Take Up Your Cross (Matthew 16:24-28)

Take Up Your Cross (Matthew 16:24-28)

 

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

 

Intro)

 

1. A woman was going through an incredibly difficult time. She was enduring through her faith, but each day was getting harder and harder to live.

 

Things were so difficult, she would constantly cry out, “Lord! Life is so hard. Life is so exhausting!” The one day she dreamt that she was dragging a large cross on her back. While she was walking, she met Jesus and said to him, “Lord, this is too difficult. You are a carpenter. Please cut my cross so it is smaller.”

 

Jesus smiles and cut off part of her cross. The woman asked Jesus to cut away her cross three more times and each time Jesus agreed. The woman’s cross became much lighter.

 

The woman them came across the Jordan River. She saw others around her take their full-sized cross, lay it across the river, and cross it easily. But the woman’s cross was too small to be a bridge and so she sat down and cried for Jesus, but he never came.

 

Just then the woman woke up. She heard the Lord’s voice. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” At this the woman so joyful to learn it was all a dream and she cried out “Amen! Amen!”

As a Christian, it is impossible to live a life with without any trials or obstacles.

 

Even Jesus could not avoid it. But trials lead to great blessings. Do you have a heavy cross like the woman? Do you ask for Jesus to cut it away and lighten your burden?

 

Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

 

 2. An American couple watched a famous Passion play about Jesus’ crucifixion in Oberammergau, Germany. After the performance the couple went backstage and spoke with the actor who played Jesus. While talking, the husband noticed the cross the actor used.

 

The husband asked his wife to take a picture of him with the cross. He tried to lift the cross but found it was too heavy. He turned to the actor and said, “I thought it was empty inside. Why is it so heavy?”

 

The actor answered, “If I didn’t feel how heavy it was firsthand I would not be able to give a true performance.”

 

A) Without the cross there is no glory.

 

1. In the Bible, James and John’s mother approaches Jesus and asked him to seat her sons on his left and right side. To this, Jesus replies, “Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”

 

Like James and John, we sometimes greedily seek the Lord’s glory and blessings without first enduring the pain and trials of Christ.

 

2. The Jewish often ask, “If you have a weak cow and a strong cow, to which cow would you give a heavy load?”

 

Of course you would give the heavy load to the strong cow because it can handle it. If our cross ever feels heavy, we much remember that we were only given it because God knew we could handle it.

 

3. Everyone has his/her own cross he/she must carry. The crosses may be different sizes and weights, but no one is without one. Parents, children, pastors, everyone has a cross.

 

Many people resolve and promise to carry their cross but when the time comes to truly take on the cross, they throw it away. Even Jesus’ 12 disciples reacted the same way.

 

4. When Jesus was carrying the cross up Golgotha there was one thing the disciples could have done to help him.

 

Jesus fell 14 times while carrying the cross because he had grown so weak. He was so badly hurt that even the Roman soldiers recognized someone needed to carry the cross otherwise they’d be late. So they picked Simon of Cyrene from the crowd to carry Jesus’ cross, allowing Jesus to be relieved from the burden for a short time.

 

How brave would it have been if Peter, who had always been so eager to come forth, had said, “Lord, I will take the cross for you”? Or if John, the youngest and most beloved by Jesus, had done so?

 

If one of them had done this, how beautiful would it have been? How proud and thankful would Jesus have been?

 

But in reality the disciples were not even visible during this time. No one, not anyone from the countless people Jesus helped from curing illnesses to raising from the dead to driving out demons, had come forth to help him.

 

B) Carry the cross of the gospel

 

1. There are two types of crosses: a cross of delusion and a cross of the gospel.

 

The cross of delusion is a cross of trials but not trials that come from faith; rather it is trials that come from one’s human greed and sin.

 

On the other hand, the cross of the gospel brings trials that would not come if it one did not have faith.

 

As disciples of Jesus we do not carry the cross of delusion but the cross of the gospel. Which cross do you carry?

 

2. The cross symbolizes sacrifice. What kind of cross do I need to carry to bring God’s kingdom to Earth? Am I doing all I can to avoid the responsibility? If so, you must stop doing that. The cross is not something you can avoid.

 

To follow Jesus’ path is not to follow the path to glory. Rather, it is to follow the path of the cross. Jesus takes the greatest joy in those who take up his cross wherever they go.

 

3. There is no way to revive our spirits and receive blessings if we are avoiding the cross in our lives of faith. To receive blessings we must take on our cross. If we cast aside our crosses because it is heavy and burdensome, the doors to our blessings close. The cross is vital in our life of faith.

 

4. There are many who claim to have some sort of divine power and connection. Some can see visions, see heaven, and make predictions. But are these people who have the greatest faith? Not necessarily. Those of the greatest faith are those who carry the cross for the Lord.

 

C) The cross leads us to happiness.

 

1. Our lives feel empty at times. If this is ever so, take on and carry the cross. Living a fruitful life means that we have received the proper reward for our stewardship. But if you are feeling emptiness, it is the result of chasing after your own desires.

 

Thus, if you live a fruitful life, then you are carrying your cross well. If you feel empty, then you have been turning away from your cross.

 

2. Some say, “As a woman ages, her value drops. As a mother ages, her value increases.” Why is this so? It is because a mother carries the cross of sacrifice and devotion. If you give to others and place others above yourselves, happiness will find you and your life will become much more precious. The cross is the miraculous key to solving all the problems of life.

 

3. one day, a conflict came up in a family. A husband was against his wife going to church. The wife was so distressed she prayed each morning for 40 days. As she listened to the Word and prayed, she realized that the only path was the path of the cross. From then on she did all she could so serve her husband. At the end of the 40 days, an opportunity for a sincere conversation came up.

 

“Dear, thank you so much for all you have done these past 10 years. I should have been better to you…” To this the husband was puzzled and questioned why she was acting like this, but it was clear he liked the compliments. They spoke a bit more and then the wife opened up to her husband.

 

“Dear, I truly love you… But I can’t live without my faith. Please help me live a life of faith.” To this the husband replied tersely, “If you’re going to continue doing the housework this well, then go to church all you want!”

 

With this the wife was able to live much happier, and it was not long before the husband also started going to church.

 

When we follow Jesus and carry his cross, miraculous things will take place. The Bible promises us that if we carry the cross the Lord will fill our cup so much more and greater than we could ever imagine.

 

 4. There is no way for us to know what our futures hold, but we have no need to know. All we need to know is that if we carry our crosses and serve Him, then the Lord will guide us to the most blessed place of His vision for us. Take up the cross and be victorious.

 

Conclusion)

 

1. What kind of cross are you carrying right now? What kind of cross is burdening you right now?

 

Regardless of what you answer is, remember that the cross you carry was given to you because God knew you were more than capable of taking it on. No cross is too much to handle. Hence Jesus told us to take up the cross and follow him.

 

2. Let us all take the cross Jesus gave to us with joy and faith and come out victorious.

 

    * 찬송: “Are Ye Able?, Said the Master” (519)