Matthew 16:24
Monday, June 16, 2008
…Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24
Have an industrious Monday!
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Tags: crucified, death, deny, discipline, humility, sacrifice, selfless
June 16th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Taking up a cross is a reference to the ancient Roman’s practice of requiring a person sentenced to death carry their own cross to the site of crucifixion. This would send a message to all onlookers that the person has been broken and humbled, and is now a willing participant in their own death.
My thought this morning is that following Jesus also requires a crucifixion and a visibly broken, humbled and willing participant. I see those to be crucified by Rome being paraded down the Via Dolorosa broken and beaten up, carrying a large cross being analogous to Christians going through this life also broken and beat up and carrying a large cross.
Both are headed for a place of crucifixion. The former to a physical crucifixion of the flesh, the latter to a spiritual crucifixion of the flesh. The former results in death, the latter results in life, the former is defeat and the latter is victory. Also see that the former is brought on by force but the latter is voluntary. Though there are marked differences between Rome’s crucifixion and God’s crucifixion, the pain, anguish, absolute humiliation and complete surrender experienced by the one being crucified is the same!
Don’t get discouraged because of this – see Hebrews 12:2!