More and more we live in a culture in which not everybody has a similar religious background, or even a religious background at all. Then, when they enter a church building they’re going to hear 5 or 10 phrases over the course of an hour that might not mean anything to them.

For this reason, some suggest dropping “old-fashioned” words like justification and sanctification. I disagree. They are good, Biblical words that would be hard to replace. But neither can we just leave people in the dark. We have to use the words and terms, and explain what they mean.

One such case that came up recently in my ministry was the matter of taking up one’s cross (Luke 9:23, and elsewhere). A sister mentioned how she had heard it said, but had never really had it clarified what it means in practical terms. It makes me wonder how many others there are who may have heard the phrase “take up your cross” their whole lives but have not been told how to actually do so.

So, what does it mean to take up one’s cross?

It’s important to look at both the surrounding context and the verse itself. In the surrounding context, Peter had given his great confession (Luke 9:20), followed shortly thereafter by Jesus predicting His own suffering and crucifixion. Matthew and Mark show Peter rejecting Jesus’ prediction before the Savior rebuked Him as “Satan,” whose mind was on things of man rather than those of God (Matthew 16:22-23).

That leads to Jesus uttering our sentence in question: “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'”

He’s telling them, not only am I going to die, but if you want to follow Me you had better be prepared to give yourself up, too. This was not exactly the path to glorious victory the apostles had expected. It’s not the path to glorious victory modern religion promises people, either.

To deny oneself is to abdicate the throne of your own life. “King of my life, I crown Thee now,” we sing, because we have forfeited our right to choose our own way. To take up one’s cross is to sign up for death. Our old, fleshly, self-focused way of living must die so that Christ may live within (Galatians 2:20). Then, we must follow Him. To Follow Him is to go wherever He leads in life. It’s asking the old “What Would Jesus Do?” question, and then actually acting on it.

Still, we are speaking in ideological terms and not practical terms. So what does it actually mean? What would it look like to take up one’s cross?

  • When your pet temptation comes calling your name… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When work is tough, your boss is difficult, your coworkers are testing your patience, and you’re tempted to steal time and give a feeble effort… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When you’re driving down the highway and someone cuts you off, and you want to make your anger and displeasure known… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When you want to get your own way in an argument with your spouse, or you want to bite back, or manipulate… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When you’re on the internet and somebody angers you, and you’re ready to tear them to shreds with an angrily-worded comment… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When your tendencies are not Jesus’ way, whether you’re too confrontational or not confrontational enough, given to love with watered down truth, or given to speaking truth and leaving out the love… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • When you walk into a church building looking to see what you can get out of it, what they can do for you, hoping somebody else will come by and encourage you… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.
  • In your hobbies, your entertainment choices, your language, your politics, and everything else… you deny your own desires, climb up onto your cross, die to self, and choose Jesus’ way.

Notice the one other word in Luke 9:23 we did not examine above: “anyone.” Every single person who wants to follow Jesus and wants to enjoy all of the blessings of knowing Jesus is required to deny self, take up their cross, and follow. The only way to really know Jesus is to be united with Him in this way.

And yet, the modern religious world is built around you. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself, producing a good feeling in you, making sure you have a good time and want to come back. True Christ-following is not about self-fulfillment, but about putting our sinful selves to death in service of His cause.

He gives life abundantly (John 10:10), but there’s no life without a death first (Matthew 10:39). Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.