Jesus, carrying the cross by himself, went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
It was our infirmities that he bore... (Isaiah 53.4)
"Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together." (Genesis 22.6)
But whereas God stayed Abraham's hand and
did not let him sacrifice his son, he did not stay his own hand in the sacrifice
of Jesus, who was also forced to carry the wood for his own sacrifice.
Then he said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want
to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will
save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose
or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of
them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of
the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9.23-26)
Much has been written about what it means to carry one's cross. Every
heart knows for itself. But Jesus, in saying "follow me...lose your life
and so find it...be not ashamed of me or my words" seems to say very clearly
that following him is carrying our cross while we are still in this
world. "Because I have chosen you, the world hates you." (John 15.19)
There is no need to worry about whether we are carrying our cross each day.
We need only concern ourselves with following Christ each day. The cross
follows, as it must be in this life.