Crosswalk

Reading: Luke 18:18-23

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Lk 9:23)

These words of Jesus set the supreme condition for discipleship. All the four Gospels record them. Actually in

Matthew and Luke this saying of Jesus is found twice (Mt 10:38; 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23; 14:27; Jn

12:25).

Many people come "to" Jesus; but very few come "after" Him. "Come to Me" was Christ's message to the

unsaved; "Come after Me" was His message to those who joined Him. Coming to Jesus means enjoying

privileges, primarily; but going after Him involves enduring problems, essentially. When we come to Jesus we

receive forgiveness of sins; when we go after Him, we must renounce our sinful self.

The percentage of backsliders is high these days because the call to come to Jesus is proclaimed repeatedly

whereas the challenge to go after him is presented rarely. There are numerous sermons to describe what we

can "get," but very few to prescribe what we must "give up!" According to Matthew Henry (1662-1714) the

great Bible Commentator, the first lesson in Christ's school is self-denial. There's no other way to live a

Christian life than by continual death to self. This was the example shown by Jesus-

He denied Himself of the place of unending happiness and became a "Man of Sorrows." (Isa 53:3)
He denied Himself of the heavenly company and became a "Friend of Sinners." (Mt 11:19)
He denied Himself of the eternal glory of the godhead and became a rejected "stone." (1 Pet 2:7)
He denied Himself of being served to continually by the armies of heaven and became a "humble
slave." (Phil 2:7,8)
He denied Himself of being worshipped day and night by angels and became a "laughing stock"
before men. (Mt 27:39)
The Holy Son of God was charged as demon-possessed and an agent of Beelzebub. (Jn 7:20; 8:52; Lk 11:15)

Saying "yes" to the cross and "no" to self is true discipleship. It is

more difficult to say "yes" to the cross than

to say "no" to self. A true disciple is one who does both.

Kingdom Seekers