Jesus’ Cross AND Our Cross

1/28/2025

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Also, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23. In Luke’s account, “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross *daily* and follow me.’”

Finish this sentence: “Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than ___.”

Then, finish this sentence: “Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than ___.”

Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than fraudulent religious self-delusion.

Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than impossible attempts at self-justification and a joyless fool’s errand.

Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than rebellion.

Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than prideful self-righteousness.

The first, recognition of His ways without actually living His ways, would be “mere religion” or “intellectual knowledge without true faith.”

The second, any good deeds or sacrifice without His having come to enable new life and open the door, would be empty, pointless, dead human works.

Or to put it in a slightly different way, His cross without ours is the X-axis1 religion of “positional truth.”

Our cross without his is the Y-axis religion of futile striving. Picking up our cross and following Him is the only way to experience a Z-axis life in Him.

And... Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than ungrateful presumption.

Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than calling God a liar (1 John 5:10) by failing to entrust ourselves to Him, His Provision, and faithfulness to every promise.

I was thinking... I wasn’t quite sure how to put it into words, but I think Hebrews 10:29 summarizes it:

“Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than trampling underfoot the Son of God, treating as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant, and insulting the Spirit of Grace.” Without my choices to obey and follow in our Pioneer’s footsteps, I’m insulting Him and treating His sacrifice as if it doesn’t mean very much.

“Our cross without Jesus’ cross—is nothing more than selfish X-Y, tree of knowledge life that has no power.”

Seems like the two different ends of religion:

“Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than godless religion (cheap grace).”

“Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than godless religion (salvation by works, monasticism).”

I was thinking... “Jesus’ cross without our cross that we intentionally pick up—is nothing more than lovelessness and lack of gratitude.”

And the second... “Our cross without Jesus’ Cross—is nothing more than meaningless works we do to try and make us feel good about ourselves.”

1In this conversation, the XY-axis versus the Z-axis is being used as an illustration of the difference between eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil vs eating of the Tree of Life. XY-axis living is a “flat” natural living of good vs evil. Z-axis is a supernatural Zoe life in Jesus. Back