Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26
The Jewish people at the time of Christ were all too familiar with crucifixion. The Romans used it not just as a punishment for offenders but as a deterrent to others to keep them from breaking the law. The public humiliation, the painful agony of prolonged death, and the grim reminder of the cost of going against Rome were all part of a calculated process. As Jesus carried out His earthy ministry, He knew He was heading for Calvary and the cross, but that did not deter Him.
Tozer wrote, “The man in Roman times who took the cross and started down the road has already said goodbye to his friends. He was not coming back. He was not going out to have his life re-directed; he was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise; modified nothing; spared nothing. It slew all of the man completely, and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with the victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.”
Despite the cost, Jesus declared that His followers would have to be willing to make that kind of sacrifice. In fact, Jesus said that anyone who is unwilling to pay the cost cannot truly follow in His steps: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). The cost of salvation was paid in full by Jesus, and it is completely free to us. But the cost of true discipleship is high and only as we are willing to pay it are we living like the Lord.
