“And (Jesus) calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. For whoever would save his life WILL LOSE IT, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s WILL SAVE IT. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a PERSISTENT ANNOYANCE OR SYMBOLIC BURDEN. To a person in the first century, THE CROSS MEANT ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY: DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION. To carry a cross was to face the most PAINFUL AND HUMILIATING MEANS OF DEATH human beings could develop.
The cross was an instrument of death. What Jesus is referring to is commitment to Him, EVEN UNTO DEATH—OBEDIENCE TO THE EXTREME MEASURE AND WILLINGNESS TO DIE IN PURSUIT OF OBEDIENCE. Death on a cross was not pleasant. It was painful and humiliating. The implication is that even if obedience is painful and humiliating, we should be WILLING TO ENDURE it for Christ. Listen to what Jesus says, “Whoever does not BEAR HIS OWN CROSS and come after me CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.” (Luke 14:27) “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT.” (Matthew 16:25) “On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” (John 6:60, 66)
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham