The cost of being a disciple of Jesus is profound. It’s a journey marked by surrender, sacrifice, and a willingness to lay down everything for the sake of following Christ. When Jesus called people to follow Him, He was upfront about the cost. He never promised that discipleship would be easy, but He promised it would be worth it.
Surrendering Your Own Will
The first cost of being a disciple is the surrender of our own will. In Luke 9:23 (NLT), Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Here, Jesus is making it clear that to follow Him, we must give up control of our lives. We are no longer living for ourselves, our ambitions, or our desires. Instead, we are submitting to His Lordship, trusting that His ways are higher than our ways, and His plans are far greater than our own.
The Greek word for "deny" in this passage, aparneomai (?pa????µa?), means to completely disown or renounce. It is a strong, deliberate turning away from self-interest and self-preservation. Following Jesus means that our priorities must align with His, even when it costs us our comfort, preferences, or the plans we’ve carefully made for ourselves.
Bearing the Cross
Jesus calls us to "take up our cross daily" in the same verse. In the first-century Roman world, the cross was not just a symbol of suffering; it was a symbol of death. For the original audience of Jesus’ words, the cross meant total sacrifice. When Jesus asks His disciples to take up their cross, He is calling them—and us—to a life of sacrificial living.
This doesn’t mean we seek suffering or hardship for its own sake, but that we must be willing to endure whatever comes as a result of following Jesus. Whether it’s ridicule, rejection, or loss, we endure these things for the sake of Christ, just as He endured suffering for us. Matthew 16:25 (NLT) says, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” The cost is great, but the reward is eternal.
Leaving Behind Everything
In Luke 14:26-27 (NLT), Jesus said something challenging: “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” Jesus isn’t advocating hatred in the literal sense, but He is emphasising that our love for Him must be so great that, by comparison, all other relationships pale.
The cost of discipleship involves prioritising Jesus above all other relationships and attachments. This may mean leaving behind family, possessions, or positions of status. It’s not that these things are bad in themselves, but they must never take the place of Christ in our hearts. The question for every disciple is: “Am I willing to let go of anything if Jesus asks me to?”
In Luke 18:22 (NLT), Jesus tells the rich young ruler, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The young man’s great wealth was his barrier to following Jesus, and Jesus confronted him with the cost. He does the same for each of us—He calls us to relinquish whatever stands between us and wholehearted devotion to Him.
Facing Persecution
Another cost of being a disciple of Jesus is facing persecution. Jesus warned His followers in John 15:20 (NLT), “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.” Being a disciple means standing for Christ even when it is unpopular or dangerous. Throughout history, and even today, disciples of Jesus face rejection, opposition, and even physical danger because of their faith.
While the world may oppose us, Jesus encourages us to persevere, saying in Matthew 5:10-12 (NLT), “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you because you are my followers.” The cost is real, but Jesus assures us that eternal rewards await those who endure in faithfulness.
Enduring to the End
The life of a disciple is a marathon, not a sprint. The cost of discipleship involves perseverance, endurance, and faithfulness. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) urges us to “run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Discipleship is a lifelong journey of following Jesus, even when the path is difficult, and the finish line seems far away.
The Reward of Discipleship
While the cost of discipleship is great, the reward is far greater. Jesus promises eternal life, peace, joy, and fulfilment in His presence. Mark 10:29-30 (NLT) records Jesus’ assurance: “I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”
Conclusion
To be a disciple of Jesus is costly. It requires total surrender, sacrificial living, and enduring opposition. But this cost pales in comparison to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and being known by Him. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Yet in dying to ourselves, we find true life in Christ. And as we take up our cross and follow Him, we are promised a glorious inheritance—eternal life with our Saviour.
