
of crucifixion was death, not torture followed by release.
Jesus demands that when
you come to the Cross, you take up your own cross. Therefore, when Jesus said
that the way to follow Him was to take up your cross, He meant at least this:
Be willing (without murmuring) to be opposed, to be shamed, to suffer, and to
die, all because of your allegiance to Him.
To go to the heart of the
matter, to “take up your cross” meant to treasure Jesus more than we treasure
human approval, honor, comfort, and life.
Our suffering is not a
tribute to Jesus unless we endure it because we cherish Jesus. Taking up your
cross means, Jesus has become more precious to you than the approval of man,
honor, comfort, and life.
What is that cross that
you have to carry daily? Your prompt obedience to that demand of the Cross
(which you don’t like) is the cross you have to carry daily.
When you deny yourself of what you really
desire because of Christ, you are carrying your Cross. That pain you experience
on your inside when you deny yourself of that which you really wanted to have
is that cross you have to carry daily.
The persecution, the
rejection you suffer because you are a follower of Jesus Christ is the cross
you have to carry daily.
Many Christians today
think that they can walk through their Christian life without suffering. But
the truth is that Christ has not called us to walk on a bed of roses. Rather He
has called us to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over every power of the
devil (Lk. 10:19).
In Jesus’ day, a cross
was a symbol of suffering, and we all have trials and afflictions that
may be very hard for us to bear.
If you are truly standing
for Christ, you will suffer persecution (Gal. 5:11), and the Bible promises
persecution to all followers of Christ (2 Tim. 3:12; Phil. 1:29; Matt. 10:17;
Matt. 24:9; Mk. 10:29-30; Jn. 16:33; Jn. 15:20; Acts 14:22; 1 Pet. 4:12-14).
The truth is that every Christian
is called unto the fellowship of His suffering. Apostle Paul said, “That
I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Phil. 3:10).
Message Bible puts it
this way, “…be a partner in His sufferings…” If you are
really a Christian you cannot escape this fellowship.
Christians are
appointed unto afflictions! 1 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “That no man
should be moved by these AFFLICTIONS: for yourselves know that we are
appointed thereunto.”
1 Peter 2:21-24 says, “For
even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that ye should follow His steps…”
Here is the truth:
Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him
is revealed during trials.
Jesus assured us that
trials will come to His followers (Jn. 16:33). The cross demands sacrifice,
and Jesus never hid that cost.
In Luke
9:57-62, three people seemed
willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment
was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him.
None was willing to take
up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests. How many people
would respond to an altar call that went this way, “Come follow Jesus, and you
may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even
your life”? The number of false converts would likely decrease!
Such a call is what Jesus
meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” If you wonder if you are
ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:
1. Are you willing to
follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?
2. Are you willing to
follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
3. Are you willing to
follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
4. Are you willing to
follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
5. Are you willing to
follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
If there comes a point in
your life where you are faced with a choice, Jesus or the comforts of this
life, which will you choose?
Commitment to Christ
means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions,
even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ.
Only if you willingly
take up your cross can you be called His disciple (Lk. 14:27). The reward is worth the price.
Jesus followed His call
of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift of life in
Christ: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for Me will find it” (Matt.
16:25-26).
In Jesus’ day, a cross
wasn’t just a symbol of pain and suffering; it was mainly a symbol of death.
What Jesus was telling
them is that they needed to put to death their own plans and desires, and
then turn their lives over to Him and do His will every day.
You see, Jesus doesn’t
simply call us to believe that He existed, or even to believe that He can save
us. He calls on us to commit our whole lives to Him, to trust Him alone for our salvation,
and then to follow Him as His disciples.
Jesus said, “Anyone
who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Lk.
14:27).
Is Christ the master of
your life? Have you put to death your own plans and committed yourself to His
will for your life?
Don’t be satisfied with
anything less, for there is no greater joy in life than following Christ every
day. The reason most Christians struggle to live the Christian life is because
they do not know they have already died with Christ.
The Bible says so again and again. To the Christians in Colossae, “You died with
Christ” (Col. 2:20). To the believers in Rome: “We
died with Christ” (Rom. 6:8). To the Corinthians:
“We died” (2 Cor. 5:14).
When you were baptized or
placed into Christ, you were baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3).
This may be the single
most important thing that ever happened to you, yet many Christians are unaware
of it.
And since they don’t know
that they died, they are constantly trying to die. The Gospel declares, “You
died.” You have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).
The person you used to be
– dead in sins and alienated from the life of God – no longer lives, but Christ
lives in you.
“But if I died with
Christ already, why does Jesus say we must take up our cross daily?” First of
all, note that the word daily is only found once in the three accounts
of Jesus’ words.
Jesus said, “If
anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and
follow Him”
And we don’t like that.
That is an offense. For instance, the Cross
made a definite demand from the rich young ruler: “Go, sell all your
possessions, give the money to the poor, and then come and follow Me.”
It is not just a matter
of coming to the Cross, it requires your taking up your own cross.
What does that mean? It
means that we “give up” whatever we know the Cross condemns.
What does it mean to take
up your Cross? To ‘take up your Cross’ means that:
- you will be burdened about the needy in your community
- you’ll take your stand against pornography, Bet9ger, immorality, abortion, divorce jewelries etc.
- you share the rejection of Jesus Christ.
- you businessman go back to your business and put in place Christian principles no matter what it may cost you financially.
- you share the rejection of Jesus Christ.
- you are going to forgive all those that have offended you no matter what.
- you are going to start out on a whole new realm of life.
That is the crucifixion
that Christ is talking about. That is the Cross!
“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts” (Gal. 5:24).
Are you willing to take
up your Cross now? Remember: without meeting to the
demands of the Cross, you can never remain holy, and without holiness
you cannot see the LORD (Heb. 12:14).
- Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Head Pastor) 26.05.2019
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