Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23 are both clear and challenging:
“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'” (ESV)
This verse isn’t meant to be poetic or symbolic. It’s a real call to daily surrender. Jesus spoke these words not just to His twelve disciples but to the crowd. That includes us – anyone who desires to follow Him. But what does it actually mean to take up your cross daily in practical terms?
Let’s break it down piece by piece, with a heart to live it.
Denying Yourself: Living for Someone Greater
The first command is to deny yourself. That’s not self-hatred. It’s not rejecting your personality or your God-given identity. Denying yourself means refusing to let your own desires run your life. It means saying no to sin and selfish ambition, even when no one else sees.
We live in a culture that says, “Follow your heart.” Jesus says, “Follow Me.”
To deny yourself is to put Christ’s will above your own. If your flesh wants revenge, deny it. If pride wants attention, deny it. If fear wants to silence your witness, deny it. You choose Christ’s way, not your own.
When you take up your cross daily, you choose God’s way even when it costs something.
Taking Up Your Cross: Choosing Sacrifice Over Comfort
In Jesus’ time, the cross wasn’t a religious symbol. It was a death sentence. When He said “take up your cross,” His listeners knew He meant something serious. A person carrying a cross was on their way to die.
To take up your cross daily is to die to your old self every day. It means accepting that following Jesus may involve loss – reputation, comfort, even relationships. You may face rejection for your faith. You may be misunderstood. But you’re willing to carry that because Jesus carried His cross for you.
This isn’t about suffering for the sake of suffering. It’s about following Jesus wherever He leads, even if the road is hard.
Paul puts it this way in Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
That’s what cross-carrying looks like: laying down your own life so that Christ can live through you.
Daily Commitment: Not Just a One-Time Decision
Jesus didn’t say take up your cross once. He said daily. This is not a one-time decision at an altar. It’s a daily rhythm of surrender.
Each morning you have a choice: Will I live for myself, or will I follow Jesus today?
Following Christ means you get up, deny yourself again, pick up your cross again, and keep walking behind Him. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it. Because He is worthy.
You may fail. You may stumble. But every day is another opportunity to get back up and choose obedience.
To take up your cross daily means to wake up with a willingness to lose everything for the sake of Christ -and do it again tomorrow.
Following Jesus: Walking the Narrow Road
Denying yourself and taking up your cross prepares you to do the third thing Jesus calls us to: follow Him.
This is the heart of the Christian life – not rule-following, but Person-following. You’re not just giving things up for the sake of it. You’re giving things up to gain Christ.
And where does Jesus lead? To life. To peace. To glory. But first, He leads through the path of the cross. Through suffering, obedience, and surrender. Then comes the crown.
John 12:26 says:
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.”
When you follow Jesus, you go where He goes. Sometimes that means lonely places. Sometimes it means service no one sees. Sometimes it means bold witness in a hostile world. But it always means you’re with Him. And that’s worth everything.
A Life Worth Living
The Christian life is not about comfort. It’s about calling. It’s not about safety. It’s about sacrifice. But it’s the only life worth living.
Every day, we must choose: Self or Christ? Comfort or the cross? The temporary or the eternal?
The good news is, we don’t walk this road alone. Jesus not only calls us to take up our cross daily, He walked the road before us. He knows the weight. He gives us strength.
When we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, we’re not losing life. We’re finding it.
As Jesus said just one verse later, in Luke 9:24:
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
So today, take Him at His word. Deny yourself. Take up your cross daily. Follow Him. He is worth it.
Closing Encouragement:
If you’re struggling to let go of something today, remember: Jesus never calls you to surrender without giving you more in return. He gave everything for you. Let’s give everything for Him.
Let this be the rhythm of your life – deny, carry, follow. And do it with joy, because you’re not following a religion. You’re following a risen Savior.
Spread the Gospel; lives depend on it!
I pray, MARANATHA! (Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!)
Your brother in Christ,
Duane
Read all of our Principles for Christian Living in the Last Days
Read the Bible Online – We recommend:
The ESV (English Standard Version) for reading
The NASB (New American Standard Bible) for in-depth study
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