The cost of salvation

Hello everyone, welcome to Grace Ministries USA. My name is Ryan. Our mission is to provide a daily devotional that helps you think better, feel better, and see the world through a different lens than what the media and social media often try to impose on us daily. Today’s devotional comes from Matthew. We are in the week of Easter, and we have lost the pope. Please pray for the pope and his family. Today’s devotional is quite devastating. Matthew writes, “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and placed it on his head. They also placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ And they spit on him and grabbed the stick, striking him on the head with it.”

—Matthew 27:28–30 NLT
The list of assaults and indignities Jesus endured after his arrest is quite long. During his trial before Annas, a temple guard slapped him (see John 18:22). Members of the Sanhedrin spit in his face, beat him with their fists, and slapped him for telling the truth about his identity, which they considered blasphemy (see Matthew 26:62–67).

Herod and his soldiers mocked and ridiculed Jesus (see Luke 23:11). Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorn branches on His head, mocked Him, spit on Him, and hit Him in the head with a reed stick (see Matthew 27:27–30). Pilate had Him flogged with a leather whip studded with shards of lead (see Matthew 27:26). Near death from His beatings and torture, Jesus was forced to carry a heavy crossbeam to Golgotha, the site of His crucifixion (see John 19:17).

Jesus’ suffering fulfilled prophecies Isaiah had made hundreds of years earlier. “I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6 NLT).

“But many were amazed when they saw Him. His face was so disfigured that He seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know He was a man” (Isaiah 52:14 NLT).

With this Good Friday perspective in mind, let’s consider the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in Matthew 16:24. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (NLT).

Some people may say, “That’s my cross to bear,” when referring to a burden or annoyance they must endure. However, this is not what Jesus was referring to. To “take up your cross” means being willing to sacrifice everything, even your life, to follow Him.

Jesus understood that not many people are willing to make such a commitment. During His earthly ministry, He drew crowds wherever He went. Some individuals were captivated by His teachings and actions and followed Him. Others held the hope that He would fulfill their expectations of the Messiah. Some sought to witness miracles, while others simply desired free food. None of them were prepared to take up crosses.

Jesus’ command serves as a filter, eliminating those who are not genuine in their desire to follow Him. It also challenges those of us who are sincere in our commitment to Him to examine our faith and ask difficult questions.

Would I be willing to risk my reputation, job, friends, family, and even my life to follow Christ?

Reflect on this question: What does “taking up your cross” and following Jesus look like in your own life?