Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Matthew 16:24
Salvation is free. Discipleship is costly.
The Pharisees, now joined by another group of Jewish leaders the Sadducees, continue to follow Jesus’ every movement and action, sifting it through their educated knowledge and failing to see His connection to Heaven. The great obstacle was their preconceived notions and sense of entitlement in relation to their Jewish heritage. They sought personal justice and power, man’s agenda, NOT God’s. I will add here that the Pharisees and the Sadducees had very little common theological ground. They were simply unified in their resistance to Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ.
Jesus knew His earthly life was coming to a close. He alone understood and saw what lay before Him and His beloved friends. His disciples recognize Him as He is, the Savior, but they have no inkling of the cost He and they are about to pay. Jesus will give up His flesh to establish His Kingdom on earth in the hearts of man. His disciples will also be called to give up all rights to their flesh as citizens of His Kingdom. Just as Jesus’ cross took His life, they must voluntarily live crucified to this world.
The cross we bear is our sacrifice to the allure of this world in exchange for the things of Heaven. We are missionaries in a foreign land although we are only in our own back yard.
Love,
Gretchen