26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
Believers, here we have our job description fleshed out in the life of Simon from Cyrene – we are to carry our crosses, denying self, following behind Jesus. Jesus makes this abundantly clear – every true disciple must take up his cross and follow after Him:
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt 10:38-39 (NIV)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matt 16:24 (NIV)
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:34-35 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)
27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 (NIV)
“We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives.” Charles Spurgeon
“When the Roman Empire crucified a criminal or captive, the victim was often forced to carry his cross part of the way to the crucifixion site. Carrying his cross through the heart of the city was supposed to be a tacit admission that the Roman Empire was correct in the sentence of death imposed on him, an admission that Rome was right and he was wrong. So when Jesus enjoined His followers to carry their crosses and follow Him, He was referring to a public display before others that Jesus was right and that the disciples were following Him even to their deaths. This is exactly what the religious leaders refused to do.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
As followers of our Lord Jesus we must not be surprised to bear our crosses – indeed, we must expect it. It should come as an encouragement to us when we meet with our crosses that in bearing them we are following the example of Christ. He has shown us the way and if we follow Him faithfully, He will lead us through our sufferings triumphantly to glory with Him. This is the law of discipleship and the terms are fixed. We are to follow after Christ as the sheep after the shepherd – walking as He walked and going wherever He goes. This is a choice and one that should be accompanied by resolution and cheerfulness. Our crosses are not for our evil but for our good. We must not entertain the thought of simply bearing up under the strain yet rather we should learn to embrace what God in His providence has allowed as being for our good and His glory. We take up our crosses when we rejoice in our afflictions and focus on the good that it will bring about in our lives rather than on the cross itself. God uses our crosses to conform us to the image of Jesus. We follow Christ when we bear the cross.
“If self-denial is a hard lesson, and against the grain to flesh and blood, it is no more than what our Master learned and practiced before us and for us. All the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ must deny themselves. It is the fundamental law of admission into Christ’s school; it is both the small gate, and the narrow way. We must deny ourselves absolutely, we must not admire our own shadow, nor gratify our own humor; nor seek our own things, nor be our own end. We must deny ourselves comparatively; we must deny ourselves for Christ; we must deny ourselves for our brothers, and for their good; and we must deny ourselves for ourselves, deny the appetites of the body for the benefit of the soul.” Matthew Henry
The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective. A. W. Tozer