“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” — Luke 14:27
In the last study, Disciples Exchange Self for Christ, we learned the importance of surrendering the throne of self to Christ. The next step of discipleship moves from the heart to the hands. Denying ourselves is the inward decision to yield control; carrying the cross is the outward expression of that surrender. It is where devotion becomes endurance and private commitment becomes public witness. To take up our cross is to live each day visibly aligned with Jesus, no matter the cost. We are to walk the same path He walked, trusting that the way of the cross always leads to life.
When Jesus called His followers to “carry their cross,” it would have been shocking to His hearers. Remember, this is before Jesus was crucified, so the image of the cross would have meant something very different. To those who heard Him that day, the cross was not a symbol of faith, or of Jesus’s redemption – it was brutal image of an excruciating death.
The image of criminals or those who opposed Rome, carrying their crossbeams to the place of execution, was a scene familiar to everyone. So, when Jesus spoke these words, His listeners would have been struck by the seriousness and the audacity of His call. He was asking them to follow Him on a path of surrender, suffering, and death.
Through the light of Scripture, we now understand that the call to carry the cross is not a call to despair and hopelessness, but to discipleship. It is a summons to die to the old life so that we might live fully in Christ. Every believer who follows Jesus will, at some point, face this same choice – to cling to self or to surrender all to Him. The cross, become the test of genuine discipleship: a life laid down for the sake of love, obedience, and the glory of God.
The Cross and the Cost of Following Jesus
Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy. In fact, He warned that it would cost everything. Reading the passages directly following this verse, Jesus told two parables about the importance of counting the cost, and concluded: “in the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Lk 14:33). These are not the words of a teacher trying to win popularity; they are the words of a Savior calling for total devotion.
In the first century, to “carry the cross” meant to embrace death to one’s plans, desires and goals . It meant letting go of every competing loyalty: wealth, reputation, comfort, and even relationships for the sake of Christ. True discipleship cannot be added to an already self-centered life; it requires the surrender of that life altogether.
When we accept Jesus’ invitation, we are saying that we trust Him more than our own lives. Our desires and our need for control is stripped away, and all pretenses of self-sufficiency are yielded to Christ. It is not about adding a little religion to our schedule but about reorienting our entire existence around His will.
The Cross as a Daily Choice
Luke’s Gospel expands this image further when Jesus says, “Take up your cross daily” (Luke 9:23). Discipleship is not a one-time decision; it is a daily sequence of saying yes to Jesus and no to self. Every day, we are confronted with moments that test whether we will live for ourselves or for Jesus. Carrying the cross daily means surrendering our pride, recognition, and our attachment to worldly success. It means resisting the temptation to compromise truth for comfort. It means choosing to serve rather than be served, to forgive when wronged, to love when it is costly, and to obey when obedience is difficult.
This is not easy, but it is possible, because the One who calls us to carry the cross carried His own first. Jesus did not merely teach about sacrifice; He embodied it. He bore the cross all the way to Calvary so that through His death, we could have life. When He calls us to carry our cross, He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done. He is inviting us to walk in His footsteps, strengthened by His Spirit and sustained by His grace.
In its essence, the cross is the means of transformation. It is where our old nature is crucified and where Christ’s life begins to take shape within us. In this way, the cross becomes both the symbol and the substance being a Disciple of Jesus.
The Cross or the Way of the World
The call to carry the cross stands in stark contrast to the values of our culture. The world tells us to pursue comfort, success, and self-fulfillment. Jesus tells us to pursue faithfulness, humility, and obedience. The world says, “You deserve ease and happiness.” Jesus says, “Follow Me, even when it leads to hardship.”
To carry the cross in today’s world is to live with a countercultural mindset. It means we no longer measure life by how much we gain, but by how much we give. It means choosing integrity over popularity and conviction over compromise.
The cross reminds us that discipleship is not about what we get from Jesus but about who we become in Him. The cost is high, but the reward is eternal. As Jesus said, “Whoever loses their life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16:25).
What this Means for a Disciple Today
For believes in today’s world, carrying the cross may not involve brutal persecution or martyrdom, though for many around the world it still does. But it always involves sacrifice and surrender. To carry your cross today means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, no matter the cost. It means trusting His wisdom when we don’t understand His ways, obeying His Word when it conflicts with our desires, and loving others when it demands sacrifice. We are called to stand firm in our faith, no matter the cost.
Every act of obedience, no matter how small, is a step along the path of the cross. Every time we choose holiness over compromise, we participate in the life of Christ. The cross becomes not a symbol of loss, but of victory, because it reminds us that our lives are hidden with Christ in God.
Discipleship, at its very core, is about imitation. Jesus carried His cross for the joy set before Him, the joy of redeeming us and restoring us to the Father. When we carry ours, we share in that same joy. Though the world may not understand it, the cross is where we find true freedom. It is not the end of life, but the beginning of the life that never ends.
Carrying the cross is not the end of discipleship but the beginning of a transformed life. As we daily walk in surrender and obedience, Christ begins to shape His character within us. In the next study, The Sign of a Disciple – Bearing Fruit, we will discover that the life that dies to self becomes the very soil in which spiritual fruit can grow. Obedience and endurance produce what Jesus calls “fruit that will last” – The visible evidence that we belong to Him.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
What do you think Jesus meant when He told His followers to “carry their cross”?
How would His original audience, those who lived under Roman rule, have understood this image compared to how we might hear it today?
Why do you think Jesus made this statement a requirement for discipleship?
What does it reveal about the seriousness and cost of following Him?
Carrying the cross means dying to self.
In what areas of your life do you find it most difficult to surrender control or personal ambition to Christ?
Suffering and sacrifice are not accidents in the Christian life, they are part of the journey.
Can you recall a time when obedience to Christ required you to endure loss, hardship, or misunderstanding? What did you learn from that experience?
How can carrying your cross daily be an act of love and worship rather than duty or burden?
What practices help keep your focus on Jesus rather than the weight of the cross itself?
Our crosses may look different.
How can we avoid comparing our struggles or sacrifices to others’, and instead find encouragement in the unique path Jesus has called each of us to walk?
Carrying the cross ultimately leads to resurrection life.
How does the promise of new life in Christ give you hope to persevere in moments when discipleship feels costly or painful?
My name is Michael Adkins. For several decades I’ve been studying Scripture, developing discipleship resources, and teaching others how to walk more closely with Christ. Currently, I serve as the Discipleship Pathway Leader at Riverside International Church in Cascais, Portugal, where my passion is helping believers grow into mature disciples who live out their faith in everyday life.