Introduction
The Lord Jesus teaches us what it means to follow Him throughout the Gospels. There are many aspects to His teachings on how to live as His followers. In Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:2-11, and John 1:35-51, we see how He called His disciples. While our calling may come in different ways, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we too must become His disciples. However, simply being labeled as a disciple is not enough. True discipleship comes with significant responsibilities and commitments. The essential obligations in following the Lord Jesus include:
- Denying ourselves (see Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, and Luke 9:57-62).
- Putting the Lord Jesus first in our lives (see John 12:26 and John 13:36).
- Showing obedience to the Lord Jesus (see Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 18:22).
In this blog, we focus on the meaning behind the Lord Jesus’ instruction to take up our cross and follow Him.
“Let Him Deny Himself, and Take Up His Cross”
In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus interacts with the Pharisees and Sadducees, teaches His disciples, and poses the ultimate question that every Christian should consider: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Following this exchange with Peter, the Lord Jesus explains what it truly means to follow Him, emphasizing that He is the giver of eternal life. This profound truth should inspire us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We will focus on this specific passage of Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28.
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Comments Matthew 16:24. Take this verse accordingly, as it is written. Deny the comforts you have and do the work for the Lord. Some may not be called to do specific things, but studying the Word of God is following the Lord. Here, the Lord did not ask us to deny our family, but only to deny ourselves. The family is a responsibility the Lord also gives.
“Let him deny himself” plainly says that by accepting the Lord Jesus, we are no longer free. We belong to the Lord, and we are not supposed to do things that are against the Word of God, but we are to follow every word completely.
“Take up his cross” means to carry the call that the Lord has put as a burden on your heart to do. Some may have small burdens, while others may have more significant burdens in something to do for the Lord. The Lord knows the ability of each person, and He will never give more than we can carry. The heart to follow the call is the key to working for the Lord.
25 For whoever might desire to save his life will lose it; however, whoever might lose his life on account of Me, will find it.
Comments Matthew 16:25. Verses 25-28 talk about faith from two points of view: earthly and the world to come. They remind us that it is not about the life on this earth to lose it, but the eternal life to come. For this earth, if you look for fulfillment in this life, you lose the life in the Lord Jesus’ world. This earthly world is nothing; if you tighten your heart around the things of this world and are greedy for the things of this world, your connection to the next world becomes thinner. The Bible is the guide in this world and for the world to come. Always go back to the Bible to fulfill the life in this world. Use the Bible as a guide, and you will save yourself in the end. On this earth, just take what is necessary because nothing in this earthly life lasts.
“Will lose it” in the first part of the verse refers to denying the faith even when your life is not threatened. Some deny the One who created us for convenience and to be accepted among people.
26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
Comments Matthew 16:26. The Lord wants our souls to be saved. On this earth, we praise the Lord by our mouths, but in the world to come, our souls will go and glorify the Lord. That voice the Father wants to hear, the soul that glorifies the Father. The soul belongs to the Father, and He doesn’t want to lose any soul in the lake of fire. Life on this earth is like having two pots: if you try to keep one, it goes against the other one.
27 For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He will give to each according to his deeds.
Comments Matthew 16:27. Take notice in this verse that the Lord Jesus will come in His Father’s glory, not in His own glory. The Lord Jesus never puts Himself above His Father. Our God is Three in One, but the Father is the first. Even the Lord Jesus Himself first glorifies the Father. So, we should do the same, glorify the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but put the Father first.
“For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels” refers to the second coming of our Lord Jesus on earth. The whole world will see Him, at the same time, with His personal army of angels, when He will take over the whole world.
“And then He will give to each according to his deeds.” This also refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus. The “give (render)” here is not a judgment; it is the time when the Lord looks to each individual at what they have been doing during their life on earth and what it can be counted for eternal life. If there is something to be counted forward, the Lord Jesus will use that portion to comfort that person while they wait for the judgment day.
28 Truly I say to you, there are some of those standing here, who will not taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
Comments Matthew 16:28. See Comments Mark 9:1.
Conclusions
The passage of Scripture in Matthew 16:24-28 carries a profound message. It teaches us that the most essential aspect of our lives is to follow the Lord Jesus and adhere to His commandments, which guarantees us a place in His kingdom. The first step in following the Lord Jesus is to believe that He is the Son of God and God in the Trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). We must believe that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. After believing, we must be baptized in water for the remission of sins, then seek baptism in the Holy Spirit. As followers of the Lord Jesus, it is important to read and meditate on the Word of God and to follow all His commandments. We should pray to discover the calling He has for us in serving Him on this earth. In our walk on this earth, we should be more concerned about losing eternal life in the world to come than about losing the pleasures of this current life. We must strive for the things of the next world and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus, rather than for worldly pleasures. Therefore, we need to deny ourselves the things of this world that contradict the teachings of the Lord Jesus and continue to live a holy life in dedication to Him.
Meditation Tasks
- Let us pray, examine our daily lives, and check that we indeed follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus in practice, not only by mouth or by reading.
- We encourage all readers to consult our blog article titled “How to Live a Christian Life Daily.”