“Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 HCSB
Who is the all Jesus is talking to? The disciples. There is no crowd. There is no 70. There is only the 12. He is talking to His followers. He is talking to the church today.
“Then He said to you and me, “If anyone whats to come with Me, He must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
It makes sense if we want to walk with Jesus we follow Jesus. It is not us pulling Jesus along for the ride. It is not up to us how fast we move except to keep up with Him. It is not how slow we want to walk this Christian life except to say with Jesus.
If I was to tell you to follow my hand with your hand how close would you need to be to stay with it? One yard? One foot? One inch? No, you would have to touch my hand to say with it. The same is true with Jesus. We must be connected to Him to follow Him. Sin causes a disconnect. Obedience causes connection.
The ultimate place of follow is the cross. none of the 12 followed Jesus all the way there form the garden to Pilot to Herod Back to Pilot and then to the cross. They all scattered and ran from the people who came to arrest Jesus. Later Peter and John found themselves in the high priest’s courtyard. But the longer he was there the less He was following Him. Several if not all were there at the cross. We know that John and several of the women were.
In hard times do we follow with Jesus or do we abandon ship and get out. The hard times are meant for our growth. But we have a choice. We can be better through it our we can be bitter because of it. We must Pick up our cross every day and deny the flesh and follow Jesus. If we want to come with Him into our heavenly home.
“our heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.”
John 14:1-3 HCSB
If we not willing to obey and follow Jesus is He required to save us?
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great! ”
Luke 6:46-49 HCSB
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord! ’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? ’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’”
Matthew 7:21-23 HCSB
I can act the part and deceive everyone but in the end, only God and I know if I have followed Him.
“The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:12-13 HCSB
Follow Him because He is leading you to a better place.
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