The cross of Jesus Christ is a deep and profound mystery beyond our limited human understanding. It’s what C. S. Lewis called “the Deep Magic” in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We glibly talk about substitutionary atonement, but none of us fully grasps its meaning or significance. So I enter into this topic with humility, confessing my inability to offer anything valuable without the Holy Spirit’s help.

We’ve understood and experienced the power of the cross in setting us free from sin. By faith we know Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was vital in restoring our fellowship with God. But what does all this have to do with our everyday lives? What did Jesus mean when He told His followers “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23)?

In Western Protestant circles, we tend to do two things with the cross. First, we rush through the violence and horror of what Jesus suffered there and focus on His resurrection—a much more pleasant and joyful contemplation to be sure. We don’t like to consider this uncomfortable truth from one of Spurgeon’s devotionals: “See how the patient Jesus stands, insulted in His lowest case! Sinners have bound the Almighty’s hands, and spit in their Creator’s face.”

Another tendency is to ignore verses like Luke 9:23. We tell ourselves that since Jesus fully paid for our sins on the cross, we are now free to enjoy the benefits of our salvation without undergoing any pain or suffering ourselves. It’s an easy leap to make, since we don’t want to dilute our faith in Him by suggesting we have any role to play in our redemption. But the question remains:

What does Jesus mean when He says we must deny ourselves and take up our cross as part of the discipleship process? To understand what He’s driving at, I think we need to take another look at how Jesus responded to the crisis of the cross and take our cues from Him.

As the powers of darkness began to manifest through Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ arrest, the abandonment/denial of His disciples, the false accusations, the cruelty of the Roman guards, and the cries of “Crucify Him!” from Jewish religious rulers, Jesus displayed an amazing serenity. He calmly says to those arresting Him, “This is your hour—when darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53). His acceptance mirrors what He’d taught His disciples: Don’t resist evil. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. If you’re persecuted because of righteousness, you are blessed. (Matthew 5)

Jesus had the power and authority to resist the evil coming against Him. He could have walked through it unharmed (as He had during earlier attempts to kill Him). But His heart was fixed on pleasing the Father and fulfilling His will. This meant denying himself and willingly going to the cross. He forfeited His rights, His power, and His reputation for a higher purpose: redeeming mankind.

Probably no follower of Jesus understood the implications of the cross better than the apostle Paul. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:4-5: “He was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” Paul was addressing those in Corinth who were demanding proof that Christ was speaking through him. Considering all he had done to establish this church, it was a low blow, revealing their ingratitude and disloyalty. Paul defends his apostleship by alluding to the cross and freely admitting his weakness. He did not rely on his own gifts or strength—he relied on God’s power to work through him. Like Jesus served others through perceived weakness, Paul accepted the same humiliation to fulfill God’s calling on his life.   

This “weakness” of Jesus was temporary, of course. Paul wrote in Philippians 2, “Being in very nature God … he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (vv. 6, 8-9)

As His followers, can we accept a temporary position of perceived weakness knowing that one day we will reign with our King? Will we “endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3)? Enduring hardship for the sake of the Gospel is one way we take up our cross and follow Him. Another way is to adopt the attitudes of Jesus in the face of shame, humiliation, and mistreatment. As He approached the cross Jesus knew that evil could only be overcome by GOODNESS. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil … overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17). One of the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi beautifully captures this way of approaching life.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Jesus’ whole life—from birth to death—reflected a willingness to forego comfort, reputation, and self-fulfillment in order to bless others. The crowning moment of His many sacrifices was the cross.

And now He invites us to join Him in this kind of life, which surprisingly ends in joy. “For the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). By taking up our cross daily, we will “be made new in the attitudes of [our] minds.” We will “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24). This is the life of a disciple of Jesus. He wants us to experience more than justification. He wants us to be transformed—to join with other believers like Paul who wrote, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God“ (2 Timothy 1:8). Nothing about this is easy because it goes against everything we’ve been taught by the world. But in the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need to be an authentic disciple of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, I feel I’ve made little progress in truly following you. But will you continue the good work you began in me? How I long to reflect your loving attitude as I face hardship and suffering. Help me to put on the new nature you have provided for me and to embrace my weakness, knowing your power is sufficient. Enable me to cheerfully serve others so I can share in your joy. This Easter season, renew my commitment to be your disciple every day, not just when I feel like it. Thank you for bearing your cross so I might be delivered from sin and death. Help me to bear mine out of my love for you. Amen.