Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
— Matthew 10:38

Jesus told the people, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” However, He wasn’t talking about enduring a bad relationship, a chronic illness, or an addiction. Instead, Jesus was talking about suffering and death.

What It Means to Take Up Your Cross

The call to “take up your cross” is about dying to self. In fact, these parallel discipleship passages show how Jesus connects self-denial, faithful obedience, and following Him. So it means letting go of your desires and replacing them with God’s. Yet this is challenging for many people, especially those who think they are doing God a favor by accepting Christ.

Historically, when someone was condemned to crucifixion, part of the sentence was carrying the instrument of execution to the place of death. The Romans made a cross that commonly included an upright post and a horizontal crossbeam. Consequently, Jesus carried His cross until He fainted from exhaustion. His burden became too heavy to bear alone. At that point, a man from Cyrene, a city in Libya west of Egypt, was compelled to assist Jesus on the way to His death.

Identifying With Jesus

Likewise, to “take up your cross” is a figurative expression. Luke 14:27 presents it as a requirement of discipleship. In other words, it means being willing to face disgrace and death, like a criminal carrying the instrument of execution.

Moreover, it means helping fellow believers bear their burdens (Galatians 6:2).

Furthermore, once we identify with Jesus, we enter a war. We did not start it. Rather, God declared war on Satan (Genesis 3:15).

Therefore, the only way to escape this conflict is to deny Christ, which would be sin. Even then, we would be at war with God and with ourselves.

Dying to Self Daily

Ultimately, each of us must decide to love Christ supremely. However, to “carry the cross” does not mean wearing a cross necklace. Nor does it mean putting a “Christian” sticker on our automobile.

Instead, it means confessing Christ and obeying Him despite shame and suffering. Above all, it means dying to self daily.

After all, the Lord went to the cross for us. Therefore, the least we can do is respond to Christ’s sacrifice with faithful obedience.

Prayer

Pause to surrender your plans and desires to Christ, asking for courage to follow Him faithfully.

Lord Jesus, thank You for carrying the cross for me. Help me surrender my will, die to self daily, and obey You when discipleship is costly. Strengthen me when I grow weary, and give me compassion to help others bear their burdens. May I follow You wholeheartedly and glorify You in every season. Amen.