By Jameson Barker
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:1-27, John 12:23-26, Philippians 2:5-8
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to depend on someone else? I remember tearing my Achilles tendon and needing surgery to repair it. When I got home, I was told to lie flat on my back with my leg propped up for eight days. I felt helpless and had to depend on my amazing wife for almost everything. Dependence does not come naturally to us.
Luke 9 begins with Jesus sending out the twelve apostles with surprising instructions: Take nothing with you—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and no extra clothes. They had no idea what they would face. Yet Jesus intentionally stripped away every earthly source of security to teach them one foundational lesson: dependence.
A few verses later, that lesson is reinforced. Faced with a crowd of more than 5,000 men—likely 15,000 or more people, including women and children—the disciples wanted to solve the problem themselves by buying food. Instead, Jesus took five loaves and two fish, blessed them, and fed everyone until they were satisfied. Again, Jesus was teaching His disciples that His mission is accomplished not through human sufficiency but through complete dependence on Him.
These moments prepare us for one of Jesus’s clearest descriptions of discipleship in Luke 9:23. Dependence on Christ is not merely a feeling. It is a way of life.
First, a disciple denies self. This means rejecting a life centered on personal comfort, ambition, and
control. Instead of asking, “What do I want?” the disciple asks, “What does Christ desire?” Following Jesus is not adding Him to our plans; it is surrendering our plans to Him. Self and Savior cannot occupy the throne of our hearts at the same time.
Second, a disciple takes up the cross daily. Jesus calls us to embrace the cost of following Him every single day. The cross represents surrender, sacrifice, and even suffering. Whether we experience rejection, persecution, or simply the daily challenge of obeying Christ over our own desires, we continue to carry our cross because Jesus is worth following.
Finally, a disciple follows Jesus continually. Following is an ongoing pursuit, not a one-time decision. The language Jesus uses points to continual action. We do not follow Christ only at church, a conference, or during a quiet time. We follow Him in our homes, workplaces, conversations, decisions, and relationships. Every day becomes another opportunity to walk where He leads.
Luke 9 reminds us that true discipleship is not about becoming more self-sufficient; it is about becoming more dependent on Jesus. As we deny ourselves, carry our cross, and continually follow Him, His life becomes increasingly visible through ours.
So ask yourself: Where am I relying on my own strength instead of Christ’s? What part of my life have I refused to surrender? If someone observed my daily life, would they clearly recognize the marks of a disciple—someone who depends on Jesus more than on themselves?
Written by Jameson Barker
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