Text: Matthew 10:34-39
Jesus spoke of the need for His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. In order to appreciate what is involved with this, we need to understand Jesus’ mission and the world’s response to it. We do not want to respond as the world does. It will cost us something to follow Jesus, but the reward is worth it. In this lesson, we will consider this passage and see what Jesus taught about taking up our cross.
What Jesus Brought: A Sword (v. 34)
- The sword is an offensive weapon – when used correctly, it penetrates and cuts through the enemy
- Jesus is described elsewhere as having a sword coming from His mouth (Revelation 1:16; 2:16) – this is fitting because the Holy Spirit described the word of God as a sword (Ephesians 6:17); the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12)
- The word of God is the weapon used to overcome the enemies of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
The World’s Response: Hostility (v. 35-36)
- This is because the whole world was under the control of Satan (1 John 5:19) – all have sinned (Romans 3:23); sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2); because they are in darkness, they hate the light and refuse to come to the light (John 3:20)
- This was why Jesus was rejected and crucified (John 8:37, 40, 44) – before His death, He warned His disciples that the world would treat them the same way (John 15:18-20); even those who are closest to us in this life (i.e. family) may oppose us
The Disciple’s Response: Allegiance (v. 37)
- We are to put Christ first in all things (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 3:7-8) – sometimes, this can mean having to choose between Christ and family; He was not teaching that we must abandon family; we have certain responsibilities (Colossians 3:18-21)
- But sadly, not everyone will follow Christ, even our family members – those who follow Christ are part of a spiritual family (Matthew 12:46-50); our allegiance to Christ should cause us to choose His people over all others, including family
The Cost of Discipleship: A Cross (v. 38)
- Jesus used the cross as a symbol of this for a reason – this was a cruel method of capital punishment the Romans used against the worst criminals; Jesus would die on a cross (Acts 2:23); we must be willing to endure the same thing
- To take up our cross is to surrender our lives to Him (Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1) – this is something we do every day (Luke 9:23); we go out bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13:12-13); sometimes this reproach comes from family
The Reward of Discipleship: Life (v. 39)
- This is the way to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:6)
- We will be blessed with far more than anything we have to give up (Matthew 19:27-29)
- As Jesus was raised from the dead, we have hope of the same (Romans 6:3-5)
Conclusion
- Jesus has called us to take up our cross and follow Him – this means we must be willing to surrender our lives to Him as He gave His life for us
- The world will not understand this – they may even act with hostility toward us for this; but we must put Christ first; the reward that He offers is far greater than anything in this life
