“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘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 and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’” — Mark 8:34–36 (NIV)
In this sobering passage, Jesus flips the world’s values on their head. He doesn’t sugarcoat discipleship. He doesn’t promise comfort or applause. He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
The Greek word for “take up” is αἴρω (airō), meaning “to lift up, raise, or bear.” It’s used in other places in Scripture to describe lifting burdens, raising hands, and even lifting up voices in praise. So when Jesus says to take up our cross, He’s not asking us to drag it reluctantly behind us. He’s calling us to raise it, to elevate the cause of Christ in our lives daily, publicly, and purposefully.
The cross we raise is not merely the pain we endure, but the purpose we choose.
The paradox Jesus presents is haunting and liberating: If you save your life, you’ll lose it; if you lose it for His sake, you’ll save it.
In other words, the more we clutch our ambitions, comforts, or worldly accomplishments, the more we lose sight of eternal significance. But when we lay down our plans, reputations, and even our dreams in surrender to God’s will, we find our true identity and destiny in Christ.
This connects beautifully with verse 36:
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
That verse forces a hard question: What are we chasing? Accolades? Security? Approval? The cross confronts all of that. It is not just a symbol of death—it is an altar of exchange. When we take up our cross, we lay down our desire to be the author of our own stories, and we trust the pen to God.
To “take up” our cross each day means we raise up the name of Jesus in our choices, our responses, and even our sacrifices. We raise up His purpose above our comfort. We raise up His will above our wandering. We raise up the Gospel over our goals.
Every time we deny selfish ambition, every time we forgive when we want revenge, every time we surrender our timeline for His—we lift the cross high.
It is in raising our cross that we reveal the kingdom. It is in losing our grip on worldly gain that we find eternal treasure.
What part of your life are you trying to “gain” that might be costing your soul more than you realize?
What would it look like to raise your cross today in a way that honors Christ?
Are there ambitions or goals you need to lay down to truly follow Jesus?
Lord, help me see the areas where I’m clinging to the world instead of clinging to You. Teach me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You with a full and surrendered heart. May I raise the cause of Christ in my life today and every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
