Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Matthew 16:21-28
by: Linda Lawton.
Jesus told us here that any who wish to be His disciples must “deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (v.24). What does this really mean? To deny ourselves is to forget about what we think we want or what will make us happy or keep us safe. To “take up our cross?” Well, for Jesus that meant literally carrying the cross upon which He would die. To follow Him, to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, is to follow a path of poverty and suffering. Discipleship is costly, but the reward? Think about it.