Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
This passage of scripture came on the heels of a discourse that took place between Christ and His disciples, in which The Lord revealed in clear distinct lines, the fact that He would be betrayed into the hands of sinners and be crucified, after which He would rise again on the third day. This most sacred truth actually embodied the whole plan of salvation, and was to be the crowning act of God's redemptive work in behalf of the human family. But this revelation did did not bode well with the disciples, and Peter gave voice to the general sentiment by rebuking Christ for even mentioning the prospect of death. Let's read:
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
The disciples at this time were mostly blinded to this sacred truth by the teachings and false interpretations given by the scribes and Pharisees, who insisted that the Messiah who was promised in the scriptures, would appear as a king to rescue the Jewish nation from the tyranny of Rome, and this false interpretation was so well circulated, that even the disciples of Christ were tainted and misled as to the real issues that would transpire as Christ's earthly sojourn drew to a close. Furthermore, they were harboring ambitions and desires that were totally out of line with the fundamental principle of self- denial, a principle that was enjoined upon them by Christ Himself by precept and example.
The strife as to who should be the greatest in God's kingdom at times agitated the spirit of self-exaltation and pride, and sometimes it got so bad as to threaten their unity with anger, hatred, and alienation, elements that reminded Christ too well of the problem that began in the heavenly courts, with lucifer seeking for the highest and most honorable position, which ultimately caused one third of the angels to be evicted from their heavenly home. Let's read:
Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
The principle of self-denial stands in marked contrast to the principle of self-serving, for the two are diabolically opposed to each other and can never be integrated or synthesized as a coherent whole. For instance, when Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples at the last supper, the spirit of self-denial would have driven the disciples to rush to serve each other, and Christ, who was the main personage at this gathering. But instead, the principle of self service led them to regard the known duty with stoical unconcern, and when Jesus saw that no one else would budge in their pride to wash each others feet, He then took the basin and did what they were supposed to have done, even including Judas the traitor in the service.
This action on the part of Christ thus showed the great difference between the methods and principles which should motivate us as Christians, and the means whereby the kingdom of darkness operates. In our own personal experiences we will often find that the practice of self-denial does not come either naturally or easy, and therefore we can only implement it through the power of the Holy Ghost living inside our hearts. There are some, even amongst church members who may covet certain positions of authority within the church hierarchy, and if they are not granted their desire they recuse themselves from any other office, which in their minds might seem too menial or below their dignity. And then there are those of us who serve with enthusiasm only when our names are lauded from the pulpit as making significant contributions to the services of the church.
To all of us who may be suffering from these and similar spiritual problems, the Lord Jesus says "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me", because the kingdom of God is built upon the principle of self-denial, and the methods enjoined in the scriptures are encapsulated in the the phrase "God first, others next, self last.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this very point, and it is the will of God, that self-denial be adopted and practiced, not only at the communion table, but also as a living principle in every aspect of our daily lives. Let's read:
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. "Good night" and God bless!