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The Other Cross

12-20-11

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If people in the United States were asked who Jesus was, most would know. If people were asked what the cross of Jesus was all about, most would only partially know. But a few people would possible answer that the cross represented Jesus’ sacrificial death for us. They might mention that Jesus took our sins upon himself and then died a horrible death on a cross as a substitute for us. They might talk about how much he loved us to take the punishment that we deserved upon himself. They might even talk about Jesus dying on the cross so that a new covenant of grace and mercy would begin. But if we were to ask people if they understood the “other cross” that Jesus mentioned in the bible very few would know about it. And yet Jesus talked about the “other cross” and made it very clear that it was absolutely critical to our spiritual life. The verses below will make it clear.  

Luke 9:23-26 (NIV 1984)

²³ Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? ²⁶ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

 

 

Notice in verse twenty three above that Jesus tells us to take up “our cross”. “Our cross” is the “other cross” that Jesus taught about. In its simplest meaning the cross of Jesus represents dying. So when Jesus tells us to take up our cross he is telling us to die to ourselves or die to our sinful desires or resist our sinful desires. That is why he also says in verse twenty three that we must “deny ourselves”. He is referring to us giving up our sinful desires. Then Jesus says that we should “follow him”. “Follow him” means we should live our life focused on righteousness or sinlessness as he did.

 

 

In verse twenty four Jesus talks about losing our life and saving our life. He is explaining that if we want to keep our life of sin in this life we will lose our eternal life with him in heaven. But if we lose our life of sin here and now on earth, we will gain our eternal life with him in heaven.

 

 

Notice in verse twenty five that Jesus says that if a man gains the whole “world” or we could say gains all the sin in the world, he will lose his very self. Gaining the whole “world” is best described in the first verse noted below. The second verse below tells us that loving the “world” or loving the sin in the world separates us from God.     

1 John 2:16 (NIV 1984)

¹⁶ For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

1 John 2:15 (NIV 1984)

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 

We mentioned above that the simplest meaning of the cross relates to dying to ourselves. But now let’s consider a few other aspects of the cross or dying to self:

 

First, Jesus’ cross not only caused death but it caused a horribly great deal of physical, emotional and psychological pain. Some historical and scriptural accounts of his crucifixion describe the most horrible death anyone could possibly imagine. Thank God that most of us will not have to die by literally being crucified as some Christians have. Most of our crosses will only involve emotional and psychological pain as we resist temptation. Our cross is no where near as painful as Jesus’ cross.

 

Hebrews 12:4 (NIV 1984)

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding        your blood.

Secondly, let’s consider the fact that Jesus suffered his crucifixion alone. He

had no one there to encourage him or to comfort him. Almost everyone

around him at that time hated him and wanted to cause him pain. On the other

hand, as we suffer our cross, we usually have someone with us as we resist sin

to comfort us or suffer with us. But even with others around us, we still must

resist temptation totally on our own. No one else can suffer the resisting of sin

for us. The verse below notes Jesus himself telling his followers that he will

suffer all alone.

 

John 16:32 (NIV 1984)

³² “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to                                  this own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

Thirdly, in the process of dying on the cross Jesus proved his obedience to God his Father. Because God asked Jesus to come to earth live a sinless life then die a horrible death on a cross. So that “we” might be forgiven of our sins and then be allowed to live throughout eternity in heaven with God. When Jesus died on the cross for us he was showing the world what absolute obedience to God really was all about. In his case it meant obedience to death. As we take up our cross daily, as Jesus said to, we also are being

obedient to God.

Philippians 2:8 (NIV 1984)

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

 

 

Fourthly, Jesus’ cross also had an aspect of joy. It is hard to believe that Jesus could have any joy come from the suffering on a cross, but he did. Just as we can have joy or feel good about ourselves when we successfully resist temptation as God wants us to. However, the joy that Jesus has is far greater than ours because his cross saved a multitude of people. The verse below explains Jesus’ joy.

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV 1984)

² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

 

In conclusion let’s look at a few more verses to better understand this concept of our cross and the absolute necessity of taking up our cross daily as Jesus said.

Luke 14:26 (NIV 1984)

²⁷ And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Galatians 5:24-25 (NIV 1984)

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

Romans 6:5 (NIV 1984)

 ⁵ If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

 

 

If we decide that we want to be in heaven some day with God then we must fully understand the three verses above. We “must carry our cross” and if we belong to Jesus we “must have crucified the sinful nature” and if we want to be united with Jesus in his resurrection we “must also be united with him on the cross”.

Imagine if you will, standing before God on judgment day and hearing him say to you, “why did you not want to be my disciple”, “why did you not want to take up your cross”, “why did you not crucify your sinful nature”. Now imagine how your judgment will end.

 

Please consider the “other cross” and take it up daily.