Jesus Transforms Cross-bearers

Once, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” [1]

It is we, not Jesus, who are judged by our answer. In fact, we answer this question daily by what we believe and do.

Peter knew that Jesus is the Christ of God. The Messiah from the heart of God, not the Messiah from the desire of man!

“He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed.’” [2]

Jesus didn’t want His identity popularly known before the proper time. How could the crowds embrace a suffering Messiah? Many expected or hoped that He would be a political messiah.

But His Messiahship was planned before the world began.

“[You were redeemed] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.” [3]

“And be raised the third day.” [4]

His suffering and death was not an end. It was a beginning.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” [5]

Before a man died on a cross, he had to carry his cross (or at least the horizontal beam of the cross) to the place of execution. No one took up a cross voluntarily. It was impressed on him.

Jesus calls us to voluntarily take up our cross. The cross symbolizes self-denial. It is not about self-promotion or self-affirmation. The cross means to live as an others-centered person. “Daily!” No one could be crucified daily. Jesus was speaking metaphorically.

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” [6]

You don’t lose a seed when you plant it, you set it free to be transformed into what it was always intended to be.

Giving our lives to Jesus and living as others-centered people does not take our lives from us, it transforms our lives into something new and better. [7]

[1] Luke 9:20
[2] Luke 9:21-22
[3] 1 Peter 1:19-20
[4] Luke 9:22
[5] Luke 9:23
[6] Luke 9:24
[7] Much of the commentary derived from the Enduring Word Commentary