See also Mark 8:34, Matthew 10:38; 16:24. The message of the cross is the gospel. It is God’s power. To some it is a stumbling block or foolishness. To the believer it is power and wisdom. See 1 Corinthians 1:18-24.

1 – The cross of Christ is an offence

See Galatians 5:11.

• To good works for they cannot justify.
• To the mind for the cross appeals to faith.
• To the wise for this truth is revealed to babes.
• To the rich for God chooses the poor and downcast.
• To self for the cross calls for complete surrender.

2 – The cross of Christ is glorious

• It is a fulfilment of prophecy.
• It is God’s openly declared.
• It is a removal of that which was against us.
• It is the defeat of Satan.
• It is victory!

3 – We are crucified with Christ

• No selfish ambition. So nothing to be jealous about.
• No reputation. So nothing to fight about.
• No possessions. So nothing to lose or worry about.
• No rights. So cannot suffer wrong.
• Dead already. So no one can kill us.

This clear gospel message is so easy to forget in our flabby Western society. The world beckons you to a life of self-indulgence. Your flesh is drawn to that appeal and it will follow. But the Lord has called us to a life of self-denial – to a cross.

4 – Taking up your cross is universal

It is not for a select holy few. It is for ALL who follow Christ. It is not a second work of grace. Without a cross there is no following Christ! Without Christ there is no life at all! The narrow road is not easy to find.

5 – Taking up your cross is perpetual

It is not an initiation fee that is once paid and then forgotten. Older Christians as well as new converts MUST bear a cross. Your cross is not a disposable item of Christian experience but a life-long burden in this world.

Jesus says – take up YOUR cross. Peter left his father and a good fishing business. See Luke 5:10. Matthew left his tax collector business. See Luke 5:27-28. It is a daily weight. You lose it at the cemetery for a crown!

6 – Taking up your cross is painful

The cross has lost all significance if the element of dreadful suffering is taken away. Like the Lord Jesus we may suffer inward as well as outward pains. See Hebrews 12:2 for the shame of the cross for Jesus.

• Being made sin before the Father.
• Being made sin before his enemies. He could have called upon the angels to deliver him. He could have delivered himself.
• Identifying with filthy transgressors. The deepest pains of the cross are not publicly visible.

7 – Take up your cross is intentional

The Lord does not force a cross upon any man against his will. A cross MUST be taken up by the one who wishes to deny self. There WILL be pain. It is motivated by love for Christ. It may be preceded by an inward struggle, but it is a voluntary choice.

8 – Take up your cross is mortal

It is deadly. Death on the cross may be slow but it will ruthlessly bring death to self – self-importance, self-satisfaction, self-advancement, self-dependence and self-interest.

The figure of bearing a cross is a demand for self-denial. It is teaching for the new recruit as well as the seasoned warrior. It is a requirement for entering the army of God and not a call to an elite corps of super-saints. Yet it shows the way to a deepening maturity in Christ. At each stage of growth more self-denial is required, more painful blows to self and more reckless decisions to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with abandonment of one’s own life.

Categories: Luke