The cross

“and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:38
This is the first mention of the cross in the New Testament. Today it is fashionable, even for non-believers, to wear the symbol of the cross on a necklace or other piece of jewellery. But in the first century, the cross was a symbol of shame. It was an instrument of torture, invented by the Persians and perfected by the Romans. Death by crucifixion was agonising (hence we derive the word ‘excruciating’). It was also a means of humiliating the victim, as people crucified by the Romans were often nailed to the crosses naked and placed beside the main road to a city to serve as a deterrent to others. This is what our Lord endured on our behalf.
When a person was condemned to die by crucifixion, they would carry their cross (or the cross-bar) through the city to the site of the crucifixion. It would be a public parade of how they were guilty of death. This is the context in which Jesus says, “anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me”. He knew the death He was to die (Ps. 22, Isa. 53). We need to acknowledge that we are sinners, that we should have been the ones dying for our sin, not Him. We are to identify with Christ in His humiliation. And as we humble ourselves in this way, He will raise us up.