24 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. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 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?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:24-28 KJV)
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
Christ, having shown his disciples that he must suffer—and that he was ready and willing to do so—now shows them that they must also suffer and be ready and willing. This is a weighty and serious discourse.
Here, Jesus lays down the law of discipleship and sets the terms upon which we may have the honor and benefit of being his followers (Matthew 16:24). He spoke this to his disciples so they might not only teach others but also examine their own sincerity by this standard.
What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?
It is to come after him. When Christ called his disciples, he said, “Follow me.” A true disciple follows Christ in obedience and will follow him into glory. A disciple does not lead or correct Christ—as Peter mistakenly tried to do—but follows, like sheep after a shepherd, servants after a master, or soldiers after their captain. A disciple aims at the same goal as Christ: the glory of God. They walk as Christ walked, are led by his Spirit, follow in his steps, submit to his guidance, and follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Revelation 14:4).
What is required of those who would be Christ’s disciples?
Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after me…” (Matthew 16:24). This speaks of a deliberate, willing, and resolute choice. Some follow Christ merely by influence or custom, but Christ wants his people to come to him freely and willingly (Psalm 110:3).
It is as if Christ said, “If anyone—not yet my disciple—truly desires to follow me, or if you, my current disciples, desire to remain faithful, know that these are the terms. You must follow me in suffering as in all things. So when you count the cost, expect this.” Now what are these terms?
1. Let him deny himself.
Peter had urged Christ to avoid suffering, and he himself might later be tempted to do the same. But Christ teaches that his followers must not spare themselves—they must deny themselves. Jesus’ entire life, from birth to death, was an act of self-denial and self-emptying (Philippians 2:7–8). If this lesson is hard, it is no harder than what our Master endured—for our redemption and as our example. The servant is not above his Lord.
Self-denial is essential to Christian discipleship. We must deny ourselves absolutely—not admiring our own will, trusting our own wisdom, or seeking our own interests. We must deny ourselves comparatively—for Christ, his glory, and the good of others. Even bodily desires must be set aside for the soul’s benefit.
2. Let him take up his cross.
The cross symbolizes all kinds of suffering—whether from natural afflictions or from persecution for righteousness’ sake. Christians call their troubles “crosses” in reference to Christ’s crucifixion. We must not be afraid of suffering because we share it with Christ, who bore it first.
Each disciple has a cross to bear. As each has their duty, each also has a burden, suited by divine wisdom and providence. We should recognize our particular cross, accept it, and carry it. Though we often imagine we could bear someone else’s burden better than our own, the one God has given us is best for us.
Jesus likely alludes to the Roman practice of forcing condemned criminals to carry their own crosses. When Simon carried Jesus’ cross, this image was literally fulfilled. The cross lies in our path; we don’t create it, but we must not avoid it either. We must not step out of our duty to escape suffering, nor rush into danger recklessly. Instead, we take up the cross God has placed before us and carry it willingly, trusting that it will work for our good.
Taking up the cross means not merely enduring hardship, but doing so with purpose. We do not say, “I must bear this because I cannot avoid it,” but, “I will bear this because it will benefit me.” When we rejoice in affliction, we are truly taking up our cross. This command follows naturally after self-denial. One who refuses to deny themselves the pleasures of sin or worldly gain will never have the heart to bear a cross for Christ.
3. Let him follow me.
Those who suffer must look to Jesus for both direction and encouragement. As we bear our cross, we follow Christ—who bore his cross before us, for us, and ultimately with us. He took the heaviest part—the part that bore the curse—and left us the lighter end. More broadly, we must follow Christ in holiness and obedience, imitating his example, doing good despite opposition. To follow Christ is to both do good and suffer evil.
Jesus says, “If anyone will come after me, let him follow me.” This may mean: if anyone will publicly profess to follow me, let him truly live as a disciple. Or, if anyone begins with good intentions, let him persevere and finish the course—like Caleb, who followed the Lord fully.
Why should we accept these terms of discipleship?
Self-denial and suffering are hard lessons and will never be learned if we consult only with flesh and blood. So we must consult our Lord and listen to his counsel. Consider these motivations:
1. Eternity hangs on our choice (Matthew 16:25):
“Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Those who deny Christ to preserve earthly life will lose eternal life. Those who lose their life for Christ will gain it eternally. The choice is between eternal life and eternal loss.
2. Apostasy leads to misery:
In the course of following Christ, there may come a time when you will have to choose between saving your life or denying Jesus. It has happened many times in the past and, currently, it is happening in North Korea and all Muslim dominated countries and regions in the world. In such situations, you either choose to abandon Christianity or face suffering and death.
According to Jesus’ teachings, he who forsakes Christ to preserve a temporary life and avoid a temporary death will certainly miss eternal life and be harmed by the second death. There may be a strong excuse for apostasy—saving one’s life—but it is ultimately foolishness, for it leads to eternal ruin. The life saved is momentary; the death avoided is like a sleep; but the life lost is eternal, and the death endured is endless misery and separation from all good. Let any rational person judge whether anything is truly gained in the long run by apostasy.
3. Faithfulness, even unto death, brings eternal reward:
Whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake in this world will find it in a better one, infinitely to his advantage. Many have lost their lives for Christ in both doing and suffering his will, and the gospel has come to us sealed with their blood. Yet none have ever ultimately lost by remaining faithful to Christ. The loss of lesser comforts for Christ may be made up in this life (Mark 10:30), but the loss of life itself will be made up in eternal life. That assurance has always supported suffering saints—it has helped them smile at the scaffold, sing at the stake, and call the worst the world can do a “light affliction.”
4. The soul’s value far outweighs the world (Matthew 16:26):
Everyone has a soul—the spiritual and immortal part of us that thinks, reasons, and will live beyond the body. Our souls are not ours by ownership (for all souls are God’s), but by concern and responsibility. It is possible to lose the soul—when it is eternally separated from all good and cast into all the evil a soul can suffer. And the soul is lost by our own doing—we choose destruction and neglect salvation (Hosea 13:9).
The soul is worth more than the whole world. Many have ruined their souls trying to gain the world. The love of the world drowns people in destruction and ruin. And the loss of the soul is so great that no worldly gain can ever compensate for it. If a man loses his soul to gain the world, he makes a terrible bargain and is an eternal loser. If Christ has paid such a great price for our redemption, and we give up our souls for worldly gain, there is no further sacrifice for sin. The loss is final.
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” A person may gain the world, but if they lose their soul—separated from all good and subjected to eternal suffering—they are eternally ruined. The soul is priceless and irreplaceable. So it is wise to act now and choose rightly.
5. Christ will return in glory to judge (Matthew 16:27):
“The Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” Christ, once humbled, will return in divine majesty. This hope encourages us to endure. He will judge justly, rewarding faithfulness and punishing sin far beyond anything this world offers.