What does Jesus mean when he says "follow Me"?I will share with you from Luke chapter 9.In verse 44 Jesus says:"Let these words sink into your ears:the Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men."verse 45 says:They did not understand this saying.They did not understand because they saw Jesus as a King moving in to conquer. And He was.But the victory would come only through suffering and death.This is what Jesus means when he says "follow Me".Luke 9:23If anyone would come after me, let him follow me.John 12:26If anyone serves me he must follow me.Matthew 10:38Whoever does not follow me is not worthy of me.When Jesus says "follow me" He means follow Him in His suffering and death.Following Jesus in suffering:Hebrews 5:8Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.Hebrews 2:10It was fitting that he...make the founder of their salvation (Jesus) perfect through suffering.1 Peter 4:1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thinking,for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.1 Peter 2:21For to this you have been called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in his steps.Romans 8:17co-heirs with Christ if we share in his sufferings.Following Jesus in deathJohn 12:24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it diesit bears much fruit.Matthew 10:39whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Matthew 16:25whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Mark 8:35whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's sake will save it.Luke 9:24whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.Luke 17:33Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.Luke 14:27Whoever does not bear his own crosscannot be my discipleFollowing Jesus means suffering and death to self.When you choose to follow Jesus to victory and set your face toward Jerusalem you can expect the following:Luke 9:53But the people did not recieve him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.But we have the promises from the Lord Himself:Revelation 2:7To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.Revelation 2:11The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.Revelation 2:17To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.Revelation 2:26The one who conquers to him I will give authority over the nationsRevelation 3:5The one who conquers will be clothed in white garments and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.Revelation 3:12The one who conquers I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God.Revelation 3:21The one who conquers I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.Revelation 21:7The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Arthur Rosh,Dear bro.,This so true. While on my way to town yesterday,I was thinking on some of these very same things. So when I got to a place to stop the car, I wrote some things down.I ask the question, Where do we want to hurt / suffer ?god' plan in our life....where-in ' life is but like a vapor',.. A short suffering? OrOur ..flesh plan for this life, ....and eternally suffer?Thank you God bless you, elizabeth
Dear ElizabethThank you for putting it in perspective. Our life is truly very short. 2 Corinthians 4:17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.NLTFor our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!