What It Means to Take Up Your Cross Today
“If anyone wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”(Matthew 16:24 AMP)
These words from Yeshua are not poetic suggestions. They are the heartbeat of Christian life—a daily call to surrender and a sacred summons to follow Him no matter the cost. In 2025, this ancient call is just as urgent. What does it look like to deny yourself and take up your cross in the modern world? What does it mean to truly follow Jesus in a culture built on self-promotion, comfort, and compromise?
Let us open our hearts to this holy invitation.
What It Means to Deny Yourself Today
To deny yourself is to reject the lie that your life is your own. It is to willingly lay aside your preferences, pride, and personal ambitions so you may fully follow Yeshua. In our modern context, this looks like:
- Turning down financial gain when it requires moral compromise.
- Choosing time with God over endless scrolling or entertainment.
- Honoring biblical truth even when it isolates you socially.
- Choosing humility in marriage and meekness in conflict.
Self-denial is not self-hatred—it is Christ-exaltation. You are choosing a better Lord over a lesser life.
What It Means to Take Up Your Cross Today
Taking up your cross is not a one-time act. It is a posture of heart, a willingness to endure suffering, rejection, or even death for the sake of following Yeshua. In 2025, the crosses we carry may look like:
- Being mocked for standing on Scripture in a hostile workplace.
- Choosing sexual purity in a world obsessed with indulgence.
- Enduring family rejection because of your faith.
- Staying obedient when it’s costly or painful.
The cross is not just a burden—it is a bridge to glory.
What It Means to Follow Jesus Today
To follow Jesus is to walk in His footsteps—trusting Him, loving others, and obeying His Word no matter the consequences. It means:
- Imitating His compassion to the broken.
- Speaking truth boldly, even when unpopular.
- Seeking intimacy with God above all else.
- Living like eternity is real—because it is.
Yeshua does not offer a safe path. He offers a holy one. But in following Him, we find life more abundant than anything this world offers.
Losing Your Life to Find It
Yeshua’s paradox still confronts every generation: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25 AMP)
This isn’t religious rhetoric—it’s the deep reality of discipleship. Saving your life means clinging to control, comfort, and compromise. Losing it means surrendering it fully to Yeshua. Only then do we truly find life with God—here and forever.
Examples today include:
- Letting go of relationships that hinder your walk.
- Choosing obedience when no one is watching.
- Investing in God’s Kingdom instead of worldly treasures.
You were never made to carry the weight of your own life. You were made to give it back to the One who gave it to you.
What Is Your Soul Worth?
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26 AMP)
Fame, fortune, and influence mean nothing if you lose your soul. This is the quiet tragedy of our age: people trading eternity for a few fleeting years of applause. But your soul is priceless. Do not sell it for anything.
In 2025, soul-selling may look like:
- Abandoning convictions to climb the corporate ladder.
- Compromising your values to keep peace.
- Silencing your witness to be accepted.
Let us be the generation that guards our souls with fear and trembling—and joy.
The King Is Coming
“The Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27 AMP)
Yeshua will return—not as a lamb, but as a reigning King. He will reward every hidden act of faithfulness and judge every work. This is not a threat, but a promise. Live like eternity is near. Because it is.
Every choice matters. Every moment counts.
Living in the Tension of the Kingdom
“Some standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28 AMP)
That word came to pass through the Transfiguration, the resurrection, and Pentecost. But its full fulfillment is yet to come. We live in the “already, but not yet”—citizens of a Kingdom we cannot yet see, but already belong to.
So, we:
- Pray like revival is near.
- Preach like souls are at stake.
- Live like our King reigns now.
Final Reflection
The cross still calls. The crown still awaits. Yeshua’s words have not changed—only the culture around us. In a world screaming “preserve yourself,” Jesus whispers, “Lose yourself… for My sake.”
And in losing our lives, we find the life that never ends.
Closing Prayer
Abba, we come with open hands and surrendered hearts. We no longer want to preserve our lives—we want to pour them out for Your glory. Teach us to deny ourselves daily, take up our cross with joy, and follow Your Son with fire in our hearts. May we live with eternity in view and obedience in every step. Let us treasure the soul more than success, the cross more than comfort, and the Kingdom more than the world. In the name of Yeshua, our King and Savior, Amen.