HoHum:
Sing these verses:
Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.
The consecrated cross I’ll bear, Till death shall set me free, And then go home my crown to wear, for there’s a crown for me.
WBTU:
Read Luke 14:25-27- Focused on these verses a couple of times lately. Not the main verses for tonight but we see here that Jesus clearly identifies being a disciple with carrying the cross. A Christian Is... A Disciple (from this morning)
Read Luke 9:23- This is our main verse for tonight. Want to focus on take up his cross.
Richard Martin has a ministry of literally carrying a cross around the country. He walks the roads carrying a cross. Some visit with him and talk about Jesus. Others are hostile and some have broken the cross into pieces. Is this what Jesus wants from us? What exactly is it that Jesus is calling his disciples to do? What does He mean for us to “take up our cross.” The key to this passage is to understand the meaning of “take up his cross.”
Thesis: What take up one’s cross does not mean, then talk about what this phrase actually means.
For instances:
Take up one’s cross does not mean...
Just a burden to put up with... We use this idea by saying things like, “Well, that is just my cross to bear.” What do we mean? A burden or trial one must put up with, such as Alzheimer’s can be called a cross to bear for a whole family, or in a less serious way, mowing a huge lawn once a week is my boys cross to bear. Life is full of cares and burdens and being a Christian does not exempt us from them. Remember what Jesus said, ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (burdens, cares, trials). But take heart! I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33. Also, “Your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45, NIV. Burdens, difficulties, trials, troubles, cares come to everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike. Illogical for Jesus to say it will cost us having to carry the burdens we are already going to carry anyway in this life to be his disciple.
Just dealing with difficult people... Maybe a work associate that is hard to put up with, or a spouse or family member that is abusive or struggles with a problem that affects the whole family, or maybe someone that is extremely hard to love that is in our lives. As Christians there are people who are difficult to love even though we are called to love them. In this sense it is true that sometimes bearing with other people may feel like a type of cross we are called to bear. But remember the context of these verses. Jesus is speaking of being his disciples, really following him and the cost of following Him. In the context it’s a given that a genuine disciple would have a love and compassion toward other people. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2, NIV. “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13, NIV. The idea of cross bearing having something to do with putting up with difficult people is not exactly what Jesus had in mind when he called us to “take up our cross.” Everyone deals with troublesome people.
Just dealing with tough circumstances- This is a common way of understanding “bearing one’s cross.” Barbara Philbrook’s poem- It’s Your Cross to Bear”- It’s your cross to bear and I can’t carry the burden for you, as much as I wish that is what I could do- The idea again is that “bearing the cross is carrying a burden.” While we are not heretics for saying and believing things like this, this is biblically incorrect. The reason I have spent time on this is because we must resist these definitions of bearing one’s cross if we are to understand Jesus’ powerful teaching in this passage.
What does “take up one’s cross” actually mean
First, we must talk about what a cross meant to the first disciples of Jesus.
A cross is an instrument of torture and death. We think of the cross as a beautiful ornament, as beautiful jewelry. This is far from how the people in Jesus’ day saw the cross. Like we have an electric chair as jewelry or a hypodermic needle as a piece of art, No! The cross in Jesus’ day was an instrument of torture and execution, pure and simple.
A cross was a shameful, excruciating and often drawn out death. Our English word “excruciating” comes from the Latin words that mean “out of the cross.” Cicero, a Roman politician and writer less than a century before Christ, wrote concerning crucifixion: “it is the most cruel and shameful of all punishments... let it never come near the body of a Roman citizen; nay, not even near his thoughts or eyes or ears.” The Jews believed that those executed on a cross were under a curse. “Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” Deuteronomy 21:23, NIV.
As Jesus said these words the early disciples interpreted this way, “If you follow me, you will be under threat of legal execution, and the curse of God.” Jesus took care of the curse for us (Galatians 3:10-13) but this is how they would have understood it at that time
Many put these conditions and more on following Jesus:
Safety- I’ll follow Jesus “if” it’s safe... that is if it doesn’t cost me my reputation, my friends, if God is not going to put my life in harms way.
Comfort- I’ll follow Jesus “if” it’s comfortable... that is if it doesn’t cramp my style, impose too much on what I like to do in life, if I don’t have to give too much up, as long as I can maintain my comfortable life style and as long as it doesn’t call me out of my comfort zone.
Time- I’ll follow Jesus “if” it fits into my schedule... that is if I have time. I’m really busy. I’ll follow Jesus as long as it doesn’t require too much of my time.
Entertainment- I’ll follow Jesus “if” I can still live my own life my way and still enjoy the things I like to do on my own... that is putting the things that make for our entertainment and enjoyment ahead of Jesus (like hobbies, sports, recreational activities, etc)
Security- I’ll follow Jesus “if” He will promise never to pull the rug out from under me... that is the idea that I am looking to build for myself a secure future here and I don’t want to have to give up what makes for my security, house, land, financial investments, future plans.
Genuine discipleship is a conditional call of the cross. Notice at the beginning of Luke 9:23- “If”. There are those who say the Bible is a book of blessings. I agree but it is a book of “conditional” blessings. There are conditions attached to discipleship. There are many today who call themselves disciples of Jesus, yet they will not accept His cross. They want the crown, but they’ll have no cross. Luke 14:27 states that if we do not take up our cross then we cannot be Jesus disciple. Jan McIntosh- A cushion or a cross, which will it be for you? Will you choose the easy way, or the way of life and truth? Are you content to sit and rest while others do His kingdom work? Is our comfort more important that doing the will of our Lord? A cushion or a cross, which one will you choose? Are you willing to suffer for Jesus? Remember, he suffered for you.
Taking up the cross was no light thing for the original disciples. Philip and Peter were put to death by crucification. Stephen was stoned to death. James and Paul were beheaded. Luke was hanged. James the less, at the age of 94, was beaten and stoned to death.
Several years ago I read a story written by a preacher in the Philippine Islands. One day he was passing a large church on Good Friday when he spotted many selling incense, candles, veils and rosaries. He also saw several small boys who were running about selling crosses. He heard them calling, “Crosses, cheap crosses for sale! Buy a cheap cross!” I am afraid too often we want a cheap cross- a faith that is easy, that is all sweetness and light, one that makes no demands on our time or money or service. The cross of Christ was no cheap cross. Jesus gave up his throne in glory to come and live in this world of sin. He gave His life on a literal cross to ransom us from our sins.
This poem paints a picture of what it means to be a true disciple of Christ: They followed Him by thousands when He took some fish and bread And a banquet in the desert by His miracle was spread. They sang aloud, “Hosanna!” and they shouted “Praise His name!” When in an hour of glory to Jerusalem He came. They followed when He told them of a kingdom and a throne, But when He went to Calvary, He went there all alone. It seems that many people still would follow Him today If He only went to places where everything was play. For the kingdom that they’re seeking isn’t one that’s make of thorns. Oh, they’ll follow for the fishes over land and over sea. And they’ll join the church at Zion, but not at Calvary. It’s so easy, friends, to follow when the nets are full of fish, When the loaves are spread before you and you’re eating all you wish, When no lands, nor lots, nor houses, and no friendships are at stake, When there’s no mob to mock you and you have no cross to take. But you’ll need some faith to follow down through Gethsemane, And you’ll need some love to follow up to Calvary!
My friend, discipleship means ultimate victory. We are following the One who knows the way to victory. The path may sometimes seem hard. The weight of the cross may sometimes seem too heavy. The splinters from the cross might sometimes wound us. But one thing is certain... as the hymn says, “The Way of the Cross Leads Home.” We are certain of victory, because we are closely following the victorious Christ!
