Take up your Cross and Follow Jesus

Mark’s audience was mostly living with persecution from Rome, having to endure literal crosses for their faith, including the possible source of Marks gospel, Peter. We all need to reject the easier shallow, culture-pleasing faith, or selfish, carnal “easy-believism” life to that of total surrender. If we will not deny ourselves and follow Christ in our actions as well as emotions, then we’re not really “following” Him, at all.

To deny yourself means to forget your own self-interest. It doesn’t mean to abandon worldly comforts or to strictly control one’s actions with spiritual disciplines, but to refuse rights and privileges that get in the way of God’s kingdom. What we will have to deny depends on our situation. It could be comfort, worldly responsibilities, or even the connection to our family or past (Luke 9:57–62). To take up your cross is not to accept a specific burden from God.

We are to “deny [your]self.” If we learn to sacrifice ourselves to God, we will not fret about sacrificing our things. We will belong to God, not to our things, position, reputation, or comfort. This is the first mention of a crowd, but the fact that Jesus calls the crowd to Him before He starts speaking is significant. It means that He addresses the call to deny yourself and take up your cross to all believers, not just Christian leaders. Some are called to a life of ministry. Some are called to sacrifice their lives for God’s kingdom. But all of us are called to give up our worldly lives and dedicate ourselves to Christ.