This is the call. This is the life. This is discipleship.

The words of Jesus in His call to discipleship are as penetrating now as they were when first spoken. When He told His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him, He was not issuing an invitation to a comfortable life. He was giving a call that required everything. These commands—"deny oneself," "take up one's cross daily," and "follow Me"—each carry profound spiritual meaning and are deeply rooted in the Greek language structure that reveals how they are to be lived out.

In Greek, the commands to deny oneself and to take up the cross are written in what is known as the aorist imperative form. This form indicates a completed, decisive action. It suggests a moment of decision that defines a permanent change. In this context, when Jesus says to deny oneself, He means a definitive act of surrender. It is not something to be reconsidered or renegotiated later. It is the death of the self-centered life and the birth of a Christ-centered one. The same applies to the command to take up the cross. It is a one-time, irreversible decision to die to self and to live entirely for Christ.

However, Jesus uniquely adds the word "daily" to the idea of taking up the cross. This introduces a paradox. Although the act of taking up the cross is decisive and complete, it must also be reaffirmed each day. It is both a past commitment and a present, ongoing discipline. It means each day we rise with the understanding that we are not our own. Each day we crucify selfish desires, pride, and worldly attachments. Each day we remember that our lives are not about self-fulfillment but about obedience, service, and love.

In contrast to the aorist imperative, the command to follow is in the present imperative. This form represents continuous action. Following Jesus is not a one-time act but an ongoing lifestyle. It is a moment-by-moment journey that involves listening to His voice, obeying His commands, and walking where He leads. It requires endurance, persistence, and unwavering focus. Unlike the single moment of self-denial or cross-bearing, following is a continual movement—a spiritual pilgrimage that never ceases until we reach eternity.

The beauty and challenge of discipleship are both seen clearly in this combination of commands. There is a one-time surrender that begins the journey, but there is also a daily choice to live out that surrender. The Christian life is not static. It is active. It is not simply about conversion but about transformation. And this transformation requires commitment, suffering, and love. It requires putting Christ first in all things.

Interestingly, Jesus gives these commands at a pivotal moment in the Gospels. He has just revealed that He must suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again. The disciples, still holding onto their own ideas of what the Messiah should be, are not ready for this message. Peter rebukes Jesus, unable to accept that the path of the Messiah includes suffering. James and John, misunderstanding the nature of Jesus' kingdom, are ready to call down fire on a Samaritan village for showing disrespect. The disciples argue about who will be the greatest, completely missing the point of servanthood and humility.

In this context, Jesus' words are all the more powerful. He is setting His face toward Jerusalem, moving unwaveringly toward the cross. And He calls His followers to the same path. This is not a call to victory through strength but to triumph through sacrifice. It is a radical call that turns human expectations upside down.

To deny oneself is to relinquish control. It is to say no to our plans, our rights, our dreams, and our comfort for the sake of Christ. It is not self-hatred but the recognition that the self is no longer the center of our lives. Instead, Christ reigns supreme. To deny oneself is to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done." It is to live as Jesus lived, with complete submission to the Father.

To take up the cross daily is to embrace suffering, shame, and even death if necessary. The cross was a symbol of execution, humiliation, and defeat in the Roman world. Jesus transforms it into a symbol of love, sacrifice, and victory. When we take up our cross, we identify with Christ. We accept that following Him means loss in this world. It may mean persecution, misunderstanding, rejection, or hardship. But it also means intimacy with Christ, peace that surpasses understanding, and joy that the world cannot take away.

To follow Jesus is to walk in His footsteps. It is to go where He goes, to love as He loves, to serve as He serves, and to suffer as He suffers. It is a journey of discipleship that lasts a lifetime. It means we do not lead; we follow. We do not demand; we yield. We do not seek our own glory; we live for His.

This call to discipleship is not easy. Many turned away from Jesus because His teachings were too hard. He did not lower the bar to gain followers. He made it clear that the cost of following Him was high. But the reward is infinitely greater. He promises life—real, eternal, abundant life. And that life begins not when we get everything we want but when we surrender everything we are.

Jesus teaches that whoever tries to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for His sake will find it. This is a fundamental truth of the kingdom of God. It is in dying that we live. It is in giving that we receive. It is in surrender that we find freedom. The values of the kingdom are upside-down to the world but right-side-up to God.

The apostle Paul understood this well. He faced daily danger, persecution, beatings, and even death for the sake of Christ. He wrote that he died daily. His life was a constant surrender to the will of God. Yet he counted all his sufferings as nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He understood that resurrection life only comes after death. He was willing to endure all things because he knew whom he had believed and was convinced that Christ would raise him to eternal life.

This is the path of every true disciple. It is not about religious rituals or moral achievements. It is about a heart wholly given to Christ. It is about saying yes to Jesus with no conditions. It is about a daily walk of love, obedience, and faith. And it is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit empowers us to deny ourselves when our flesh cries out for comfort. He strengthens us to carry our cross when the world tempts us with ease. He guides us to follow Jesus when the way is dark and the road is steep. The life of discipleship is not lived in our own strength but in the grace of God.

Jesus is clear. If we want to be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. This is not a suggestion. It is a command. It is the only path to true life. It is narrow and hard, but it leads to glory. It is the way of the cross, but it ends in resurrection.

Let us then embrace this call with joy. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let us run the race with endurance, laying aside every weight and sin that entangles. Let us remember that our Savior went before us, endured the cross, and now reigns in glory. And let us follow Him, not for what we can get, but for who He is.

He is worthy of everything. He gave His life for us. Let us give our lives for Him.

This is the call. This is the life. This is discipleship.

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23