In Luke 9:23, Jesus speaks words that would echo through eternity: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” At the time, His disciples couldn’t really grasp the weight of what He was saying. But I imagine that as they watched Him on Good Friday—bloody, beaten, and stumbling under the weight of His cross—those words must have become painfully clear. The call to “take up your cross” wasn’t just a poetic metaphor; it was a preview of the path Jesus Himself would walk—and the road He invites us to walk with Him.
I try to avoid pain whenever I can. I think most of us do. We’re creatures of comfort, who are naturally drawn to what feels safe and secure. And in many ways, there’s wisdom in that. But when it comes to following Jesus, comfort cannot be our go-to. Christ doesn’t call us to self-preservation, He calls us to surrender.
Jesus was never about comfort. He left the majesty and safety of heaven to take on flesh and enter a broken world. He was born in a stable, walked dusty roads, endured rejection, loved the unlovable, and served the ungrateful. And on that Friday we now call “Good,” He willingly subjected Himself to public humiliation, vicious beatings, and one of the most excruciating forms of execution the world has ever known. The Son of God—who was perfect, sinless, and divine—endured it all for us. Romans 5:8 tells us: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
At any moment, Jesus could have stopped it. He could have summoned angel armies, silenced the mockers, and stepped down from the cross. But He didn’t. Why? Because He knew the cross was the only way: the only way to break the curse of sin; the only way to reconcile us to the Father; the only way to make a way for grace.
And now, He invites us to follow Him—with our own cross: a daily surrender; a daily sacrifice. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). This is not a call to suffering for suffering’s sake, but to be a life poured out in love. It’s a call to die to pride, selfish ambition, bitterness, and fear—and to rise in obedience, compassion, mercy, and mission.
As we reflect on the cross this Good Friday, it gives us an opportunity to ask ourselves the hard but necessary questions:
- Have I truly been taking up my cross daily or have I been clinging to comfort and safety?
- What does it mean for me to deny myself and follow Jesus—at home, at work, in my relationships, in my decisions?
For some, carrying the cross might mean forgiving someone who deeply hurt you. For others, it might mean stepping out in faith into a ministry God has placed on your heart. It could look like quiet faithfulness in a world chasing recognition, or bold truth-telling in a world that prefers silence. Whatever it looks like, the cross always involves a choice—to surrender our will to God’s.
On this Good Friday, may we remember that the cross is not just a symbol to wear or a story to remember—it’s a lifestyle to embrace. The road is not easy, but it leads to life. Luke 9:24 tells us “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Lord, give us the courage to take up our cross daily. Show us the areas where we’ve grown comfortable and help us surrender them to You. Teach us to follow You not just in word, but in action—in love, in sacrifice, in faith. And may the cross not only be what saved us, but what shapes us into the people you are calling us to be. -Amen
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