We are told to ‘take up our cross daily.’ What does that mean? What kind of walk is the walk of the cross? Let’s get an vision from what happened to Jesus during His substitutionary walk to the real cross.
…saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” (23) And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. (24) “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. Luke 9:22-24
Rejected – The world rejected the Son of God, and the world rejects you as a child of God. Think it not strange. If they did it to the Master, they will do it to the servant.
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master ‘If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:20
Suffering – With this rejection comes the suffering of ridicule, shame, and the seeming triumph of injustice. It is the temporary loss of our freedom, choice, and control. It is only temporary but it does not seem or feel that way. Only our faith communicates deliverance and victory. Our earthly thoughts and senses scream – “defeat.”
Killed – This does not necessarily mean actually dying, but it could. Many have actually died in faith and faithfulness to Christ. On a more daily basis, it represents the loss of worldly things and opportunities. Many of us grieve far too much for the loss of things far too small. We must all be willing to die to something on behalf of the Name of Christ.
Raised Again – This is the good part. This is the moment when the overcoming believer receives their response from God, and is raised to newness of life. This is the reward for their faithfulness. It may happen in this life or it may happen in the next, but it will be glorious and it will be for eternity.
Rejection and suffering are evil. They happen to the just and the unjust alike. This we share with the world, but as believers we can choose to add dying to self – a dying in faith, in obedience to Jesus Christ. To suffer loss for Christ is not a true loss, but in actuality, it is a gain.
….”If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (35) “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mark 8:34b, 35
If we do die to self in faith, and if we don’t faint, we will be raised to newness of life. The point is to die to self and to the world IN FAITH. In faith, our dying becomes a seed that God uses to bring about a personal resurrection. These resurrected blessings will not all come in this life, but rest assured, the will come in the next. We may be rejected by the world, but we are ‘accepted in the beloved.’ There is an eternal benefit to trusting God, His Word, and His Name. A sacrifice done in faith always brings a blessing in God.