DIGGING DEEP NO: 1026 March 12, 2024 THE CROSS WE ARE CALLED TO BEAR Luke 14:25–27

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple the passage means that one must be willing to bear all reproach, affliction, persecutions death itself, cheerfully and patiently, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The Cross is a great contradiction. It’s a symbol of death, but so much more. Death and life, hate and love, violence and peace, accusation and forgiveness, sin and purity, brokenness and wholeness, all is lost and gain, destruction and restoration, defeat and victory. Once the cruelest form of execution, yet now it is a symbol of abundant life. The Cross means many things to many people. Some have it displayed on their mantel; others wear it around their neck. In Luke 9:57–62: 9:23-24 and 14:26 Jesus talk about the Cost of Discipleship, In the immediate context of Luke 14:27, Jesus is speaking about the cost of following him. Specifically, he mentions three requirements—anyone who neglects these cannot be His disciple. (1) Disciples must, having come to Him, hate their family and their own life. (2) Disciples must bear their own cross and come after Him and (3) Disciples must renounce all that they have. In the midst of these requirements are two stories about the need to count the cost prior to embarking on any endeavor (a landowner building a tower, a king engaging in battle). Disciples of Jesus must know what they are getting into.

The 16th-century German theologian, Martin Luther is credited with saying “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” We understand the value of anything is determined by its investment, either in time, money, or personal sacrifice. When Jesus says, “Follow me,” He is calling us, not just to hang out with Him, or tag along, but to a devout, different, and dedicated, life. An old-time, circuit-riding preacher, Alex Johnson, in his sermon “It’s easy to become a Christian, but harder to live as a Christian,” observed that “the mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers.”

First of all, it’s important to understand that a disciple is more than just being a student. While discipleship involves learning, it demands doing. Discipleship is compared to an apprentice who lives and works with his mentor. It’s a “hands-on” experience. Too many Christians, are content to be listeners who gain a lot of knowledge but who have never put that knowledge into practice. Secondly, discipleship is a process. it is a lifetime endeavor. Just like a wedding ceremony is an event, but the marriage requires relationship development, reoccurring enrichment, and growing together for life, so too is the commitment of discipleship.

In Luke 14:25-27 Jesus declared three key characteristics demanded of His disciples.

(1) Discipleship requires a cost.

Jesus asks us to deny ourselves. To say “no” to ourselves. This is more than just denying one’s self of personal comfort, pleasures or possessions. It is giving up self-gratification. Self-indulgence. Self-centeredness. Self-interest.

Denying self goes against the flesh. It’s not what our self-seeking culture is about. Everything today is geared toward self-satisfaction. Self-love. Self-devotion.

Jesus calls for self-denial. Self-sacrifice. Self-abasement. Self-control. Self-discipline.

(2) Discipleship demands a cross.

The cross is our sacrifice, our devotion, our personal dedication. It is using our time, talent and treasure to benefit His Cause, instead of selfishly using it all for our own personal and selfish reasons. It is working for his glory, and not our own praise. This is not once a year, or once a month, or once a week phenomenon, Jesus said, “daily.” Each day we take up our cross. Every day we live for the Lord. Daily we look for ways to make a difference. To give, to serve and to shine our light even in tough times. It is forgoing the things that we want, desire and wish for, in order to fulfil his calling for our lives. It might be a good time to rethink what it means to be “crucified with Christ.” To bear the cross. To be a disciple.

(3) Discipleship calls for a commitment.

Jesus simply says, “Follow Me.” This is the natural result of self-denial and cross-bearing. He is the motivation for what we do, who we are, and how we live. Following Jesus leads to ministry. Following Jesus leads to involvement in the lives of others. And not just the comfortable environment of fellow Christians. But it leads us to interact with the less fortunate who need our help with sinners with whom we can share the Word. With opponents of Christianity to whom we can present a defense of the gospel. Following Jesus leads us to Bible study. Prayer. Worship. And fellowship. Following Jesus leads to an intimate relationship with the Father. The disciple’s question is not “What can I get?” But “What can I give?” Not “What is the safe thing?” But “What is the right thing?”

The cross was a Roman instrument of torture and execution, so Jesus did not invoke it lightly. Those who heard would have known exactly what Jesus meant when he brought up the cross. Jesus called his disciples to hand their lives over to Him. To save their lives, they were to lose their lives for His sake. They were to renounce everything, including their closest family members. In Jesus’s day carrying your cross meant death because it was only those going to be executed who were made to carry their cross. Here Jesus might not be referring to physical death only, he was also referring to spiritual death.

1. The Cross means love.

Christ died for sinners. He died for people who had lost their way. He did not die because it was forced upon him. It was a choice. A choice made in love.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

Jesus still loves sinners. He came and gave His life for them. The message of the Cross remains a gift of love to those undeserving. Above all, the Cross is a symbol of love.

2. The Cross is personal.

In most religions, people strive to reach deity. Christianity is the only faith where God has reached down to us. Our response to such a God is to know Him personally. Jesus died so that He could know you. It was personal.

I want to know Christ… I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death (Philippians 3:10).

3. The Cross is willful humility.

Christ’s death was an act of His will.  In Philippians 2:7-8, Paul states that Jesus humbled himself in obedience and died a criminal’s death on the Cross. Sometimes we mistakenly think that he made that decision as God. Jesus came to the conclusion to die for humanity as a human. He willed his flesh, mind, and emotions to die on the Cross. Hebrews 10:10.

Christ hung on the cross on purpose. He could choose to live as He pleased, but He chose to give His life for our sake. Galatians 2:20 says that we have been crucified with Christ – past tense. As Christians, we are to be dead to our will, as Christ was. Our life’s prayer should be, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” And just like Jesus, it is our responsibility to act on our prayer. Being in the will of God is not a passive thing. It is an act of the will.

4. The Cross is prophetic.

There are many prophecies of the Cross in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. From the beginning of time, God has been planning to rescue humanity from the clutches of evil by horrific death on a cross. Isaiah 53:4-5.

He was disfigured, tormented, and completely abused. But not only was his punishment prophesied, so was our atonement. Pierced for sin. Beaten for wholeness. Whipped for healing. A divine exchange. Blessings for curses, completeness for brokenness, unrighteousness for holiness. The redemption was prophesied.

5. The Cross is final.

So many gaze at the Cross and yet hold on to past hurt, pain, and problems. They don’t belong on your back any longer – Jesus has taken them on His. The debt is paid. Look to the Cross and receive your salvation. Revelation 5:9-10,