Then He spoke to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross.”
Luke 9:23 (NKJV)
Have you ever heard anyone talk about bearing their cross? Were they referring to some light affliction such as a person they cannot get along with or their job? These people certainly have not denied themselves or taken up their cross.
Let’s look at the cross of Christ. We know that He was beaten, and He received lashes with a whip containing sharp pieces of metal and bone. These lacerations were aggravated when they placed the robe on Him, and the pain would have intensified even more on the cross. He would have been suffering fatigue, hunger, and dehydration. A crown of thorns was pushed into His head. He was nailed to the cross with spikes.
The pain that Jesus Christ suffered was excruciating, which comes from a Latin word which means “out of the cross”. Since Christ suffered so much for us, shouldn’t we be willing to suffer for Him-even to death? Many missionaries and Christians in foreign countries have been beaten, imprisoned and killed. There is already persecution against Christians in the U.S. and it will most likely get worse. Laws are already changing which will try to silence those who preach truth. We don’t know what the future may hold for those who stand for the truth. One thing we do know according to 1 John 4:4, “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for taking my place on the cross. Help me when I face suffering and persecution. Help each of us live sacrificially for You. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Luke 9:23-26.
HIKING THE TRAIL
Are we really bearing our cross? What is one thing you can do this week in order to “deny yourself” for the sake of Christ?
Copyright 2013 Carolyn Dale Newell.
Originally posted on June 30, 2023 @ 1:08 am