rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Jesus said "If any man will come after me; let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23.
What is Jesus telling us here? What does "taking up the cross daily mean?
Not being governed by natural human desires.
The cross was a form of execution. Jesus not only ultimately died on the Cross, but the principle of the cross in His life was a daily experience. He was without sin, but He had taken on human flesh and felt all the natural desires and needs of a human being (He. 2:18). He could feel tired and hungry, and He knew discomfort (Jn.4:6; Mt.4:2-4). But Jesus did not live for Himself - His own desires and comforts. His natural flesh did not govern His life. He lived bearing the cross daily. Jesus' death was our death, and His resurrection was our resurrection. We have been raised in Him - a new creation! (Eph.2:6 ;2 Co.5:17). But we are still in human flesh, and so, as Jesus did when He walked the earth in the flesh, we now must take up the cross daily and follow in His footsteps.
Having the same attitudes as Jesus.
Having received the truth of the death of our "old self" with Christ on the Cross, and realising we have been raised with Him to heavenly places, God now desires that we express in our daily lives the same attitudes He expressed as He went to the Cross. (Phil.2:5-8) tells us that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
What are some of those attitudes?
1. PURPOSE Jesus knew His rightful position and relationship with God, but by His own choice came down to earth. He came because He had a mission to fulfil. His whole purpose was to go to the Cross, for He knew that it would be through His death and resurrection that salvation would come to man. Through His whole life on earth He never lost sight of His mission. "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem . . . " (Lk. 9:51). We, too, are called of God. Our mission is to reach every man and woman with the wonderful news that salvation is available through Christ.
2. LOVE Jesus took up the Cross not for Himself but for others. So it is with us. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1Jn. 3:16).
3. SURRENDER Jesus surrendered His whole life to the will of His Father, because of His great love for Him. This, too, is the expression of our love to God. 'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work' " (Jn. 4:34).
4. SERVANT-HEART Though He was Lord of all, by His own choice He became the servant of all. This is our choice, too. ". . . But I am among you as one who serves" (Lk. 22:24-27)
5. FORGIVENESS In the face of the mockery of His enemies and opposition to the point of death, Jesus forgave those who were hurting Him. This, too, should be our attitude (Lk. 23:33-43 ; Mt. 18:21-22).
6. VISION
Jesus saw beyond the suffering of the Cross to the resurrection and the glorious result of the souls He would bring to His Father. This vision gave Him the strength to bear the Cross. Faith in the victory ahead gives us strength through our trials. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (He. 12:2).
What taking up the cross does NOT mean.
It does NOT mean that we must try to die out to our old sinful nature each day. This is impossible for us to do and was the very reason why it was necessary for Jesus to come and die in our place. It was a work that could only be done by God Himself. In Christ, dying as my representative, God put ME to death. "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Ro. 6:6).
This does not mean it is no longer possible for a Christian to sin. We still have the ability to choose to sin if we want to, but the wonderful truth of the Gospel is that we no longer HAVE TO because the very nature of sin that was within us has been dealt with by the Cross (see 1John 2:1 )
What is Jesus telling us here? What does "taking up the cross daily mean?
Not being governed by natural human desires.
The cross was a form of execution. Jesus not only ultimately died on the Cross, but the principle of the cross in His life was a daily experience. He was without sin, but He had taken on human flesh and felt all the natural desires and needs of a human being (He. 2:18). He could feel tired and hungry, and He knew discomfort (Jn.4:6; Mt.4:2-4). But Jesus did not live for Himself - His own desires and comforts. His natural flesh did not govern His life. He lived bearing the cross daily. Jesus' death was our death, and His resurrection was our resurrection. We have been raised in Him - a new creation! (Eph.2:6 ;2 Co.5:17). But we are still in human flesh, and so, as Jesus did when He walked the earth in the flesh, we now must take up the cross daily and follow in His footsteps.
Having the same attitudes as Jesus.
Having received the truth of the death of our "old self" with Christ on the Cross, and realising we have been raised with Him to heavenly places, God now desires that we express in our daily lives the same attitudes He expressed as He went to the Cross. (Phil.2:5-8) tells us that our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
What are some of those attitudes?
1. PURPOSE Jesus knew His rightful position and relationship with God, but by His own choice came down to earth. He came because He had a mission to fulfil. His whole purpose was to go to the Cross, for He knew that it would be through His death and resurrection that salvation would come to man. Through His whole life on earth He never lost sight of His mission. "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem . . . " (Lk. 9:51). We, too, are called of God. Our mission is to reach every man and woman with the wonderful news that salvation is available through Christ.
2. LOVE Jesus took up the Cross not for Himself but for others. So it is with us. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1Jn. 3:16).
3. SURRENDER Jesus surrendered His whole life to the will of His Father, because of His great love for Him. This, too, is the expression of our love to God. 'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work' " (Jn. 4:34).
4. SERVANT-HEART Though He was Lord of all, by His own choice He became the servant of all. This is our choice, too. ". . . But I am among you as one who serves" (Lk. 22:24-27)
5. FORGIVENESS In the face of the mockery of His enemies and opposition to the point of death, Jesus forgave those who were hurting Him. This, too, should be our attitude (Lk. 23:33-43 ; Mt. 18:21-22).
6. VISION
Jesus saw beyond the suffering of the Cross to the resurrection and the glorious result of the souls He would bring to His Father. This vision gave Him the strength to bear the Cross. Faith in the victory ahead gives us strength through our trials. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (He. 12:2).
What taking up the cross does NOT mean.
It does NOT mean that we must try to die out to our old sinful nature each day. This is impossible for us to do and was the very reason why it was necessary for Jesus to come and die in our place. It was a work that could only be done by God Himself. In Christ, dying as my representative, God put ME to death. "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Ro. 6:6).
This does not mean it is no longer possible for a Christian to sin. We still have the ability to choose to sin if we want to, but the wonderful truth of the Gospel is that we no longer HAVE TO because the very nature of sin that was within us has been dealt with by the Cross (see 1John 2:1 )
