Accepting and Embracing the Cross

David W Palmer

(John 13:33 NKJV) “Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ …”

Jesus was speaking of his death, and of his journey between the cross and his resurrection. He didn’t want his apprentices to take that journey with him. But he certainly expected them—along with us—to take up our crosses daily, to deny ourselves, and to follow him:

(Luke 9:23 NKJV) Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Interestingly, on this occasion he didn’t specify in detail what was about to happen to him, but previously he had given his apprentices a broad outline of his torturous death and resurrection—with seemingly little understanding from them:

(Mark 8:31 NKJV) And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Peter’s response to this news was very interesting; it showed that Peter—and probably the other disciples—either didn’t fully grasp what Jesus had said, or they filtered it through a very self-focused fleshly lens:

(Mark 8:32–33 NKJV) He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. {33} But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

I guess Jesus didn’t feel encouraged to face his darkest hour when he was rebuked by the very person he would later die for. Peter’s reaction wasn’t of the Spirit of God, despite the fact that only a couple of verses earlier he had proclaimed his revelation that Jesus was the Christ (See: Mark 8:29). Like Peter, we can easily fall into the trap of being excited over Jesus’s glory and victories; but at the same time, neither understand nor fall in love with his cross.

Later in Mark’s gospel, we see that Jesus tried again to get his disciples to understand that the cross was his destiny, and that despite its suffering it would be the ultimate victory for Jesus and all of mankind:

(Mark 9:31–32 NKJV) For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” {32} But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Soon after opening his heart to them about his hour of greatest need, Jesus’s apprentices were seen arguing among themselves as to which of them would be the greatest (See: Mark 9:33–37). This too can be a self-centered temptation for us. We can be tempted to see Jesus’s death, burial, and triumphant resurrection as a stepping-stone for our promotion rather than an example for us to follow.

So, as well as trying to get his disciples to understand this in Mark 8 and 9, again in Mark 10, our precious Lord tried in vain to impart to his disciples a revelation of the necessity of the cross as part and parcel of his life and mission:

(Mark 10:32–34 NKJV) Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: {33} “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; {34} and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

In another moment of candid intimacy, Jesus opened his heart to disclose his deepest and most precious thoughts and burden. But again, his disciples didn’t really hear his heart; and they certainly didn’t show any understanding of what he was going through. Instead, they started increasing his burden by asking him who would sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom (See: Mark 10:35–45).

Returning to John 13, we see that again when Jesus began to allude to his death, Peter’s response wasn’t one of empathy, concern, or compassion for Jesus; his focus was himself:

(John 13:36–38 NKJV) Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” {37} Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” {38} Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.”

Peter’s proud self-focused response brought forth a prophetic word from Jesus that challenged his pompous self-sufficient attitude. He had said, “I will … lay down my life for your sake.” Peter was in fact bragging on his own ability and strength when he said, “I will.” Not even Jesus laid down his life in his own willpower and strength:

(Luke 22:42–43 NKJV) Saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” {43} Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

(Hebrews 2:9 NKJV) But we see Jesus, who … by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Jesus needed strength from heaven and God’s grace to die for “everyone.” Yet Peter boasted that he could lay down his life for Jesus. His Master quickly prophesied the outcome of relying on his own strength: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.” Of course, this is exactly what happened with Peter. But at least, after failing three times by denying Jesus, Peter realized his own weakness and wept bitterly:

(Matthew 26:75 NKJV) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Today, where do you stand on embracing the cross? Do you see it as part and parcel of the Jesus life? Do you realize that it was God’s ultimate plan to save mankind? I encourage you to hear Jesus’s heart on this, and to understand the necessity of such suffering to free others. Yes, what Jesus did on the cross, we cannot repeat and don’t have to. Yet, even the apostle Paul—who recorded the revelation of the cross’s great achievements—had this to say:

(Colossians 1:24 GNT) And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body, the church.

Without doubt, following Jesus not only includes sonship, love, blessing, victory, acceptance, eternal life, and the “greater works,” but it also includes the cross. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross daily, and to follow him. Thankfully, he not only led the way into suffering that leads to great victory and freedom for others, he also showed us how to do it: he prayed earnestly, he received strength from heaven, and he embraced the cross by God’s glorious grace. His death and triumphant resurrection made all of this available for you too.