Until the day each of us accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we carried the burden of our own sins on our narrow shoulders. In that moment when we decide to follow Jesus, the burden is lifted from us, and placed on the shoulders of the only One who can handle that burden. Jesus died so that we might live. But what did He tell us to do?
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24:25
What was the cross to Jesus? First, it was the instrument of His death. One of the most important aspects of His death is that He was not murdered, as Jesus gave His life for us. Willingly. At any moment, He could have chosen to perform a miracle and exit stage right. Yet because He understood what the cross would do for us and because He loved us, He endured the cross. Secondly, the cross was a place of humiliation for Jesus. The Roman soldiers stripped Jesus of His clothing, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and made fun of Him. With the crowd of bystanders chiming in, along with one of the criminals being crucified beside Jesus, there were few present who did not despise Him.
As Christians, we have to be willing to die to self in order to live in Jesus. Are there aspects of your life that you are not willing to part with? How about your husband or wife? Would you still follow Jesus if that spouse didn’t join you in your pursuit? If you lost every possession, would you still be willing to follow Him? When a rich, young ruler came to Jesus and asked what it would take to follow Him, Jesus responded by telling the young man to sell all his possessions and distribute the money to the poor (Luke 18:18). Unable to walk away from his wealth, the young man chose a path that did not involve Jesus. At the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Jesus knew right where that young man’s heart was, just as He knows all about our hearts, as He shaped them!
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
Picking up our own crosses demonstrates a willingness to let our old lives completely pass away, without regard to pride, possessions or position. Picking up our crosses daily involves carrying a weighty burden continuously, but don’t forget that Jesus never would allow you to shoulder that burden alone. We might have times of humiliation, with people making fun of us for our belief in what they cannot see, though we see Him clearly. Certainly, we will face many difficulties, as our Lord faced so much more in our places.
Though I might complain about the weight of four, light objects on a walk to the beach, the heavier burdens are the lives of the children I am responsible for. Can you imagine the weight of the burden of each of our sinful lives that Jesus was willing to carry? God tells us to pick up our crosses and follow Him. He is right ahead of us, and every step of the way, He carries that burden with us. We might think we have the heaviest part of the load, but God does all the work. All He wants is our willingness! He is with us always.
4He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5“Gather My saints together to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6Let the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is Judge.
Psalm 50:4-6
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