The Royal Burden: Taking Up Your Cross After Christ

"He that taketh not his cross" (Matthew 10:38) calls disciples to understand what cross-bearing truly means. The cross may manifest as relinquishing certain pleasures, enduring reproach or poverty, suffering losses and persecutions for Christ's sake, consecrating all to Yahweh, or submitting to the Adonai's will.

Yet the action required is threefold: deliberately take it up, boldly face it—for it is only wood, after all—and patiently endure it knowing the distance is short. Cheerfully resign yourself to it, for your Lord appoints it. The essential point remains obedient following of Christ with the cross: this is not mere burden-bearing, but communion with Him.

Spurgeon reminds us this is a royal burden, sanctified and sanctifying. Eight encouragements sustain us: necessity (discipleship demands it), society (better souls have carried it), love (Jesus bore far heavier), faith (grace equals the weight), hope (blessing results), zeal (Christ is honored), experience (the cross produces fruit), and expectation (glory awaits).

Alexander the Great, crossing Persia's ice and snow, dismounted and carved a path with his pickaxe when his exhausted soldiers faltered. Shamed by their commander's sacrifice, they followed—first friends, then captains, finally common soldiers. So must all follow Christ through the rough, unpleasant way of the cross He has already traversed. The cross bears us; we do not bear it alone.