Matthew 10:38-39
“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:38-39 NIV
Far from being a decorative piece of jewelry, the cross in Jesus day was something hideous and shameful. Roman citizens weren't allowed to be crucified. Decent citizens weren't executed on a cross. Only the scum, riffraff, and hideous were humiliated and tortured by crucifixion. In fact, the words crucify and cross were considered to be very crude words not allowed in polite Greek society. The Jews even had Scripture that suggested that anyone who was placed on a cross was cursed by God.
So for Jesus to say "Take up your cross" was shocking. Why a cross? Can't you think of something better? Nope. Nothing can symbolize God's love, man's inhumanity, sin's ugly putrefying power in the world, Satan's hatred, and God's forgiveness quite like a cross, since a cross is where Jesus paid for our sins and absorbed Satan's worst deadly blow. In that cross, God's righteous demands were satisfied and our sins forgiven. Jesus gave up his life on a cross for us and asks us to give our lives in service to Him.
Taking up our cross and following Jesus means we no longer live this life for ourselves, seeking to satisfy our desires and goals. Instead, we live in a way that would please Christ, following His goals for our lives.
These challenging verses call for wholehearted commitment, self-sacrifice, and a radical shift in priorities for those who choose to follow Christ. It is a timeless reminder of the profound paradox at the heart of the Christian faith, that true life and fulfillment are found through self-denial, surrender, and unwavering devotion to God.
These verses continue to inspire and challenge believers to embrace a faith that is characterized by a willingness to take up one's cross and lose one's life for the sake of Christ, ultimately finding the abundant and eternal life that alone He promises.
Jesus wants us to seriously look into our hearts and surrender those things that hold us back from fully following and serving Him. We know what they are. He comes to us with His now nail-scarred hands and reminds us that He gave up everything to redeem us. He now wants us to surrender to the Cross the things that hold us back. Let's do it today!
Father, thank You for this day and the breath of life we have in Your Eternal Word. Lord, let Your abundant blessings flow over my friend and family today. Lord, may we never boast in our deeds, but always look to Your sacrificial death on the cross as our source of righteousness. Through Your cleansing and empowering Spirit, please help us to surrender our lives, our hearts, our sins, and our dreams to You. Lord, use us to be Your light to those in need of it today.
Father, we love You. Amen.!
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