Short answer
He meant: carry your own burden, and follow my example. Jesus said that whoever does not take his cross and follow him is not worthy of him. In that saying the cross is on the follower's shoulders. In Luke he also says it must be taken up daily. He prayed, he fasted, and he was circumcised on the eighth day. He told his followers that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, Jewish teachers of the Law and a strict religious party. When a man asked how to gain eternal life, he said, "keep the commandments". He did not point that man to his blood. Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century, later taught that no one is made right with God (﷾) by the works of the Law. The Qur'an agrees with Jesus: each person carries his own burden, and no one can carry another's.
Full explanation
The sayings about the cross
The saying appears in several places in the Gospels. Matthew 10:38 says that whoever does not take his cross and follow Jesus is not worthy of him. Matthew 16:24 also says he must deny himself. Luke has the word daily. Christians read it as a call to self-denial and costly loyalty to Jesus, even to death.
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Follow what he did
Following him means worshipping God (﷾) as he did. The Gospels show him circumcised on the eighth day, fasting, and falling on his face in prayer to God (﷾). As he prayed, his followers should pray; as he fasted, they should fast. Muslims circumcise their sons to this day, as Jesus was circumcised.
“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
What he said brings a person into life
When he was asked directly how to gain eternal life, Jesus did not point to his blood; he said to keep the commandments. He said his followers' righteousness must go beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees. Only the one who does the will of his Father enters the kingdom. That is what Islam asks of a Muslim.
“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Paul taught the reverse
Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century, told Christians that if they were circumcised, Christ would profit them nothing. He also said that no one is justified by the works of the law. Jesus was circumcised, and told a man seeking life to keep the commandments. Either Jesus is the example to follow, or following his example cuts a man off from Christ; Paul cannot have it both ways.
“Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.”
“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
| Topic | Jesus | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Whose cross? | Whoever does not take his cross and follow him is not worthy of him. The cross is on the follower's own shoulders. | A person is justified by faith in Christ. |
| Circumcision | He was circumcised on the eighth day. | He told the Galatians that if they were circumcised, Christ would profit them nothing. |
| The way to eternal life | Asked how to gain eternal life, he said, “keep the commandments”. His followers' righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. | No one is justified by the works of the law. |
The Qur'an agrees with Jesus: each person carries his own burden, and no one can carry another's.
Each soul carries its own load
The Law and the Prophets, the first two parts of the Hebrew Bible, say that each person answers for his own sin. They say a son does not bear the sin of his father. The Qur'an says the same: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another, and a person has only what he strives for.
“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
“Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another; That man can have nothing but what he strives for;”
Verse by verse
Matthew 16:24 — Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, verse 24
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Cited for
The cross is the disciple's daily self-denial for Christ's sake. It is how a saved person lives, not how a person is saved.
The response
Then the saying itself puts the load on the follower. It says nothing about the Christian teaching that his death pays for anyone. When he was asked directly what brings eternal life, he answered: keep the commandments. He said righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.
Where it lands — Read in its own words, the saying calls each person to carry his own burden and follow Jesus' example. That is what Islam asks.
Matthew 26:28 — Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verse 28
“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Cited for
Jesus himself said his blood was shed for the remission of sins, and that he came to give his life a ransom for many. So the atonement is his teaching, not Paul's.
The response
When a man asked him directly how to gain eternal life, he said, "keep the commandments". The Law and the Prophets say each soul bears its own sin, and no father or son dies for another. The Qur'an says he was not killed or crucified. Muslims measure these two sayings by the Qur'an: no bearer of burdens can bear another's burden. They cannot overturn the plain answer he gave a man who asked him the way to life.
Where it lands — Asked the way to eternal life, Jesus pointed to obedience, not to his blood. It was Paul's letters, not this answer, that made the cross the heart of salvation.
Galatians 5:2 — Epistle to the Galatians, chapter 5, verse 2
“Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.”
Cited for
Paul teaches that Gentile believers need not be circumcised, because they are saved by faith in Christ and not by the Law.
The response
Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, yet Paul told the Galatians that if they were circumcised, Christ would profit them nothing. Either Jesus is the example to follow, or following his example cuts a man off from Christ; Paul cannot have it both ways.
Where it lands — Paul's rule sets aside what Jesus himself did. The saying about the cross asks his followers to do what he did.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
Taking up the cross means denying oneself and following Jesus at any cost. It describes how a disciple lives. Christians hold that salvation itself comes by faith in Christ, not by works of the law.
Jesus calls anyone who would follow him to deny himself and take up his cross.
Rebuttal
Islam agrees that following Jesus means self-denial and costly obedience. The dispute is how a person is saved. Asked the way to life, Jesus said to keep the commandments, and did not point to his blood.
Paul teaches that a person is justified by faith in Christ, not by the works of the law.
Rebuttal
Paul does teach this. But Jesus, asked the way to life, said to keep the commandments, and he was himself circumcised. The Law and the Prophets say each person answers for his own sin.
The Islamic perspective
The cross in this saying is the follower's own. Jesus asked people to carry their own responsibility and to follow his example of prayer, fasting and obedience to God (﷾). That is what Islam asks.
In the saying, the cross is carried by the follower, and Luke says daily.
Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, fasted, and fell on his face to pray.
Jesus said his followers' righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
Asked how to gain eternal life, Jesus said to keep the commandments, and said nothing of his blood.
Paul said circumcision would make Christ profit a man nothing, though Jesus was circumcised.
Muslims pray, fast and are circumcised, as Jesus did.
The Hebrew Bible says each person dies for his own sin.
The Qur'an teaches that no one can bear another's burden, and each has only what he strives for.