Jesus did not make His call to discipleship easy. On the contrary, He stressed the cost of following Him, showing it meant full obedience and the renunciation of all contrary plans that one might prefer to make for oneself. One way Jesus spoke about this was to talk about the cross, saying, for example, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is necessary for faithfully following Jesus; it is not optional (Luke 14:27). No one who refuses to take up their cross and follow Jesus can be a Christian. It is personal; no one can do it for you (Matthew 16:24). It is voluntary; no one is forced to take up the cross. A person must take it willingly (Matthew 19:21-22). It is mortal; the cross is meant to kill all selfish desires or ambition. We must die to self here if we would bear eternal fruit (John 12:24-26).
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