Take Up Your Cross

I. Text: Matthew 10:21-39

II. Matthew 16:24-26

A. We often study this passage alone yet it is closely linked to its context

B. Jesus is approaching the final days of His life; a life that will end on a cross

C. The cross was a form of capital punishment

D. The cross was often reserved for criminals, insurrectionists, and traitors Crucifixion was a humiliating death; abominable in the sight of the Romans and Jews alike. Roman citizens were not crucified; it was a slave’s death. Jesus had to die on the cross to save men

E. Jesus said that His followers must be ready to die—indeed consider themselves dead—in order to follow Him.

F. Peter had rebuked Jesus for saying that He would die in Jerusalem. Matthew 16:21-23 – Jesus said that Peter was like Satan for he tried to keep Jesus from doing something that He had to do.

G. However, with His comments in verses 24-26, Jesus was really telling Peter and all of the apostles, “I have to die in order to please the Father; if you want to be my disciple, you have to die too.”

H. Paul taught this important lesson to the Romans, Romans 8:9-17. In dying to the flesh, we must die to sin, Romans 6:1-2.

I. Yet we must live in Christ, which we do through baptism, Romans 6:3-9,

J. We have a new birth; the old man of sin is crucified. Jesus lives in our lives.

K. Jesus told Peter and the other apostles that they would find their lives when they died with Him.

L. Some people spend many years trying to “find themselves.”

M. They live in different places, change their looks, their physical surroundings, their jobs, all in search of themselves. Many people waste years trying to find themselves, sometimes in vain.

N. Jesus said that if we want to find ourselves, we must lose ourselves first.

O. When we come to Christ, we destroy the old man of sin

P. We destroy that which was unnatural for it was in rebellion to God We destroy that which was ruined by sin, corrupted by Satan, and a failure because it neglected God’s will in favor of self-will. We destroy the enemy within; a rebellious spirit.

Q. When we come to Christ, we find ourselves in Him.

R. Jesus was everything that man was created to be.

S. A perfect and obedient servant of God One who sought the Father’s will over His own will One who lived in harmony with God and those who obeyed Him.

T. When Christ lives in us, we go back to what we were supposed to be from creation.

U. We are beings more concerned with the work of God than self-will We have harmony and peace in our lives because we are at peace with God; we are in a trusting and loving relationship with Him. We are God’s servants doing His work to His glory We know where we are because we know who we are We find ourselves because we are what we were created to be

V. If we want to be the servant of Christ, we must die to the world, be prepared to die physically if our faith demands it, and follow Jesus

III. The cross is a high cost

A. Jesus did not want potential disciples to make the decision lightly or not know what was involved in following Him

B. The cross itself represented the ultimate price, one’s life, for Jesus.

C. Is this our love and dedication?

D. Do we say, “I’ll take my cross” but drop it when someone belittles our faith? Do we say, “I’ll take my cross” but drop it when someone wants to make us uncomfortable because our decisions, based on God’s word, will make us seem like unreasonable or “old fashioned” people? Do we say, “I’ll take my cross” but drop it when someone wants to make us uncomfortable because our decisions, based on God’s word, are unpopular? Do we say we will die for Christ when we will not even live for Him? When we take the cross, we take the commitment, the humility, the shame, and the rejection by the world that the cross represents.

E. The price the apostles paid, Matthew 10:5f

F. As Jesus sent the apostles out, He told them what their commitment to Him demanded.

G. They would suffer

H. Many would reject them and their message They would be called before councils, kings, and other rulers to answer for their faith; many would try to quiet their preaching They would be scourged, a terrible and painful punishment Some would be abandoned, perhaps even betrayed, by family and friends The world would hate them and some would seek to destroy them They will call you demonic and attribute your message to Satan Some will kill you; you may have to hang from your cross

I. The Christian could face this treatment as well.

J. Yet to the apostles, and to us, we have God’s comfort because we are suffering as our Savior did, 1 Peter 4:12-16 We also know that if we confess Christ, leading to our death, Christ will confess us to the Father, leading to our eternal life.

K. Just as God watches the sparrows, so God watches us and will take care of us by delivering us from our enemies or delivering through death.

L. If we are delivered from our enemies it is so we can continue to proclaim the glories of God, continuing to suffer for Him. If we are delivered through death, we know that we will be raised from the dead to live with Him forever (Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”)

IV. Conclusion: Are you ready to take up your cross? (Turn the service over to Josh Aaron)