We continue our series on the commands of Jesus Christ. This week, we come to a command that defines the cost of discipleship: the command to take up your cross daily. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
This is one of the hardest commands of Jesus. It is not popular. It is not comfortable. But it is essential. You cannot be a disciple of Jesus without taking up your cross. You cannot follow Him without denying yourself. The cross is not a piece of jewelry. It is not a decoration. It is an instrument of death. To take up your cross is to die to yourself.
First, taking up your cross means denying yourself.
The word “deny” is a strong word. It does not mean giving up a few things every Lenten season. It means saying ‘no’ to yourself.
It means dethroning yourself from the center of your life and putting Jesus there instead. It means refusing to live for your own desires, your own ambitions, and your own comfort.
This is counter-cultural. The world tells us to pursue our dreams, to prioritize ourselves, to look out for number one. But Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” This does not mean you have no value.
It means you have found something more valuable. It means you have found someone worth losing yourself for. When you deny yourself, you are not losing your identity. You are finding it in Christ.
Second, taking up your cross means dying daily.
Luke adds a word that Matthew and Mark do not include: “daily.” Jesus did not say, “Take up your cross once.” He said, “Take up your cross daily.” This is not a one-time decision. It is a daily discipline. Every morning, we must choose to die to ourselves. Every day, we must choose to follow Jesus. Every moment, we must choose His will over our own.
What is your cross? It is not your sickness. It is not your financial burden. It is not your difficult family member. Your cross is the daily choice to say no to yourself and yes to Jesus. It is the daily surrender of your will to His. It is the daily death of your old nature so that His new life can shine through you.
Will you take it up today? Not tomorrow. Not when it is convenient but today. Deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. | NWI
