Holy Week: Tuesday
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24
Follow me. That’s something we often hear Jesus saying to us either from the pages of Scripture or from that still small voice in our hearts.
I love picturing myself sitting close to Jesus at the table when he breaks the bread and pours the wine. And I always feel humbled when I imagine Jesus washing my feet. I lean on my wrist and listen with fascination as he talks about the coming Holy Spirit.
As I put myself back in his presence during the events leading up to Easter, I find myself getting angry at Judas. I follow Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, and—unlike the others—I imagine pinching myself to make sure I stay awake to pray.
Hours later I get mad at Peter for denying Christ, and I see myself huddling next to John during that terrible trial. And when the mob screams in the street for Jesus’ crucifixion, I yell back at them, challenging their loyalty.
But as the pages of Scripture turn and Jesus gets closer to the cross, something happens…
When I hear Jesus say, “Follow me to the cross,” I stop short. That’s where my imagination ends. Let’s face it, it’s easy to sign up to become “Fishers of Men.” It feels good to sit at the Lord’s table, to be in the inner circle, and to imagine Jesus washing our feet. But following him to the cross? Now that’s another story.
As Holy Week progresses, following Jesus gets increasingly more difficult. Have you decided to follow Jesus? Are you ready to take on all that the cross means?
Joni Eareckson Tada’s 7-Part Holy Week Devotional
Download our Holy Week guide and let those questions pierce your heart as we prepare for Easter Sunday.
