Whosoever will come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8.34)
In polite Roman society, it was as bad as swearing to say
the word ‘cross.’ No decent Roman ever mentioned it, let alone considered dying
on a cross. Jews had a similar horror of crucifixion. It was hanging on a tree,
which is cursed in Old Testament Law. However the cross was never far from the
Lord Jesus’ mind. He thought about it in eternity, when He was marked out by
God as the Lamb. He thought about the cross in history, when the Holy Spirit
inspired the prophets to describe those sufferings in intimate detail. He
thought about the cross during his earthly life, since He often told His
followers that He was going to die.
His cross at Calvary marks the end to my sin. In His
death, He faced the penalty that I deserved. He took responsibility for my sins
in God’s sight. He loved me and gave Himself for me!
My cross should mark an end to my life in this world.
Human society is following an agenda set by Satan, in complete opposition to
God. Now I am a Christian that makes me a citizen of heaven. I should not be
looking for treasure on earth. Instead I must take my cross and invest in
heaven’s savings account. I should not be looking for fame on earth. Instead I
must take my cross and trust the Lord Jesus to confess my name before the
angels. I should not be looking for power on earth. Instead I must take my
cross and wait for the Lord Jesus to award me a place in His kingdom.
Whatever ambitions others have in this life, I am carrying a
cross. This is a clear statement that my only ambition should be to please Him.
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