I have been thinking recently about commitment, about true discipleship, what it means to follow Christ. Its a subject that I am going to be speaking on this weekend at a town wide youth gathering. The passage I am speaking from is Matthew 16 vs 21 - 28, particularly focusing on verse 24.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
I have often read this verse and thought that 'I need to take up my cross', but I've never seriously thought about what this actually means. As I was studying this verse I realised that Jesus is talking in the context what is going to happen, that He is going to be crucified! The phrase take up your cross makes sense to the disciples. Crucifixion was a method of Roman execution, and the disciples knew that those condemned to crucifixion would have to carry their own cross to the place where they would be killed. So when Jesus said take up your cross and follow me He was saying, follow me ; no turning back. True commitment, true discipleship is the willingness to follow Christ no matter what, to the death.
There is no compromise, it's as simple as this, because its more than just the commitment, a life of true discipleship has eternal consequences!
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
I have often read this verse and thought that 'I need to take up my cross', but I've never seriously thought about what this actually means. As I was studying this verse I realised that Jesus is talking in the context what is going to happen, that He is going to be crucified! The phrase take up your cross makes sense to the disciples. Crucifixion was a method of Roman execution, and the disciples knew that those condemned to crucifixion would have to carry their own cross to the place where they would be killed. So when Jesus said take up your cross and follow me He was saying, follow me ; no turning back. True commitment, true discipleship is the willingness to follow Christ no matter what, to the death.
There is no compromise, it's as simple as this, because its more than just the commitment, a life of true discipleship has eternal consequences!
No comments:
Post a Comment