Take up your cross - what does Jesus mean🤔

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:34ff.

Basically that as Christians we will face trials, and that we have to not flee from them.

Or this is what I understand.

Also emojis in thread titles look ugly.

Hi LittleCedar,

That's certainly one aspect of discipleship 👍

Simply put, Jesus meant that truly following him could literally get you killed.

And in many countries it's still often the case.

Hi Live4Him,

That's another good aspect of the cost of discipleship 👍

the crucifix is an instrument of death

“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:3-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The gospel calls us to put to death the lusts that drive us to sin to repent inwardly in the heart so we can overcome sins dominion over the flesh and stop serving satans Will

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:16-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬


the message that the sinner has died with Jesus and by faith is being raised up to a new life free from sins power to control us is the result when you study and believe the gospel it will pit a stop to sin in your life

you still may make some mistakes but will not be able to freely sin and will find repentance rather quickly when you realize you have done wrong

to truly begin to accept what Jesus is saying especially the hard things to accept like this puts the sinner in us to rest and brings out the child of God but not if we ignore and reject it

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:3‬ ‭

he’s given us a grace period he wants us to acknolwedge the truth

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He wants us to acknolwedge the truth because

“in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:25-26‬ ‭

Through Christ we learn bout slavery to sin and being dominated by the devil we were once like his puppets but Christ can set us free

You are correct, we must follow Jesus and His teachings throughout our lives. And Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy. Look at the lives of the martyrs and saints. Persevere through Christ and follow His example in your daily lives.

And never forget that Jesus promised to be with us throughout our trials. Abide in Me and let Me abide in you.

It means walk the walk

that’s maybe the most accurate and to the point response I’ve ever heard to any question here on any matter brother kudos

such a great answer

Denying yourself is setting aside your desires and choosing to align with Christ's desires.
Picking up your cross is bearing the particular responsibilities God has for you.
Following Him is aligning your life with His priorities.

It is quite obvious right? Deny yourself and put others before you including God. Being a servant of God.

Do not focus on the worldly, but put the kingdom of God first.

It can be extremely literal as well by giving your life and dying for God.

They are all super tough to do. That's one of those verses that always makes me feel like a horrible Christian. Like rushing through a prayer to get to eat (whatever meal for the day) but others are quite literally dying for their faith. We are very spoiled here.

I find when things seem difficult I am usually living in my own strength. One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20. I also usually find in those circumstances my affections for God are not what they should be. I'm not sure who said it but I put the following on my wall so I would read it often: "Thou Who art all desirable be all desired by me."

“knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, ( when you have made a mistake and sinned and become aware of it ) is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:16-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m only quoting the context of Galatians 2:20 there to show the relation to the law and the consistency of Paul’s doctrine of the justification of faith through the gospel and not works through the law

loved your post there when we get distracted from our source things easily go haywire

Every individual has an inner set of desires. Some are strongly held, other just superficial. Often, the strong desires conflict with God's will. We face a choice constantly, God's will or self will. When we are first saved, it may take a lot for us to accept that God's will is superior to self will. Like Abraham, we have our precious "Ishmael" that we want God to bless. God respects our free will. If we insist, He will leave us with our "Ishmael". We will regret it. That's how we learn.

Strong willed and self centred people find it especially hard. Only by God's grace can we accept the work of the cross. God's intent is that we become in harmony with His will. That is a process. Some day we will learn. Once I feared God's will. Now I fear not having God's will!

Not to be a contrarian...

We may understand the verse “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." by examining the scriptures.

The "cross" referenced here perhaps does not relate directly with the cross Jesus died upon. This was before His death and, unless the Old Testament is considered, the first time the word "cross" was used in the New Testament account.

This "cross" (stauros in the Greek) was perhaps related to an upright "stake" or post. The root of this word is histēmi which means "to stand" or "establish". It's used in this verse:

Hebrews 10:9 "..then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second."

"The first" mentioned in the verse are the requirements of the sacrifices and offerings in the law.

What is established here (what Christ established) is a willing vessel through which God may inhabit and appear. Jesus denied His own will in order for the will of the Father to be seen in Himself.

We also read in 2 Corinthians this: "Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand."

The underlined is "by pistis you histēmi": "by faith you stand". Again, stand (histēmi) is the root of stauros which is translated as "cross".

We also know that a person's way of life is not happenstance or determined as they go. There is a way we should go that has been determined by the Father before we were born ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." and "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ). This way, the one in the mind of God before we are born, is the way that we are to be established in the earth. Any other way lacks the providence of the Lord.

So, if I may, we could paraphrase the original verse as such: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must abandon his own way of life, take up their own unique calling established by God, and follow my example".

The fact that the path of Jesus' life led to a literal cross is not lost on me: that was the most perfect and full expression of the way of The Christ, The Lamb of God.

just before he said that he bafan explaining to them about his death and resurrection before it happened

it sort of leads into that verse we see peters reaction to hearing this and then it makes more sense why he said it

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.


Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:21-24‬ ‭

follow Jesus even if it leads to your death

A cross is an instrument of punishment and death. Our instrument of punishment and death is this flesh; this ,"body of sin and death".
We are wretched creatures worthy of temporal and eternal punishment, yet we knowing this and confessing it and carrying the burden of it follow Jesus.