“Take up the cross.” The command of Jesus to take up the cross, simple though it appears, should hold a wealth of meaning for us, and should be a reality in our lives. Jesus tells us that we can’t be His disciples until we do so. The only way into the Kingdom is by self-denial. Sobering thought isn’t it?
What was “the Cross” to Jesus?
To be brutally crucified at Calvary – that’s what “the Cross” meant to Jesus.
Read Psalm 22:1-21. Consider prayerfully what these words meant to Jesus. That’s what Jesus went through for you and me.
But we don’t have to be crucified, because Jesus died “once, for all”. His precious blood “bought our freedom”. So what is “the Cross” Jesus is telling us to take up?
Obedient Unto Death
“The Cross” was Calvary to the Lord Jesus, but it was more than that. The Lord Jesus “died” long before his crucifixion. He “died” every time he submitted his will and his life to God, and put himself aside.
Luke 22:39-45 — have you noticed the agony of Jesus here?
Luke 4:1-13 — have you noticed the suffering and hunger here?
Look up the other gospel records of these events.
There are other examples of long nights in prayer to the Father, which involved, we could infer, a submission of Jesus’ will to God’s. Can you find any?
Why did Jesus experience agonies of the spirit at these times? Because he had to learn not to obey his natural inclinations, but to obey God. He had to put himself aside — that’s self-denial. If our wants and “God’s wants” coincide too frequently, might there be something wrong?
Read Heb. 5:7-8 and Phil. 2:5-8.
Compare what these verses say about the Lord Jesus. Although he was the Son of God, he learnt obedience through suffering. It cost Jesus something of himself to do the Father’s will. How do we learn obedience? What does it cost us?
Look at some of the things Jesus said about us and the Cross. Write beside each verse what Jesus said it would cost us to follow him.
- Matt 10:38
- Luke 14:25-33
- Mark 10:21
- Luke 9:23
- Matt. 16:24
- Mark 8:34
What do expressions like “deny yourself” and “lose your life” really mean to us? Have they become a real experience in our lives?
Jesus gave us some very clear stories about what self-denial meant. Look up these verses and state what thing or things you think each person is denying himself.
- Luke 21:1-4
- Luke 10:25-37
- Matt. 5:39
- Matt. 5:40
- Matt. 5:41
- Luke 22:63-65
If someone stole from you, would you give them extra, willingly?
Jesus said you should!
If someone struck you — physically or emotionally — would you turn and let them do it again, not feeling any malice?
That’s what self-denial is all about.
Often we’ve heard, it said that the standards Jesus set were “ideal” and therefore not something we could really attain to. But the widow who put in all her money was no different a person from you or me!
Our life in Christ is meant to change us, to make us think of others instead of ourselves; to make us ready to give to others, at a loss to ourselves. The order of priority of things in our life should be –
God – Others – Me
If we are still basically the same selfish, self-centred people we were when we were first baptised, then where have we denied ourselves? As a community, are we known for our selflessness and our involvement in the needs of others? Could the Lord Jesus, today, tell a story called “The Parable of the good Christadelphian”? Or is the whole idea preposterous?
Have we, as a people or as individuals, learnt the value of denying ourselves material things and placing our pleasure, trust, and security, in God? Do we “take no thought” for clothes, food, shelter?
Crucified with Him
Paul continues the idea of “take up the cross” when he talks of us being crucified with Jesus.
Read these verses carefully — Gal. 2:20, 5:24, 6:14, Rom. 6:16.
To be crucified is to die. Have we died? Perhaps we have done so in the symbol of baptism. But can we say, with Paul, “I die daily”? Jesus said “Take up the cross daily”. Is self-denial and submission of our will to God’s a daily thing with us?
Take a close look at these verses — Phil. 3:8-10. Write down in your own words what you think v.10 means.
Paul said he wanted to experience the “fellowship” of Jesus’ sufferings. To fellowship is to share. If we are going to share Jesus’ suffering we must realise that it is going to hurt. If our self-denial isn’t something which we have to struggle with ourselves to do, then it’s probably not true self-denial. If our submission of will to God’s is not something we have to pray constantly about with “strong crying and tears” then it may not be true submission at all.
Jesus learnt obedience through suffering. He showed us the way. Can you learn obedience any other way? Can you suffer without pain?
Let’s be Honest
How much have we really denied ourselves to serve Jesus? Would it be true to confess that our life and our religious practice are just too comfortable? “Take up the cross” says Jesus, and be sure you count the cost of doing so.
What has being a disciple cost you?
The Right Price
We know what serving Jesus should cost us — ourselves. Jesus wants to come and live in us, but he can’t if we’re taking up all the space. We have to get ourselves out — we must die!
“He that keeps his life shall lose it.” When we reach the end of our lives in Christ, we should have only one thing of value — Jesus.
A Matter of Prayer
In our next study we will, God willing, look at our need for, and the importance of, prayer.
This problem of “taking up the cross” is one we need to pray about.
It is hard to comprehend the meaning of “crucified with him” and “deny yourself” and what they should mean in reality in our lives. We need God’s help to really understand and put into practice.
Let one of our tasks this week (and every week thereafter) be, to ask God to teach us what it means to be crucified. Be warned though — if we ask Him, He will do it! So, we need to ask also for the patience and wisdom to accept the suffering that will come with crucifixion.
A Final Word
Remember Phil. 3:10 — Paul also said, “I want you to know the power of his resurrection”. If we learn to die ourselves, we will be resurrected to live to, and in Christ. This resurrection has a future fulfilment, yes, but it has a present one as well.
If we really give our lives to Jesus, we will understand fully these words and be able to say: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung for I know him and the power of his resurrection, having experienced the fellowship of his suffering and having been conformed to his death.”
“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; but not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
When these words are an experience in our lives we will not have to think about ways of witnessing — we will be a witness.
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay