Taking Up Our Cross Daily

by Chris Simmons

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” What did Jesus mean when He defined discipleship as including the need to “take up his cross daily”? Much like people undertake to define love, fellowship, or other spiritual words and concepts using human wisdom, many seek to explain and define this spiritual phrase with human wisdom rather than that which is from above. Conversationally, people will often refer to their human difficulties and burdens by saying, “that’s just my cross to bear.” Everyone in this life will suffer difficulties and burdens to some extent but that is not what Jesus is referring to when He commanded this action. Daily taking up one’s cross and following Jesus is something completely different.

To understand our responsibility to “take up our cross daily” and “follow” Jesus, we must understand what the cross meant to Jesus. To Jesus, the cross was the instrument by which He sacrificed Himself for our sins. When He bore His own cross (John 19:17), Jesus chose to lay down His life and to be the sacrificial “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus stated during His ministry, “I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.” Jesus could have chosen to avoid the cross as He stated in Matthew 26:53, “do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus didn’t have to carry His own cross at all, but did so as part of His sacrifice for man. Taking up our cross daily is to be motivated by Jesus’ sacrifice for us and ought to result in the attitude expressed by Paul in Galatians 2:20, when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Taking up our cross daily is accomplished every day that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

Thus, we see that the call to “take up our cross daily and follow” Jesus is to represent our (daily) sacrifices to God rather that our endurance of difficulties and challenges that we didn’t choose. Paul spoke of such sacrifices in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Every day, we’re to sacrifice our earthly achievements and accolades and consider them as “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8) compared to gaining Christ. Every day, we’re to sacrifice the things that please ourselves (Galatians 5:17) and seek to “please Him in all respects” (Colossians 1:10).

The cross is to cause us to remember Jesus’ decision to submit His will to His Father’s will. Jesus prayed in Mark 14:36, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” Ultimately, we take up our cross daily when we (each day) submit our will to God. David wrote in Psalms 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” The ultimate sacrifice is when we give up our pride and ego and choose to humble ourselves before God. When we read of the prodigal son in Luke 15:17-21 coming “to his senses” and resolving to humbly return to his father, confessing his sins, and seeking the position of a servant in his father’s household, we read of a young man willing to “take up his cross” as he sacrificed his pride and displayed great humility. When we likewise sacrifice our will to God’s and willingly take the “yoke” of Christ (Matthew 11:28-30) and remain yoked to Him, we have taken up our cross.

It is a popular concept in many religions and denominations that sacrifices of “things” can replace the sacrifices of our hearts and souls. We read in Hosea 6:6, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Taking up our cross is not about an giving up something so that we can continue in sin (cf. Romans 6:1). God is not pleased when we sacrifice the leftovers (Malachi 1:8) while our hearts and conduct are displeasing before Him. God told Malachi (1:10) that He wished someone would “shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar!” Sacrifices are a waste when our heart doesn’t change. In II Corinthians 8:1-5, we read of the Christians in the “churches of Macedonia” who “according to their ability, and beyond their ability … gave of their own accord” because “they first gave themselves to the Lord.” When we first give our heart, soul, mind, and strength to God (Mark 12:30), He will open the gates for our service to Him and our brethren and be pleased with the sacrifices we offer (Hebrews 13:15-16).

There are some very practical applications of our decision to “take up our cross daily.” One is, when we choose to sacrifice our time to the Lord, and the church He shed His blood to purchase. When we are “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16; ASV, NKJV) and “making the most of the opportunity” (Colossians 4:5) for His glory rather than for our own pleasure, we are displaying the truth of what it means to take up our cross. Another application is, when we use talents and abilities that have been entrusted to us (Matthew 25:20) for His sake and not just for our own personal gain and livelihood. Yet another is when we sacrifice what we may have a right to partake in so that we don’t cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble (Romans 14:21), considering others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

Are we to exhibit patient endurance when circumstances become difficult to manage (Romans 12:12) or when people don’t treat us as they ought (II Timothy 2:24)? Yes, we must, but that is not what Jesus meant when He commanded us to “take up your cross daily.” Jesus demonstrated that it means to make any and all sacrifices necessary to please our heavenly Father.