Luke 9:23
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me…”
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As you look at the cross, what do you see? Who do you remember? Do you see it just as a sign of burden? Or do you see it as an instrument of salvation and total sacrifice?
The cross is incomplete without Jesus. Before Him, the cross is just a symbol of death for many. It was just a symbol of punishment for those who are condemned to die.
But with Jesus on the cross, it takes a whole new meaning. It now symbolizes life, sacrifice, and salvation for us all.
And "taking up your cross" refers to giving your whole life to God, as Jesus was about to give His life for us. This involves bearing burdens, but it is deeper than that. It is a total dedication of life.
Our whole life is given to His service in anything He says. This will lead us to willingly deny self. Following Him then requires us to live as He lived His life.
We must live lives of complete and total submission to the will of God. So the next time you look at the cross, you should have Jesus with it – for with Him, the cross becomes the living symbol of life with the Lord.
Let us pray +
That we may live in your eternal love, O Savior of our souls, we sing eternally, "Live, Jesus! Jesus is the one I love! Live, Jesus, you whom I love. I love Jesus who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen +
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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