In the Gospels, we don’t often read of Jesus calling on people to “believe” in Him or to “receive” Him. What we do find, however, is Jesus regularly calling on people to “follow” Him. This means that being a Christian is not just about what we think, as essential as that is. It’s also about how our thinking transforms our actions. That’s what James 2:14-17 means, where we read that faith without works is dead. There is a cost to discipleship, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote so famously in his 1937 book by that title, as he warned about “cheap grace.”
We find the concept present in numerous scripture passages, and then reflected upon in countless sermons on those verses.
Matthew 16:24 …Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 10:38 … And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Luke 14:27 … Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 9:59-60 … And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
Luke 14:28-32 … For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Luke 14:33 … So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Philippians 3:7-8 … But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
Luke 14:26 … “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Those calls from Jesus are the source of a fine hymn on the subject of the cost of discipleship. “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” was written in 1824 and then revised in 1833 by the Anglican clergyman Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847). He is best-remembered for his two classic hymns, “Abide with Me” and “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.”
Sometimes the cost of discipleship is simply the struggles and sorrows we endure that are common to all mankind as fallen creatures living in a fallen world. Christians are not immune from the hardships of disease and death. But these become part of the cost of discipleship as we are called to bear these adversities with an entirely different spirit, trusting the Lord through them and reflecting His faithfulness in our perseverance.
The cost of discipleship for followers of Jesus, however, is unique in that it is loss and opposition because of a commitment to follow Him rather than the world. The cost may be friends who turn on the new Christian because of his/her unwillingness to continue in the practices and principles of an unregenerate society. It may be loss of friendship because of abortion views, or it may be denial of privileges extended to non-believers, or it may be a case of being disowned by other family members, or it may be a demotion or even loss of a job. But Jesus promised rich blessings to those who refuse to compromise and wind up being persecuted because of their loyalty to Him.
Lyte’s hymn, “Abide with Me,” is a hymn well-suited for a Christian funeral. Though often found in hymnals in the section of hymns for the evening. But the reference to that in the hymn, when “fast falls the eventide,” is referring to the evening of one’s life, as the sun is setting on our years. It was written by Lyte just before his death at a young age, and was first sung at his funeral. When a person gets a diagnosis of cancer or is persecuted because of their biblical worldview of marriage, how do they find joy and comfort in God? How does God use the sufferings and persecutions they experience to sanctify them and draw them closer to Him? That’s the subject of Lyte’s hymn, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.”
Henry Francis Lyte was born into severe poverty in Scotland. His father abandoned his mother and him, and after his mother and brother died, he was orphaned at 9 years old with no support. His father remained distant, and only occasionally corresponded with the boy, referring to himself as “Uncle.” He was invited by Rev. Robert Burrows into his home, accepted as part of his family, and had his education paid for. Henry studied at Divinity school, was ordained at 21 and began preaching at St. Munn’s Church in Taghmon, Ireland.
Entering pastoral ministry, Lyte served several small parishes. One day, shortly after his ordination, he was asked to visit a fellow clergyman who had fallen deathly ill. As they talked about the things of God and the experiences of life, both men realized that they had never actually had a personal encounter with Christ. While both served in pastoral ministry, neither had been truly converted. As they searched the Scriptures together over subsequent visits, God revealed Himself to them in the gospel and both came to saving faith in Christ.
Lyte was later transferred to Devonshire in England, where he ministered faithfully in a humble fishing village for the next 23 years. He led a Sunday school, which grew to include more than eight hundred children, to great effect in the community. In addition to severe bodily afflictions from the tuberculosis which ultimately caused his death, Lyte was burdened by opposition from several church members throughout his time in Devonshire. Reflecting on these trials, he penned the beautiful words of the hymn, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.”
The song expresses the author’s commitment to leave all to follow Christ. It expresses his commitment to doing so, even if it means he must remain “destitute, despised, forsaken.” Prepared to give up “every fond ambition” he rejoiced that “God and heav’n are still my own.” He would remain committed to Christ even as “human hearts and looks deceive me.” “Man may trouble and distress me,” he sang, and “life with trials hard may press me” but he rejoiced that “heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.” He knew that, even in death, “hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise!”
As we consider what it means to take up our cross and follow Christ, we can zone in on at least three things that the cross meant, and bring these things into our understanding of what it means to follow Christ. First, the cross was an instrument of profound shame. Crucifixion was reserved for the absolute worst of criminals. It was considered too shameful an instrument of death for a Roman citizen. Victims were crucified naked and put on public display for hours, or even days. The crimes for which they were executed were publicly displayed over their heads as an added means of shame. Crucifixion was designed to maximize the shame of the victim. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross, “despising the shame” (12:2). At the cross, He was stripped of every earthly support He had. His reputation was subject to the shaming mockery of the crowd. Modesty gave way to nakedness and comfort to torture. His dignity was stripped and He was accused of being just like any other sinner.
Second, the cross was an instrument of severe suffering. The Romans had perfected the art of execution so as to maximize the agony of the victim. The pain was excruciating. The New Testament passes rather quickly over the ordeal of the cross, stating simply that the Roman authorities crucified Jesus. Historical records and medical insight must be brought to bear to help one understand just how severely victims of crucifixion suffered. As one considers those historical records, it is almost unbearable to imagine the degree of physical pain that crucifixion inflicted. To that must be added the terrible emotional pain of the disciples’ forsaking Him, and the intense spiritual pain of the Father abandoning Him. Jesus, says Peter, “suffered for us” (1 Peter 2:21). The Servant Song in Isaiah 53 talks in detail about how He suffered on the cross for our sins.
Third, cross was an instrument of inescapable death. There was no release for those condemned to crucifixion. Once the victim was on the cross, his fate was sealed. “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Death is the penalty for sin. He never sinned and should therefore never have died, but He died in our place so that we could receive eternal life in Him. As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus’ death and shed blood was the substitutionary sacrifice that accomplished atonement for all of God’s elect. Lyte knew nothing of a Jesus who was merely an example for good people to imitate. No, he understood rightly that the cross of Jesus was the place where propitiation was achieved, the wrath of God satisfied.
So what should it mean for us to take up our cross to follow Christ? It means, at the very least, a willingness, without murmuring, to be shamed, to suffer, and to die for our allegiance to Christ. He calls us to this. People sometimes speak of “having a cross to bear” as a description of being stuck with a difficult boss or an unpleasant relative or a chronic health condition. But they forget that the cross was an instrument of execution. When Jesus calls His followers to take up their cross, He meant that we must put our desires to death in order to live for His glory, pursuing His goals, and loving what He loves. It means we must put our old nature to death, something that it will resist. Hebrews 12:4 even talks about resisting sin to the point of shedding blood!
Matthew 16:24 provides the specific biblical backdrop of the hymn. “Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 10:38). A disciple of Jesus must deny himself, his will, his sin, his selfish ambitions, and then take up his cross to follow Jesus. Taking up one’s cross is recognizing the difficult (and often painful) consequences and implications of following Christ. This is the cost of discipleship: ridicule, slander, imprisonment, fines, torture, and even death. “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14).
We should expect the way to be difficult, even to the point of overt persecution. Indeed, this is what Jesus taught, when His Word tells us, “Because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. … If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (John 15:19, 20). The reason why Christians are hated today is because Christ was hated, and they belong to Him. As the hymn states: “Let the world despise and leave me; they have left my Savior too.” Paul also taught the certainty of such persecution: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Henry Francis Lyte rightly understood the believer to be a pilgrim in this world, not belonging to the world or the things in it. He also understood that, while we are in the world, we have a mission, a purpose, and a chief end. But, one day, that mission will come to an end. One day, the sufferings and persecutions we endure will cease. One day, our hope will “change to glad fruition.” For the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53), our Savior, will return and make all things new.
But until that day, may we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him.
Stanza 1 talks about taking up the cross to follow Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 that we should be willing to bear any burden that it takes to be His disciple, even if it means being “destitute, despised, forsaken,” and setting aside “every fond ambition.” But what a fulfilling life it will be when we more fully appreciate what riches we have in Christ.
Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and heaven are still my own.
Stanza 2 talks about renouncing the world and its hatred. We will find that sometimes the world will indeed “despise and leave” us. Jesus said that we should not be surprised when people of the world treat us the way they treated Him (John 15:18-21). As we turn away from the world, we can trust that the “God of wisdom, love, and might” will show His face of blessing to us. His approval will more than compensate for our being shunned by unbelieving associates.
Let the world despise and leave me, They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue.
O while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me, Show Thy face and all is bright.
Stanza 3 talks about fleeing to Christ for safety. “Trouble and distress” will be ours in this life, but the Lord promised that these things will bring us closer to Him (James 1:2-4), and will be the way He will work all things for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28), even as Joseph told His brothers (Genesis 5:20). None of these things can do ultimate harm to us.
Man may trouble and distress me, ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; Heav’n will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, Were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Stanza 4 talks about clinging to Christ amid life’s storms. It should come as no surprise to us that “earthly fame and treasure” will not be ours if we follow Christ. Even if “disaster, scorn, and pain come,” we will have the pleasure of receiving His favor, so that our “loss is gain” (Philippians 3:7-10). When we “have called Thee Abba, Father,” we can have peace amid life’s storms.
Go, then, earthly fame and treasure, Come disaster, scorn, and pain.
In Thy service, pain is pleasure, With Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee Abba, Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee.
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather; All must work for good to me.
Stanza 5 talks about finding joy in serving Christ. This is something that the world cannot understand, but which every true follower of Christ will know as part of the treasure of His “full salvation.” This true joy will cast out fear (Philippians 4:4), leaving us with our heavenly “Father’s smile.” Knowing that our Savior has died to win us, as a “child of heaven” ours will not be a life of repining (fretting and being filled with discontent).
Take, my soul, thy full salvation, Rise o’er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in ev’ry station, Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee, What a Father’s smile is thine,
What a Savior died to win thee, Child of heaven, canst thou repine?
Stanza 6 talks about longing for heaven as our goal. This life will be a spiritual battle from beginning to end, one for which we have been furnished with all the armor we will need (Ephesians 6:10-20). And with the eyes of our hearts set on the goal, time will pass quickly as we “hasten on from grace to glory.” We walk now by faith, knowing that we shall at the end have sight of that great hope.
Hasten on from grace to glory, Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
The music most have used has been the tune name ELLESDIE. It first appeared in the 1831 edition of the “Christian Lyre,” published by Joshua Leavitt (1794-1873). He was born in Heath, Massachusetts and graduated from Yale College and Yale Theological Seminary. He was ordained as a Congregationalist minister, and then became a prominent writer, editor, and publisher of abolitionist literature. He was the first secretary of the American Temperance Society and co-founder of the New York City Anti-Slavery Society. He published “The Christian Lyre” in 1830, the first American tunebook to take the form of a modern hymnal, with music for every hymn (melody and bass only) and the multi-stanza hymns printed in full, under or beside the music. It later became one of the standard tunebooks used in the 1830s New England Revivalism movement.
The ELLESDIE tune is often attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). However, no such melody has ever been found among his known works. It is possible that the arrangement in Leavitt’s book was made by Lowell Mason (1792-1872). The modern harmonization was done by Hubert Platt Main (1839-1925). It first appeared in the 1873 “Winnowed Hymns”of C. C. McCabe and D. T. MacFarlan.
The text has gained fresh popularity through the new tune composed and used as part of the music ministry of Indelible Grace in the university discipleship ministry of Reformed University Ministry, an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America. Indelible Grace was founded in 1999 by PCA campus minister Kevin Twit (b. 1964), along with several of his students. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and Covenant Theological Seminary. He worked in the music industry for several years both as a guitarist and recording engineer. He was Pastor at Christ Community Church in Nashville for 8 years, and has been the RUF Campus Minister at Belmont University since 1995. Indelible Grace has been at the heart of the movement to reset old hymn texts to new music. The group has recorded 8 CDs as well as a documentary film, “Roots and Wings: The Story of Indelible Grace and the RUF Hymns.” Kevin and his wife Wendy have three children, including a daughter they adopted from China in 2005. He is also an adjunct professor at Covenant Theological Seminary and at Belmont University, teaching classes in hymnody and worship.
Here is a link to the new syncopated tune from Indelible Grace, the most downloaded song from their collection.