Many Christians sometimes feel isolated, persecuted, and ridiculed by others. This, however, is just a part of the cross that they are supposed to carry.
Following Christ Comes at a Cost
Following Christ comes at a price, and a very hefty one. It is not about being persecuted once, twice, or thrice. No. It is every single day of your life as a Christian.
This is what Christ left as the cross for all those who believe and want to be saved. For each of His sheep to carry his or her own cross and follow Him to the very end.
The Loneliness and the Journey to the Cross
Yesterday, I pondered a lot on why some nights feel lonely, the world so detached, and the friends I once knew so far apart. Maybe not physically, but very much mentally and spiritually. Then I stumbled upon what Christ had to go through when He was given into the hands of His enemies; the chief priests, who plotted His very death. They gave Him to Pilate to be crucified. But the most painful and dreadful pain Jesus had to go through was not even on the cross. It was the journey to the cross—from the time He entered the chief priest’s presence until they marched Him to Calvary. That is where the price was paid.
See what happened when He was placed in the hands of the Romans to be flogged:
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head. And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:27-31, NASB)
The Depth of the Suffering
They had just flogged Him mercilessly just before this. And not only did they do so, but they decided they needed to place a crown of thorns on Him and hit Him with a reed on the head.
When I think of this, it is as if it is happening right before my eyes. I can only imagine how inhumane and demonized this place was—beating up a naked person, then going on to place thorns on His head, and adding spitting and mocking.
Not a single human would deserve to die this way. Even criminals on death row receive more graceful treatment. However, Christ was beaten to a point that He died slowly. This happened much later on the cross, meaning He had to endure all this pain for all that time until He breathed His last.
An Innocent Man Betrayed
All this would not have been so inappropriate if Christ was being killed for a crime, but He had no sin—not even one. It was just people who were envious of Him and uncomfortable with His teachings who plotted to have Him crucified. Much worse was that Christ was betrayed by one of His own people, Judas.
Imagine having to step into these shoes, and all you have to do is accept your fate without fighting back.
This Is the Price of the Cross
This, my friend, is the price of the cross. Just as Christ suffered on His way to Golgotha and inherited glory on resurrection, even so did He call you and me to follow the same path. It is not all glory and singing. There are days of crying, days of being persecuted—sometimes by your own family members. There are days when you will be betrayed. There are days you will feel broken. But at the end, the glory and the Sonship are yours, to the end of days.
Counting the Cost Before You Confess
So before you confess Christ as Lord, consider the fact that there is a price of the cross you are about to carry. It will have good days, but that does not mean the bad days are any less painful. Neither will the devil disappear from your life because you got saved. Weirdly, Satan will be more interested in tormenting you if you identify as a follower of Christ. You (as a Christian) and he (the devil) are sworn enemies.
Hold On to the Cross
Although this is not to make you give up on carrying your cross. Christ already paid the price. You just need to hold onto the cross He placed in your hands and carry it to the very end. And you are not alone—the Holy Spirit will carry it with you. So be strong in days of persecution. Bless those who curse you. Love those who talk negatively about you behind your back. And love those who do not like you. This is the way of the cross.
