What does Jesus mean when He commands His followers to "take up their cross"?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional answer is that to take up your cross is to make an upfront, permanent commitment to sacrificial living. In Jesus' day, a person carrying a cross was not engaged in a minor inconvenience; they were on their final, one-way walk to execution. It was a commitment to death—death to self.
When Jesus commands this, He is asking you to voluntarily renounce your right to lead your own life, prioritize your own desires, or avoid suffering (Question 116). It is the act of saying, "My life is no longer my own; it belongs entirely to Jesus, and I will follow His path of self-giving love, no matter the cost." It is the most radical expression of self-denial and Lordship (Question 109).
The Simple Answer
The command to take up your cross is found several times in the Gospels, most clearly in:
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” — Matthew 16:24 (NIV)
The phrase means three things:
Deny Self: It is the deliberate, ongoing rejection of your own ego, will, and sinful desires (Question 107).
Accept Suffering: It is the willingness to embrace hardship, persecution, public shame, and loss for the sake of following Christ. It is a commitment to the painful path.
Total Surrender: It is the recognition that the life you live is no longer centered on your goals, but on Christ's mission and mandate.
It does not simply mean enduring everyday annoyances (like traffic or a difficult job); it means embracing suffering because you are a follower of Jesus.
The Deeper Dive: The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus couples the command with a sharp contrast between temporal gain and eternal loss.
1. Denying the Self
The cross is a declaration that the "old self" (the person ruled by sin and selfish ambition) is being put to death (Romans 6:6).
The Cost: Jesus warns that anyone who tries to "save their life" (to hold onto their own comfort, reputation, or security) will lose it (Matthew 16:25).
The Reward: Conversely, those who "lose their life" for Jesus' sake will find it—meaning they will gain true, eternal life and purpose (Question 61). Self-denial is the only path to true fulfillment.
2. The Nature of the Burden
The cross is a burden of suffering and shame that the world imposes on you for your loyalty to Christ.
Internal Cross: This can mean the daily battle against temptation and the sacrifice of personal comfort to pursue holiness (Question 116).
External Cross: This involves enduring criticism, rejection, or direct persecution from the world for upholding Christ's standards and sharing His truth.
It is a constant, conscious choice to remain on the path of holiness and obedience, even when that path leads to pain, just as Jesus did (Philippians 2:8).
3. Following His Example
The command is simple: "follow me." Jesus took up His cross first. He embraced rejection, poverty, misunderstanding, and ultimate public humiliation for our sake. Our cross-bearing is simply walking the same path of self-giving love that our Master walked (1 Peter 2:21).
God's Assurance
God assures you that while the cross is a burden, Christ carries you as you carry it, and the reward for faithful cross-bearing far outweighs the cost.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” — 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)
You are assured that Christ will never ask you to bear a burden that He has not first carried Himself.
Your Takeaway Thought
The command to take up your cross is a check of your allegiance. It is a question: Is Jesus your Lord, or are you your own lord? Today, identify one area where you are resisting self-denial—a comfort, a habit, a selfish desire—and choose to put it to death. That is the daily practice of taking up your cross and following Christ.
