The Cross of following Jesus

³⁴ And 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. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life^[d] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  Mark 8

Salvation is free in the sense that you can do nothing on your own merits to pay for it.  Jesus paid the price for your salvation.  But to follow Jesus will cost you your life.  You cannot continue to follow your own way of thinking or pattern for living and also say you are coming after Christ.  This type of living is mutually exclusive.

So what does Jesus expect of us?  He lays it out in 4 simple steps.  First, he invites us to follow him.  He does not demand it, just asks us to follow. He is looking to see if there is a desire, a want, a passion to pursue the things of God.  Then he tells what holds most people back…denying themselves.  It is taking the back seat, second place, stepping out of the lime light, and becoming less that Jesus may become first place.  Jesus shares his glory with no one.  All of our efforts and activities are about focusing everyone’s attention on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Tony Evans said that taking up our cross are all those things associated with Jesus.  As we align our lives with living out biblical Christianity, we will begin to see what it means to carry a cross.  When we love our enemies instead of suing them, when we bless those who curse us, when we give our money to the poor who may not use it rightly, when preach repentance to those who mock our standards, when we forgive when it makes more sense to get even, then we are just beginning to know the what a cross of Jesus feels like.

We are not enduring all of the shame for no reason.  Jesus says that we should follow him.  The end of it all…eternity with Jesus helps us endure when we are ready to quit.  It helps us to persevere when we want to take a short cut or compromise in areas that we know are wrong.  Jesus is worth following at all times.

Father, You are worthy to be followed and obeyed.  There is no on like you that we can compare.  Help us to us see where we need to become less so that you can become more in our lives.  We must decrease that you may increase.  There are too many lost people that need to be reached.  Thank you Jesus for showing the way and walking the path before us.  In Jesus Name, Amen.