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NASB | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. |
Bible Question: What does Matthew 16,-24 mean when it says pick up ypur cross |
Bible Answer: Archsalv, hello. Man has never devised a more cruel, a more degrading, a more agonizing way to die than to die on a Roman cross. What a horrid picture Jesus' mentioning of a cross must have been invoked in the minds of his disciples. What was their Teacher saying? Was he demanding a commitment from them so strong, so total and absolute that they must be willing to die for His sake? Must their devotion to Him be such that they themselves would be willing to suffer the agony of the cross for His sake? The answer for them was Yes. And the answer for every Christian has always been Yes -- and is Yes still. (See Matt. 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23 and 14:27.) --Hank |