This Swap series will help us dig a little deeper into some of the elements of the Easter story. Read the recommended Bible passages and send your partner a letter or notecard answering the prompts at the end of this post. There is a little creative writing involved with this series. Get creative and really try to imagine yourself in the passage for this week! If you get stumped, ask the Lord for His inspiration.

Pick a few Bible passages to read and reflect on this week:

Matthew 16:24

Matthew 27:31–33

Mark 15:20–22

Luke 9:23

Luke 23:26–32

John 19:16–18

When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden. To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion. Bearing a cross meant one was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way. Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me” is a call to self-sacrifice. One must be willing to "die" in order to follow Jesus. Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God.

In your own words, what does it mean to "die to self"?

What cross are you carrying right now? Do you bear your cross with humility, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus? Or do you complain and focus on negativity?

Have you asked God to help you carry your cross? What does this mean to you in your life?

Did you have any other thoughts or questions from your study this week? Share your thoughts!