I am a Christian that is still learning. I have posed this question in several venues and have yet to receive an answer. Several places in the New Testament it is written that Jesus tells people to Take Up their Cross and to follow Him. I understand the Cross to be symbolic of Christ’s crucifixion thus symbolic of Christianity. Did the cross have a religious significance in the days of Jesus and if not, why would Jesus use the term “take up your cross”?
Well, it was normal practice for the Romans to make prisoners carry their own crucifixes to the hill of Golgotha, so I think the phrase would have been generally understood as a reference to that.
However, I think Jesus was also being prophetic. He knew from the start that He would be crucified, so even if the disciples didn’t understand the full significance of the phrase He was using, He knew that they (and we) would appreciate it later.
The significance of the phrase "take up your cross" pointed to the the absolute conviction that the physical device required. The convicted prisoner carried their cross to Golgotha where they died. Jeshua told His audience that to follow Him required 100% conviction.
The same holds true for baptism. Although it was merely symbolic, partaking in the act required 100% conviction on the part of the one being baptized. The Jewish leaders watched those being baptized and would forbidden from attending the synagogue, which was the social and religious center of Jewish society.
Christ's teaching required nothing less than total commitment to Him and a separation of the old way.
In Jewish culture, one of the worst things was to be executed as a “criminal.” Christ was shocking them with this symbolism, confirming that Christians would be reviled and hated. Sort of a warning that the cost can be very high indeed to be a Christian.
First start at the beginning. Deuteronomy 21:23 "He who is hanged is accursed of God." Jesus took this curse of sin on Him for our sins. Crucifixion is an extremely painful humiliating way to die. Jesus voluntarily died in our place.
"Take up your cross" can be put another way. 1 Corinthians 15:31 "I die daily". Paul said he died every day he lived since being saved. Why? He died to self. He gave up selfish desires. He was in the world but would not partake of sinful activities such as gluttony, lust, greed and other things the world holds up for us to grasp. To live for Christ is to take up the cross.