Tag: following Jesus

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Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

“Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now,

but you will follow later.”

John 13:36 NRSV

Yellow Brick RoadI know it’s a weak metaphor, but I love the Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy is told that to get home she needs to find the Wizard in Emerald City, and that the only way to find him is to follow the yellow brick road – I see a modern parallel to Jesus and his disciples.

In John 8:21 Jesus tells those who are questioning him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow”. However, in speaking to his disciples in John 13, on the last night before the cross, Jesus tells them that while they can’t follow him then, they will follow later. Then in chapter 14, Jesus tells them they know they way:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (emphasis added)

John 14:1-4 NKJV

Thomas then says in verse five what they were all thinking when he asked Jesus, “How can we know the way?” That’s a great question for each of us to ask this Lenten season. The Lenten spiritual practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are all guides to help us find the way of Jesus.

‘And where I go you know, and the way you know.’

The way of Jesus is the way to eternal life. To use my earlier metaphor, it’s the yellow brick road that leads to all the answers we need to get home. After all, that is where Jesus was going – home to Heaven, and that’s where we want to go too.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (vs. 6). The cross is the way home. No one gets home, literally or spiritually without dying. For those who will follow Jesus, there awaits a cross at the end of our yellow brick road. Or, perhaps, we should say the cross it at the start of our yellow brick road. We must die to ourselves before we can even begin the journey home.

‘For those who will follow Jesus, there awaits a cross at the end of our yellow brick road.’

I like to contemplate the cross of Christ on each Friday of Lent. Jesus said His disciples could follow him – later, after He conquered death for them in His resurrection. So too, He conquers death for all who will believe and follow. What the cross turned to ash Jesus made beautiful. Are you following?

Shalom for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

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Follow Me?

“Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”

Philippians 3:17

There’s an old saying, “If you put your faith in people, they’ll end up letting you down.” Perhaps that’s true to an extent, but not always. People who say they are followers of Jesus often fail to live up to a Christ like example. The excuse usually goes like this, “After all, we’re only human”. True, but there are some humans who have discovered life in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ and are worthy examples for us to follow.

Five times in the New Testament St. Paul admonished those he ministered to by saying, “follow me” (1Cor 11:1; 1Cor 4:16; Phil 3:17; 1Thess 1:6; and 2Thess 3:7, 9,). Now, we can be sure Paul only meant to follow him in that he was confident he was following Jesus. In fact, he says so specifically in 1 Corinthians 11:1.

How could Paul be so confident in his example as to ask others to imitate him? Because he knew the power of the resurrection. Paul’s faith wasn’t a “said” faith, or a “head” faith, but rather a “heart” faith. He not only believed Jesus to be Messiah, his heart was cleansed by the blood of the cross. He knew a total conversion, for he had been crucified with Christ, such that Christ lived within him (Gal. 2:20).

The good news today is that you can know the same power as Paul. The power to completely transform lives didn’t end with Apostles and early saints of the Christian church. We can study their lives and follow their example as we all learn to imitate Jesus Christ. The believer who lives out such examples presents a life to the world that is truly winsome. Such resurrection living changed the world in the first century, and it will change our world today.

So remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to be crucified with you, even as St. Paul did. Come and live within me such that others see you in me. Amen. Alleluia!