The Father's Menu

Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh

Thursday, July 4, 2024

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Luke 9:23
Main Text: Main Text: John 4:23

Jesus’ command to 'take up your cross and follow Me' is a profound call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice. To follow Jesus, one must be prepared to die to oneself, as this signifies absolute surrender to God. To truly experience God, you must be willing to take up your cross and follow Him. In the first century, the cross unequivocally symbolized death by crucifixion—a fate that involved the most excruciating and humiliating form of execution known to humanity.

In Luke 14:27, Jesus says, 'And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.' This means that you must be willing to carry your own cross, not just the cross of Jesus. You must be prepared to bear the burdens and sufferings that come with associating with Him. The cross symbolizes death—death to oneself. To see the kingdom of God expand to the ends of the earth, you must be willing to forgo worldly pleasures. Take up your cross! Bear the burden of evangelizing to lost souls and financing the kingdom. Consider this: if God grants you a contract worth $2 million, would you be willing to give all the profits to God's work without hearing His audible voice, simply because you want to take up your cross and see His work grow?

Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus? Consider these questions:

  • ?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your closest friends?
  • ?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
  • ?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your reputation?
  • ?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
  • ?  Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

The cross signifies humiliation, pain, obedience, and sacrifice. Following Jesus may sometimes bring pain and humiliation. At other times, it may demand obedience to a difficult instruction from the Holy Spirit or require extreme sacrifices. What are you willing to let go of for Jesus? Are you ready to take up your cross? Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, surrendering your hopes, dreams, possessions, and even your very life if necessary for the cause of Christ. Only by willingly taking up your cross can you be called His disciple. The reward is worth the price.

Prayer:

Father, I desire to take up my cross to be your disciple, enable me with grace to take up my cross and follow you.

Further Reading:

Luke 14:26 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

Mark 10:21 “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

Read through the bible in 1 year: 2 Kings 23:31-25:30 Acts 22:17-23:10 Psalm 2:1-12 Proverbs 18:13

Read through the bible in 2 years: Luke 16.1-17.10 & Pr 24.23-34