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“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Matthew 16:24

Churches dot the landscape across our nation. From the largest of cities, to the mid-size towns, to the small villages, to the rural communities, you can’t go far without seeing another church. These buildings come in all shapes, sizes, and designs. And many of these buildings have a cross displayed prominently on the steeple.

In some ways we could say that the sight of buildings with crosses are so common-place that we see them without seeing them. They are so numerous across the countryside that we see them without giving any thought to the meaning of the cross.

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You can also see crosses being worn around the necks of individuals as a piece of jewelry. The intent of the individual wearing the cross is personal, with some being motivated to use it as a display of their faith while for others just view it as an attractive piece of jewelry.

So, let’s give consideration to the statement of Jesus quoted above. Did Jesus have an ornamental cross mounted prominently on the steeple of a building, or an ornate piece of jewelry worn around the neck of certain individuals? What exactly did Jesus have in mind when He made this unusual statement?

Well, we can know for sure that it was neither a cross displayed on a building, nor a piece of jewelry worn around the neck, as neither were known in His day. As a matter of fact, there was only one thing He could have had in mind when He made that statement: death.

When He made the remark that we are that anyone who would follow Him “must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me,” He was calling for the absolute and total commitment to Him. Let’s think about the three parts of His demand of discipleship.

First, He demands that the disciple would deny himself. Self-denial does not mean denying yourself things. It doesn’t mean that I deny myself a possession, or a person, or a position, but it means that I totally and completely submit myself to Jesus as my Lord and Master. The Apostle Paul gives a concise statement on this matter in his letter to the Romans:

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:1-2

Denying self means presenting our body as a living sacrifice which God can use for His glory. He becomes the Master of life, giving guidance and direction to the disciple who would completely deny self and make Jesus Lord.

Second, Jesus says that the disciple must take up his cross. He follows the demand to deny oneself with the demand to die to oneself. That is what the cross represents: death. As we give ourselves to God as living sacrifices, we are consumed on the altar of complete denial of self and death to self.

I have heard many well-meaning individuals make the statement, “Well, that is just the cross I have to bear.” Sometimes that statement might be made in reference to an illness, a financial disaster, a family loss, betrayal by a friend or family member, or any number of things. Granted, these may be overwhelming and insurmountable, but these are not the cross we are called to bear.

The cross we are called to bear is the cross of death: death to self. The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus was His death on the cross. The cross was His total commitment to the will of the Father which had been preordained from the foundation of the world.

And the third and final demand is to follow Jesus. Follow in the ways of God; follow as best we can the will of God. Live our lives for the glory of God.

Bottom line: there is only one cross we are called to bear. If we would be disciples, these are the demands of discipleship as spelled out by the Master Himself: deny self, die to self, and follow Jesus. I will close with another quote from the pen of Paul:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

Are you a true follower? A sincere disciple? If so, it will be visible by the scars of the cross as you deny self, carry the cross, and follow Jesus.