“Follow Me” – Jesus
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
The words of the Messiah Jesus from the Good News of John 12:26 CSB
I mentioned previously in “Jesus said,” that God’s love for the world to which the Lord came in the Person of the Messiah is conditional.
The same Disciple John who witnessed John 3:16 continues by urging us to also love Jesus. In other words, you must follow Him.
John 3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
God is NOT for everyone. Some will continue to choose sin until their death of the flesh and accounting of their soul.
Our choice, not a command
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
The words of the Messiah Jesus from the Good News of John 12:26 NIV
But since you do not believe what he [מֹשֶׁה] wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” – John 5:47
Not so good news for any who do not believe Jesus IS the Messiah, Christ, the only Son of the Father God.
We have a choice from the LORD.
Will we believe the Good News (Gospel) that Jesus came to the world to save sinners like you and me?
Though we may choose to wander in the darkness in our mortal days, like in Eden, we cannot hide our sin in the guise of good acts. For excuses cannot clothe our malice toward the LORD God and the Person of His only Son, Christ Jesus.
He sacrificed His body and blood for our sins.
The LORD God Eternal will judge the dust of our flesh and harvest our souls in the Court of the Supreme Judge of Heaven!
Roger Harned on John 3:18
Vision of the Angel with the Gospel
And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice,
“Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 4:7b NASB
ἀποκάλυψις – apokalypsis
Do we understand that the meaning of Revelation is akin to the same revealing of the sin of man to the Person of God in earthly Eden?
Revelation or ‘apocalypsis‘ is literally:
- laying bare, making naked
- a disclosure of truth, instruction
- concerning things before unknown
- used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all
- manifestation, appearance
“Follow me,” Jesus asks of us (for this ever-so-brief mortal life). Yet the judgement reminds our souls the consequence of refusing God’s grace. Jesus cautions us:
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
John 12:31-32 NASB
(Need a context for His conditional argument?) READ John 3:14-15
So what must I do?
One question the Person of Jesus answers is posed by a man who approached this teacher of the Jews and gentiles alike asking:
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ”
Jesus answers Personally and individually. Now the Person of the Holy Spirit speaks to each soul of those called to eternal life.
Your response must be more than “I believe in Jesus.” We must heed the calling of the Lord to “follow Me.”
The Lord Jesus speaks to Andrew and John, both disciples of John the Baptist who heard him say of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
John 1:38 CSB
The Call to Follow Jesus
Again and again we hear the same answer (though our sinful self may not have had ears to hear the Lord before).
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”
John 1:43 NKJV
Philip became an Apostle & disciple of Jesus not by believing in the Lord and living his mortal life as he always had done. Rather he followed Jesus and would later die as his ‘Christian Social Witness’ to the world.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
The words of the Messiah Jesus – John 10:27; 12:26 NKJV
Yet Jesus, Shepherd of the sheep and Sacrifice for their sins calls out to many.
“Follow me,” this gentle Lamb of God beckons to the humble of a first generation of followers and also the 21st century, in the year of our Lord 2020.
The Apostles following the Lord
Before His Sacrifice on the Cross for our sin, Jesus speaks to Peter about the difference between following Him by faith and also after the proof of His glorious resurrection from the grave.
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” – John 13:37 NKJV
John first witnesses Jesus teaching of His own death and resurrection, a message of death, which like us, the Apostles received with great difficulty.
Later John witnesses one of Peter’s encounters with the Lord after His resurrection. And what does Jesus ask of Peter once more?
John 21:
Jesus said, “… Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old…
Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Jesus’ words to Peter after His resurrection – John 21:19b NIV
The risen Lord asks Peter (in effect), “Follow Me to the Cross.”
Are you willing to witness Jesus even to the death, knowing the certainty of resurrection in Him?
Following Jesus in A.D. 2020
What is your CHRISTIAN SOCIAL WITNESS for Christ Jesus?
Do your social ‘friends’ online hear Jesus in your social posts and see Jesus in the witness of online pictures of your daily mortal life?
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COMMENT on what you read here (even if you just have an opinion or question you don’t want the world to see). Just begin it, “private.” )
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EMAIL me [roger@talkofJesus.com] and tell me where in social media you invest your limited mortal time each day. (I may need to share to other sites I monitor.)
THANKS.
May the Lord shine His Light into your days ahead in the year of our Lord, Christ Jesus, 2020. Roger
