When you read through the gospels, it becomes crystal clear that Jesus had a most unusual marketing strategy. Whenever his popularity grew and crowds swelled around him, he would say something that would drive people away. A case in point takes place in the middle of Mark’s gospel when we’re told, “Jesus called to himself the multitude with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (8:34).
The Impact of the Cross in Jesus’ Day
It’s hard to capture the impact of these words in our day and age since we don’t see people suspended from crosses dying horrendous deaths lining our roads the way people did in Jesus’ day. Historians tell us crucifixion was used by the Romans to terrorize the populace into being compliant with Roman rule and there would often be hundreds of crosses lining popular thoroughfares to make sure everyone saw the horrific spectacle.
A cross was a despised symbol of utter abhorrence and yet here’s Jesus saying that a crucifixion of sorts awaited all his would-be followers. In the 20 centuries since those words were spoken, an estimated 70 million Christians experienced Jesus’ declaration literally as they were martyred for their faith. But for the vastly greatly majority of Jesus’ followers, a different, but still real form of death has remained a requirement for walking the of Jesus.
Daily Dying: Luke’s Perspective
In his gospel, Luke gives us his interpretation of this crucifixion requirement when he records Jesus saying that taking up a cross must be daily practice for his followers. In other words, following Jesus requires a bit of daily dying.
But what kind of dying is he talking about? Which part of us needs to be subjected to a death process every morning we awaken?
Early Understandings of “Dying”
My understanding of this teaching has evolved over the several decades I’ve sought to follow Jesus. When I made a commitment as a teenager to follow Jesus, I thought that what needed to die were what I deemed the “ungodly” parts of me. As an adolescent, I thought about sex at least 14 times a day and I thought what needed to die was this carnal nature lurking within me. Later on, I came to face the truth that there were many aspects of my personality that I needed to die to, things like self-centeredness, greed, and resentment. All those things I labeled as bad needed to go.
A More Profound Transformation
But Jesus didn’t say only certain parts of us needed to be on a cross. When a person is crucified, the whole person dies. And so, I’ve slowly come to realize that Jesus had something bigger in mind than behavioral modification or self-improvement. He wasn’t interested in shining us up and making us better people. He was after something far more profound and transformative and scary and mysterious and exhilarating.
Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good or good people better, but to make dead people alive. At the end of his gospel, John lays out this grand desire of Jesus when he writes, “these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing in him, you may have life in his name.
Life in Jesus’ Name vs. Life in Our Own Name
For us to have life in Jesus’ name means we need a new operating system in our lives, since our old system, run by our ego, is only interested in creating life in our own name. The ego’s sole purpose is to create an identity project that seeks to create a kingdom of self. This isn’t a bad thing, but a necessary thing. It’s a process that every human goes through. Creating a healthy ego is a developmental task that must be completed if we are to function as human beings in this world. A healthy ego gives us the capacity to make decisions, act, and build a life. But the life the ego builds ultimately is unsatisfying as its scope is too small, its vision is too limited, and its satisfaction too fragile.
Having life in Jesus’ name is qualitatively different and infinitely superior to life in our own name. Life in Jesus’ name is life that has transcended the narrow concerns of the ego. It’s life that flows emanates from Jesus himself and moves into every dimension of who we are. Life in Jesus is life that is guided and infused with the Spirit of Christ. Such a life happens when we move from an ego-centric life to a Christ-centric life.
The Daily Challenge
As Luke wisely observes, this way of transformation requires a daily death to the ego and a recommitment to following Jesus. This type of a spiritual journey is no more popular now than it was in Jesus’ day because our egos sense the danger at hand. But it is the Way that leads to the kind of life that we most deeply long for.
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