Living For Jesus Means Dying To Self
Notes
Transcript
What does it mean to die to self?
What does it mean to die to self?
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Him?
We cant’ skip the first clause…
It means to deny yourself.
But what does that mean?
John’s Gospel doesn’t have this quote in it. Instead, it tells us when Jesus referred to Him dying on the cross.
Let’s look at Jesus referring to His death on the cross prior to it happening for some insight:
John 10:17–18 (ESV)
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
I want to specifically point out 2 Greek words found here.
lay = τίθημι
tithemmi
take = λαμβάνω
lambano
Although the statement of “denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him” are not recorded in John’s gospel
Instead, John later records another statement from Jesus, using these exact same Greek words…
that may give us further insight into what this means in our daily life.
rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
laid aside = τίθημι
tithemmi
taking = λαμβάνω
lambano
Jesus here lays aside His outer garments and takes up a towel to wash their feet.
He humbles Himself to the point of a servant to God’s people and serves them.
He puts them and their needs above Himself.
Jesus is talking about physical death in John 10:17–18, but in John 13:4 He applies those same terms to the service he expects of his followers.
In other words, serving others is a type of death to self.
What does it mean to “take up the cross”?
It means that we are to “lay down” our selfish desires by “taking up the towel” in order to serve others humbly and sacrificially!
It does not necessarily mean that we must physically die, though it might mean doing so.
But “taking up the cross” is more about a daily lifestyle.
Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
You’re willing to die for Jesus, but are you willing to serve Him through His people daily?
Dying to self means serving our fellow humans in the midst of their dirt and grime:
doing dishes for the family, coaching soccer in our communities, visiting the homeless and taking them a meal, helping the widow by mowing her lawn, listening to friends pour out their troubles, washing windows for an elderly couple.
The options are endless—whatever selfless, sacrificial task a servant/slave might do.
When we do these things—and this is the cool part—we die to ourselves.
And that, in the gospel of John, is what it means to “take up [your] cross.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
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Matt Williams, “Taking Up the Cross (John 13:4),” in Devotions on the Greek New Testament: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct, ed. Verlyn D. Verbrugge and Scott J. Duvall (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 49.