On the way to Golgotha

Luke 9:23 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

When I was young, I read my Bible in the NIV translation because it was easier for me to understand than the KJV that I originally learned to read on.  I never really thought about what this verse meant until I read it again yesterday.  I originally learned that to follow (didn’t understand what it meant to follow) my Lord, I must deny myself would be to stay out of sins that I wanted to commit and take on my own burdens on my back and follow Christ.  However, after further study, I learned a slightly different lesson.  The amplified version adds text that defines he concepts that are presented in the scriptures that I learned from commentaries and research.

Luke 9:23 (AMP)
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

Discipleship
The first point that I’d like to address is the idea that we need to be disciples.  Miriam-Webster defines disciple as “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.”  I originally had the idea that following Christ was to adhere to his teachings and love one another, which is part of discipleship.  However, by definition, we are to not only accept the teachings that Jesus preached about how we should behave, but we should spread the Gospel as a part of following him.

Matthew 28:19-20 (AMP)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded the disciples to go out in to the world, teach and baptize in the name of the Father.  In this way, we are to create more disciples by adding to the baptism teaching those disciples to observe Christ’s commands. 

Ephesians 5:1-2(AMP)
5 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

What we teach is the Gospel, the love of God powerful enough to make the creator himself send his only son to die.  We are to try to continually walk in love, “unselfishly seeking the best for others.”  I’ve written about this before, but I don’t remember fully paying attention to the part “practice empathy and compassion.”  What struck me is the command to actually put forth the effort to practice empathy and compassion daily.

Deny Yourself
To be a disciple, one must deny himself.  He must set aside selfish interest and focus on God.  Jesus told a rich man the way to salvation and told him to sell all of his possessions and walked away sad.  Jesus wanted him to give up the things he loved the most because his love for Christ should be strong, but he was unable.  For some of us, like him, our sin is hard to get away from.  Some of the things we love the most are sinful.  Even to put things that aren’t sinful above our love for God is sinful.  However, on that cross with Christ was our sin also.

Galatians 5:24(AMP)
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [a]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

We crucified our sinful nature with Christ when we turned to him.  The things we wanted and the passions that drove us that were sinful were nailed to the cross with Jesus.

Galatians 5:20(AMP)
20 I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

We no longer life, but Christ through us.  In this way, we are to rely on and completely trust in Jesus.  He gave himself up for us and established the new covenant allowing for our salvation.

Bear the Cross
As disciples we are to take up our cross and follow.  I’ve heard many people use the phrase “this is my cross to bear” when referring to a problem or affliction.  However, in the text, the amplified adds “expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come.”  Saying that it is not one struggle, but all struggles that may come while in service to Christ.  Troubles will definitely come, but we are to endure.

James 1:2-3(AMP)
2 Consider it nothing but joy, my [a]brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].

The Bible talks about struggles all over its pages.  Suffering is not new to the Christian.  The testing of our faith during our “various trials” will produce endurance “leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace.”  It is through our experiences while serving Christ that leads us to spiritual maturity and gives us the endurance to get there. 

Romans 5:3-5 (AMP)
3 And not only this, but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress, pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; 4 and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation]. 5 Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Both this passage and the one above tell us to count our suffering as Joy because we know the beneficial fruit it produces, such as endurance and spiritual maturity.  The term “it puts hair on your chest” comes to mind with this topic.  Enduring through struggles makes one wise and gives us hope in God.

James 1:4(AMP)
4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.

Endurance will give us enough wisdom to be completely developed in our faith.  Going through our struggles and persevering will help us reach a point where we lack nothing in our faith.  Jesus tells us here that it will be difficult to follow him.  We will have to do things that goes against our sinful and selfish wants to stay on track.