In case there was any doubt about the level at which Jesus wanted his disciples to value him, to live for him, Jesus made it completely clear. In the same discussion, Peter had first called Jesus the Messiah and the son of God. Then, he turned around and rebuked Jesus for telling them that he was going to be killed.

But Jesus explained to both Peter and all of the disciples that losing their lives was part of the job description of being one of his disciples:

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Matthew 16:24-26

Jesus himself was headed to the cross. He knew that his time was coming and he had explained that reality to his disciples. Yet when Peter tried to stop him from saying it and suggesting such things to him and the rest of the disciples, Jesus called him Satan! Jesus was completely serious and explained to his disciples that the news was even worse than what they first thought: they must also do as he was about to do. It wouldn’t just be him going to the cross. It would be them also.

Now, there are several ways in which that happens. There are several ways in which the disciples, and even us, must take up our crosses. It isn’t simply a metaphor. Yes, for the disciples it was a physical reality. Many of them would, in fact, be crucified on the cross, just as Jesus was. But that wasn’t all to which Jesus was referring. He was also talking about the decisions of our lives. He was talking about how we live, and furthermore, for whom it is that we are living. Are we living for Jesus? Or are we living for ourselves? Do I live to please him? Or do I live to please myself? Which is it?

Jesus calls each of us to lay down our own desires, our own will, and instead die to ourselves. When we pick up our cross, we instead follow our king. We follow the one that we love, the one who made us, so that we can instead live for him. We do that which pleases him, that which glorifies him. We choose those things in life that glorify him more. Not simply those things that I want, but those things that he desires.

Jesus says that if we will do that, if we will put him first, we will actually find our lives. We will have the full and abundant life that he has promised each of us. We will have all that he wants to give us, and it will be more than we could have ever imagined.