Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross & Follow Jesus!
March 8, 2026
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28
Scott Wenig tells the following story. A friend was at the doctor’s office for his annual checkup. As part of the exam, the doctor looked in his eyes. Noticing how serious his astigmatism was, he said half-jokingly to my friend: “You’re about blind, man. You better get your prescription for your glasses checked on to make sure it’s up to date.”
So, my friend made an appointment with his ophthalmologist. The doctor had him sit in the chair, take off his glasses, and read the chart at the end of the room. Now my friend’s eyesight really is bad, but if you’ve ever been to the eye doctor and read the chart a few times, you know that you can squint and fake your way through at least part of the test.
The doctor asked him, “Can you read the top letter?”
“Yes,” my friend said, “it’s an ‘A.'”
“Can you read the next row down?”
“Yes, it says, ‘CZY.'”
“Can you read the next row?”
“Yes, I think it reads, ‘RNSCV.'”
“What about the next row?”
“I think it reads, ‘JMBOS’.”
Finally, the doctor said, “Ok, you can put your glasses on.”
“How’d I do, doc?” my friend asked.
“Pretty good except for the fact that this chart contains numbers, not letters.”
How you see life defines life.
Your view/perspective on life will determine how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents, and be a critical factor in your relationships.
So, what is your view of life? One of the main reasons that God gave us the Scriptures is to teach us how He views life and to encourage us to learn to see it His way! Let’s look at our text.
Matthew 16:21 states, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
In verse 22, Peter rebuked Him by saying, Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you. At this point, verse 23, Jesus turned to Peter and said, Get behind Me Satan. Jesus severely rebukes Peter to get his attention. Jesus did this because of the devil’s influence over Peter. The thought of Jesus suffering was offensive to Peter as he thought the Messiah was to rule and reign. Peter didn’t want to accept Jesus’ view of his life. Peter wanted to control Jesus, rather than learning and applying what Jesus was teaching. Since Jesus had earned the love of Peter and knew Peter’s strong temperament type, Jesus could and had to strongly rebuke him like a loving parent.
Then in verse 23, Jesus tells Peter why he rebuked him. Peter’s desire was a stumbling block. Peter’s desire to physically protect Jesus was selfish, disrespectful, an obstacle for Jesus. Jesus needed his disciples to understand that he needed to die, so they would not physically fight for Him. Peter had a tough time understanding this and dealing with his rage. So when Jesus was being arrested, he was ready to fight. He cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (John 18:10; Luke 22:50). Jesus healed the man (Luke 22:51), but Jesus again rebuked Peter as Jesus said in John 18:11, Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me? Jesus needed Peter and the rest of the disciples to live and ultimately share the good news of his death and resurrection!
At the end of verse 23, we learn a key principle that each one of us needs to take to heart as Jesus stated Peter’s problem and the problem each of us have. He said, You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns!!! Peter’s view on life was Jesus could not suffer, because life was about this present world.
So many professing Christians identify with Jesus, but their perspective toward life is what they want or think what is right. If you want to be a Christ-follower, you must see life as he sees it and live life as he lived it. Here is the problem: we want it our way instead of God’s way! We want our will, not God’s will. As Matthew 7:21 states, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Sadly, many professing believers have either been told or have bought into the false idea that following Jesus is pretty much all about me. They might profess Jesus, but one’s life does not reflect what He values. For instance, the long, painful history of the church is repeatedly attempting to choose power, control, selfish desires, over a love for the Lord and others. It has been said that it is easier to control people than to love people.
So, we need to recognize our sinfulness, our character weaknesses, our selfishness, and apply God’s perspective! We need to see like He sees! God’s view on life must replace our human view on life.
A.W. Tozer stated, The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders and interfering with God’s work within us.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across this statement by the Decani Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery. Lent is not a season of religious self-improvement; it is a season of restored vision. It is not about becoming morally impressive, but about undergoing a profound change of perspective. We fast not to punish the body, but to loosen the grip of compulsions that keep us living outwardly. We pray not to inform God, but to gather the scattered mind into the heart where the Kingdom already dwells. We forgive not because it is demanded, but because without inward reconciliation we cannot see clearly. Lent is the Church’s annual invitation to stop living from fear and begin seeing from communion. When the lens changes, everything changes. The same world, the same circumstances, yet a different centre of gravity. Less control, more trust. Less self-defence, more mercy. In that inward return, morality ceases to be performance and becomes fruit. The true work of Lent is not behavior management; it is the healing of sight.
We need to see life God’s way!! WE NEED TO LEARN AND GROW IN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S PERSPECTIVE!!!!
In verse 24, Jesus gives us the answer, the solution to our problem. It is also a good definition of what it means to be a Christian! Verse 24, Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Now let me note this. Jesus repeatedly conveys this principle in various instances that we need to lose our life, pick our cross and follow Him! For instance, Matthew 10:38,39, Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
To the Rich Young Ruler he said in Mark 10:21, Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
John 12:24, 25, Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
We need to understand this principle of denying oneself, picking up our cross and following Jesus! Let me break this down as Jesus gives three requirements in verse 24: First, one must deny himself/herself. Second, one must take up his/her cross. Thirdly, one must follow Jesus.
So, first, you must deny yourself. To deny yourself means prioritizing God’s will over personal desires, comfort, and ambition. It is a daily decision to surrender control to Jesus.
To deny yourself is to pray the prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden, Not My will, but Thine be done (Luke 22:42). To deny yourself is to look to God’s interests and the interest of others, rather than your own personal interests (Phil. 2:4).
If you enlisted in the military, you would have made a commitment to deny yourself. At boot camp, you are told when to get up, what and when you will eat. You are told what to do and where to go. It is no longer about you or what you want, but it is about serving your country.
To deny oneself begins by realizing that you are spiritually bankrupt, poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). You are a sinner before a holy God, and you need to make changes in your life. You realize your way is not working!
Secondly, take up your cross daily!
There was no doubt in the minds of His disciples what Jesus was saying in picking up your cross. Jesus was telling His disciples to, "be ready and willing to die for Me." But the picture of the cross is more than dying. He calls you and I to take up our cross and be willing to crucify, put to death our selfish, sinful nature.
Take up your cross means a willingness to die to oneself and fully commit to following Him. It was a call for self-denial, obedience, and a readiness to face persecution or hardship for the sake of Christ. To take up your cross is a call to self-sacrifice. One must be willing to die to follow Jesus. Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:11-14 states, And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Now practically what does this mean? The Apostle Paul gives us a sample in Ephesians 4:22 and following. We are put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. So, we need to put off lying and speak truthfully. In our anger, we are not to sin, let it fester or give the devil a foothold. We are not to steal, but work so we can share with those in need. Watch your mouth. Speak only what is helpful. Do not sin by grieving the Holy Spirit. Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and every form of malice.
Paul goes on in chapters 5 and 6 and gives further practical examples how to take up your cross.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul states the attitude that we should have in taking up our cross daily. He writes, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Now let me briefly note this. In Luke 9:23, a parallel passage to our text states that we are to take up our cross daily. Taking up your cross is not a one-time commitment. It is a daily commitment. J. C. Ryle said, The flesh must be crucified daily. The devil must be daily overcome. The world must be daily overcome. There is a warfare to be waged and a battle to be fought.
Thirdly, Follow Jesus!
To follow Jesus is to learn from Him, to follow his example. It is to abide in Him. It is to live a life of obedience and love. It is to do as Jesus would do! If Jesus is your Lord, you will want to do what He says.
The Apostle Paul gives us a practical example at the end of Ephesians 4 and the first two verses of Ephesians 5. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 4:32-5:2).
We are to follow Jesus! Now, imagine that I invited you over to my house after the service this morning. Suppose that you don’t have a clue where I live. So, I say, "Just follow me." Then suppose "I turn and you go straight because you don’t want to go that way. Where will you end up? You won't end up at my house. The point is that you can’t follow Jesus half-heartedly.
Jesus in verses 25-28 tells us why we are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
Verse 25 gives us the first reason. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
We are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus for life. It is a Spirit-filled life, an abundant life (John 10:10), a meaningful life now and then eternal life.
I love the words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:33, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. You can either grab hold of this life with all you have, or you can let go of this life and let God lead. True disciples will let go of their lives and allow God to lead them. You will seek to honor Him in everything: your goals, your ambitions, your relationships, your time, and all your possessions.
Jim Elliot, a missionary who was martyred, stated in his journal, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Losing our lives for Jesus is the path to true and eternal joy.
Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. The rich man lived for Himself upon the earth. And where did it land him? It landed him in torment in Hades (Luke 16:23). (Note Matthew 19:16-30).
Listen, your life here upon this earth is for a moment. You are here today and gone tomorrow. In contrast, eternal life will last forever. If you want to save your life forever, lose it for the sake of Jesus today.
A second reason why we should deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus is because this world is not worth forfeiting your soul. Verse 26, What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
You could have all the money in the world, but you can’t take it with you! So, in the end what will benefit you? King Solomon understood this principle. He saw everything under the sun as being meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:14). He saw pleasure, alcohol, material wealth, etc and concluded that all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He wrote in the last chapter, chapter 12, what we are to do. Verse 1 notes, Remember your Creator! Remember Him in the days of your youth. Verse 6, Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, before the dust returns to the ground. He then tells us verse 13, Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all humankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
A third reason why we should deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus is because of heavenly rewards. Verse 27, For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
There is coming a day when you will face Jesus. He will look at your life and will evaluate it. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you will receive His mercy and heavenly rewards. I like Randy Alcorn statement, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead.” Investing in God’s kingdom is the only investment with eternal returns. It has been said that God pays dividends that are out of this world.
Jesus notes in Matthew 6:19, 20, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where things do not last, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where things will last forever. Then he says verse 21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When I was younger, I worked at UPS early morning shift. It was very production-oriented job! Management would yell to motivate people to work harder. I would start at 2:30 in the morning. It was not the most pleasant job that I have had. I made exceptionally good money, but it was physically difficult. At that time, I took Colossians 4:23, 24 to heart. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Also note Ephesians 6:7,8).
So, I decided to work for the Lord! I would start working 20 minutes earlier than my start time. I did it for the Lord and I found that I was not as stressed. I earned the respect of management. I got a chance to talk, even witness to others while I worked. Plus, I am confident there will be eternal blessings.
One thought that has stuck with me this week is, “Do it for Jesus!” I serve as pastor because I do it for Jesus. I love my wife because I do it for Jesus. I give to others because I do it for Jesus. The list could go on. So, I encourage you whatever you do, do it for Jesus!
As I Corinthians 10:31 states, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. So, I encourage whatever you do, do it for Jesus!
Matthew 16:28 states, Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
Jesus’ words here have been interpreted in several ways, but many scholars believe He was referring to the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8), where Peter, James, and John witnessed His divine glory. Others see it as a foreshadowing of His resurrection, ascension, or even the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). Maybe it refers to the Apostle John as he experienced a vision of Christ in heaven and his coming (Book of Revelation).
The question is, “How does this verse apply to you and me?” Live with expectancy. Know that His return is certain, and His kingdom is at hand. If you are going to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus, then know with certainty, have the expectancy of Jesus’ return!
Let me close with this story. On December 9, 2007, Matthew Murray shot and killed Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, at a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training center in the Denver suburb of Arvada. He later killed two others at New Life Church in Colorado Springs…The Director of the Arvada YWAM Peter Warren spoke with Christianity Today about the shooting…Matthew was in the building for half an hour talking with students, and then he asked to spend the night. Tiffany was called to the front because she handles hospitality. Normally, we would not have someone spend the night without knowing them or arranging ahead of time. After that, Matthew said, "Then this is what I've got for you," pulled out a gun and began shooting. After firing a few shots, he had his foot in the door, and at some point, his foot slipped and he fell back. The door slammed shut on him and automatically locked, so he could not get back in again. Right then, other staff and students were driving up and saw Matthew banging on the door, trying to get back in. When Matthew saw them, he ran away. After a student performed CPR on Tiffany, she regained consciousness and asked another trainee named, Holly, "Is it bad?" Holly responded, "Yes, it's bad." Tiffany looked at Holly and her boyfriend, Dan, who was also shot, and said, "We do this for Jesus, right guys? We do this for Jesus."
How about you? Will you live your life for Jesus? Will you follow Him, whatever the cost? Will do it for Jesus?
