Summary of Context: As Christ followers one needs to:

(1) Be willing to follow Christ - even to death;

(2) Recognize the "cost" for following Christ

(3) Accept ("take up") concept of Christ; exchange one's life for His call.

4. WORD USAGE:

This implies that…Jesus expressed to His disciples, as He does all throughout the Bible, that following Him may literally require that one gives up His life. Jesus speaks with words that inherently possesses more than superficial meanings.

Summary of Word Usage:

Jesus utilizes the concept of "If…then" to encourage His disciples that following Him requires commitment and courage.

5. SCRIPTURAL TESTIMONY:

a. Luke 14:27: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

This implies that…as Christ followers if one chooses not to be willing to take up his/her cross, he/she will not be able to follow Him into the Kingdom of Heaven (here and in the future). The word "carry" in Greek is bastazein, which related to the term "take up."

b. John 19:17a: And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

This implies that…Jesus willingly carried His cross, by way of Golgotha to be crucified that one might have eternal life.

c. Gal. 6:14: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

This implies that…Christ followers must remember that they are not to glorify themselves; but recognize the gift of eternal life; wrought by the cross redeems one from sin and provides salvation. The cross reminded Paul that he, as a Christ follower, was to figuratively die unto the world.

Summary of Scriptural Testimony: As Christ followers, one must willingly "take up" his/her cross; looking to Christ;...

INTERPRETATION of OTHERS:
a. Matthew 10:38: And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

This implies that…as Christ followers or disciples of Christ one is not worthy of being a disciple, unless he/she takes up his/her cross.

b. Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

This implies that…When Christ was crucified for our sins, He paid the penalty so thaqt those who follow Him would not longer be slaves to sin.

c. Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This implies that…as Christ followers, if one puts Christ above everyone else and accepts Him; Christ will live within him/her. One will know, accept and acknowledge this through faith in Him, knowing that He gave His own life for those who trust Him.

Summary of Interpretation of Others: As a Christ follower, one must accept and "take up" his/her cross; remembering that Christ first "took up" His cross to provide the way to enter the kingdom of heaven, even now, and have eternal life.

Summary of Findings: Each follower of Christ must take up his/her own "cross."

General Conclusion: Because Christ modeled the way to take up the cross, enduring the shame and pain, those who follow Him have the perfect example to follow.

REFERENCES

Beare, Francis Wright. The Gospel according to Matthew: Translation, Introduction and Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981.

Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of Matthew 16 - (KJV - King James Version). Blue Letter Bible.

1996-2009. 25 Nov 2009.