Jesus did not call us martyrdom of the cross when he told us to take up our cross and follow him. We know that it was not the cross we called to but instead to our own personal the resurrection.
We can see we are called to our own personnel resurrection and not to the cross based on the following verse.”Let us fix our eyes on the on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross.”
Incredibly, you and I are the joy set before him. That means that instead of the cross being our call to take up, we are instead called to take up our cross and follow him to our own personal resurrection.
That also means that if The Father can use the murder of his innocent Son to bring salvation to the whole world our Father can make beautiful things out of anything I have to endure in my life.
We need to do as our savior did when he prayed “Father into your hands I commend my Spirit” We also need to turn our life over to God every day we live.
George Caywood 