John 19 — Take up your cross and follow Him
Verse 1- SUMMARIZE VS 4-16 Pilate finds no grounds for a charge, he displays Jesus beaten hoping that would placate the people’s anger, the chief priests want him dead and yell “Crucify!”. Pilate demands there’s no charge, the Jews say He claimed to be God’s Son and our law demands His death, Pilate gets scared and goes to interrogate Jesus.
“Where are you from?” Jesus stays silent… Pilate says don’t you know I have the power to kill you or release you? Jesus then answers that all of Pilate’s authority to govern has been given to him by God, and since God is in control of all the affairs of men, even men who think they are ruling and reigning, the greater culpability for condemning Jesus is upon the Jews than upon Pilate. Pilate tries to release Jesus, the people won’t have it. Finally, feeling boxed in with no other option, Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat, and ultimately handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Verses 17-18 Jesus carried His own cross for much of the journey up to Mount Calvary and Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. What does that mean?
Matt 10:37-39 “The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.”
Here, taking up your cross is associated with a love for God that is so passionate, hot, and fervent that all of the other closest relationships in your life can, at times, look like hate when compared to your relationship with God. You may at times have to make decisions that cause others to feel hated by you even though you love them very much.
Can you express some examples of these types of life decisions?
This passage also shows that taking up our cross involves losing our lives, our dreams, our passions, our fleshly desires, and living sold out, consecrated lives for Him. The cross here represents the death of us and new lives found in Him. You may ask “Well, why would God put this desire or this passion in my heart if He didn’t want me to pursue it?”
Jer 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than anything else,and incurable – who can understand it?”
Listen to the advice of :
Prov 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”
That passion or desire of yours needs to be totally yielded and submitted to Christ, even to the point of being willing to never take it up again. Only after that passion or desire has been buried with Christ can God resurrect it and make it useful in His kingdom.
Mark 8:34-38 “Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Clearly taking up your cross involves identifying with Jesus in the world, being an unashamed follower of Christ. Boldly proclaiming your relationship with Him to others.
Spiritually speaking, carrying a cross is like telling the world, “You and I both deserve punishment, we’re the criminals, we’ve offended God, He should cast us into hell forever, but Jesus paid our fine for us on that old rugged cross because He loves us.” Are you afraid of being made fun of?
Read Verses 19-22 The place where Jesus died for our sins was a busy, public, international business area. If He was willing to be so public about His love for us, why are some of us so private about our faith in Him? Like that friend that your close with in private, but are afraid to be seen with at the party?
Read Verses 23-24 He was shamed but provides clothes of righteousness to cover our shame as sinners. The fact that they did divide His garments and cast lots for His clothes was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy right out of Psalm 22 – A Messianic Psalm. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies during His time on Earth.
Read Verses 25-27 In Luke 2:35 Simeon, a righteous man with the Holy Spirit upon him, rejoiced as held baby Jesus and told Mary a sword would pierce her own soul, indeed he was right as that comes true.
Read Verses 28-30 A fulfillment of Psalm 69:21, “Instead, they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” .
John does record the words Jesus uttered right before He breathed His last breath… “It is finished.” What was finished? Everything that was required for a legal payment for the sins of the world to be made by the sinless Son of God.
Questions for discussion:
- Can you share any decisions that you’ve had to make to love God above others?
- Do you care to share an experience where you failed to love God above others? (Example Peter’s denial)
- In today’s culture what are some simple ways that we can publicly identify with Jesus as our Savior?
- How can we stand for truth but still display the radical love of God to the world?