24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24–25 ESV)
In the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ rebuking Peter (Matt. 16:12-23) he began to instruct His disciples. He told them, ““If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” What exactly did Jesus mean by this statement?
What Jesus said was in the form of a cause and effect. The causal statement was “If anyone would come after me.” Anyone could be any certain someone: young or old, rich or poor, male or female, slave or free. To come (ἔρχομαι; erchomai) means to arrive at a destination or to one’s senses. The arrival of any individual Jesus said was not to a place, but rather to a person; Himself.
However, Jesus taught that there was a condition if anyone would seek to follow Him. The effect condition to the corresponding cause was “…let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
To deny (ἀπαρνέομαι; aparneomai) is a command to be personally obeyed. It means to utterly reject oneself as the source of salvation. There is no self-salvation for the believer in Jesus Christ except faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
“To deny oneself means to renounce the old self, the self as it is apart from regenerating grace. A person who denies himself gives up all reliance on whatever he is by nature, and depends for salvation on God alone,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen. “He no longer seeks to promote his own predominately selfish interests but has become wrapped up in the cause of promoting the glory of God in his own and in every life and also in every sphere of endeavor.”
The best interpretation of Matthew 16:24 is Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Such an individual is also commanded to take up his cross. To take up (αἴρω; airo) means to carry and lift something. The something in mind is his own cross. Jesus previously declared this same statement to His disciples in Matthew 10:38.
“To them it would have evoked a picture of a violent, degrading death. He was demanding total commitment from them—even unto physical death—and making this call to full surrender a part of the message they were to proclaim to others. This same call to life-or-death devotion to Christ is repeated in Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27. For those who come to Christ with self-renouncing faith, there will be true and eternal life (Matt. 10:39),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.
Finally, such an individual who denies self-salvation and takes up a total commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is commanded to follow. To follow (ἀκολουθέω; akoloutheo) means to obey.
“One follows Christ by trusting in him, walking in his footsteps (I Peter 2:21), obeying his commandments out of gratitude for salvation through him and being willing even to suffer in his cause.” says Dr. Hendriksen. “Only then, when he is willing and ready to do this, can he truly be Christ’s disciple.”
Jesus’ call to follow Him remains the same. It is no different in the 21st century than it was in 1st century. Jesus demands total self-renunciation and total Christ focused exaltation. May this be said of us.
Soli deo Gloria!
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