LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  Jesus

I have written a number of times on this verse. Today let’s focus on the words I have placed emphasis on above, “If any man will come after Me”. It is important to know that everyone may come to Jesus. “No one really needs to come, but whoever does come, comes because he/she chooses to come” (A.W. Tozer). I really like the way Tozer states that. He continues, “Every man holds his future in his hand. He decides which way his soul shall go. He chooses, and destiny waits on the nod of his head. He decides, and hell enlarges herself, or heaven prepares another mansion. So much of Himself has God given to men.”

My imagination can run a little wild here. Jesus has been talking to His disciples about who people said He is and who they say He is. He has also told them He had to go to Jerusalem to be killed and then to be raised in three days. I imagine Him all of a sudden raising His voice and saying to them, “If any man will”. Jesus is not forcing anyone to come to Him, but He is calling all men and women at the same time. It is an invitation where everyone who hears to decide for himself or herself regarding how the invitation will be answered. Some will surrender and many will just go about their way. For those who said yes to the invitation, do you remember the circumstances? Did you hear thunder from heaven or some sign from heaven regarding an invitation? Or did you hear that quite voice of the Lord asking you to come to Him?

The invitation does come with the conditions that follow the invitation. There is no discussion to be had and no compromise to be made. Jesus wants everyone to come; in doing so, whoever accepts the invitation, agrees to the terms – “deny self, take up their cross, and to follow Him”. No compromise on this. No one enters the kingdom with a compromise because the kingdom of God would no longer be protected (Tozer). The choice is not complicated. It might be misunderstood. The choice is to come to Him as Savior and Lord or meet Him face to face as their Judge.

Just to go over the terms again – there is no pressure, no force. Jesus said “let him” who comes after Him deny himself. No one who follows Him is able to set himself/herself free from the self-centered life lived before coming to Jesus. That dying to self comes by taking up one’s cross. The cross is a place of death where one puts to death their own self-centered agenda and the beginning of what King Jesus has for their life. “Jesus did not die on the cross so we would not have to. Jesus died on the cross so that we would choose to do so also” (from an article I read once). Then the invitation comes to “follow Me”. Believers say “yes” to following Jesus every day. We say no to the devil’s attempt to get us to follow the old self. We follow Jesus on a narrow way into His kingdom by living the life He wants and following His guidance and His commands. It is non-negotiable!