For those whom He foreknew, He also preordained to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29.
So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” John 21:21-22.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
I will sum up and tell you how to do My Will in three words: Be like Jesus. That is it. He is the perfect expression of My Will for man. As He is, so are you in this world. 1 John 4:17. He was full of grace and truth. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. He never sinned. He gave Satan no place in Him. He always was consulting Me. He stayed in constant communication with Me. And He glorified Me. He did not seek His own glory but Mine and in doing so lived the most glorious life anyone has ever lived.
Jesus gave Me the perfect relationship with man that I planned and sought from the beginning. I wanted a oneness with every one of you where our communication was constant and unhindered. Where all know Me from the least to the greatest and all have access to Me. Where we walk together as one in purpose, love, goals, and ideals. Like minded and complete. A relationship of mutual honor, love, and care where we each know and understand one another.
Today we conclude our series on how to know My Will for your life with Life Lesson No. 15: “Be like Jesus.” And that tells you My perfect Will for your life. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.
So how do you become like Jesus? You follow Him. Where He is there His servant will be. When John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to Andrew and John as the prophesied Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, they followed after Him, Jesus turned and asked what they wanted. They asked where He stayed. He told them “Come and see.” And soon after that He gave them an invitation by the Sea of Galilee, “Follow Me.” And they left all and followed Him as His disciples. And a disciple is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40; Matthew 10:25. And they became very much like Jesus, and after I raised Him from the dead and Jesus poured out My promised Holy Spirit on them, they did the works He did and greater, so much so that when Peter witnessed before the elders and rulers of the people, as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and then they began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. Acts 4:5-13. Follow Him and become a new creation in Christ. For whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
What does it mean today to follow Jesus? Jesus explains: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. First you answer the invitation and you come to Him and learn from Him. And He is My Word, so you begin to learn from Him by abiding in My Word and letting My Word abide in you. I gave Joshua the same instruction for doing My Will in his life, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8. You read, speak, ponder and listen to My Word in the Bible. And Jesus told you He did not leave you orphans but gave you another comforter to guide you to all truth and remind you of all He said. And that comforter is the Holy Spirit, your own personal teacher, leader, and guide. And He is the one who inspired those who wrote the books included in the Bible with My Words.
But for you there is more, for blessed are your eyes that see what you see and your ears that hear what you hear for many a prophet longed to see what you see and to hear what you hear but did not. I am speaking of My living breathing Word on earth. I am speaking of the Word made flesh who walked among you and embraced and blessed you. I am speaking of Jesus in the four Gospels. And this is where you will follow Him in what I am showing you now. It is Biblical meditation at a whole new level than what Joshua had. It is true life lessons.
Begin to read the Gospels as if you were there. Be a disciple hearing Him speak on the hillsides and then explain things to you privately. Read the parable of the sower as if you were hearing it there with the disciples for the first time, look around at the crowds and the reactions on their faces, and look at Jesus as your own teacher. And join the disciples privately in asking what it meant and hearing Jesus explain and then go on to more parables about the Kingdom as you listen and meditate upon what He is telling you and ask Him to explain even deeper meanings that are there to you and His Spirit in you will guide you to all truth and reveal to you My deepest thoughts that are contained in that passage.
And sit at His feet with Mary and then participate with Martha in her dialogue and listen to Jesus’ answers and ponder them in your heart.
Join with the shepherds in the fields that night in Bethlehem and listen to the angel and his words concerning the child in the manger and thrill at the glory and the glad tidings of great joy for all people that the long awaited Messiah and Lord is born, and maybe look back at the prophecy of Isaiah about the child born to you and the Son given you. And then hurry among the awed shepherds to the manger and kneel with them as you gaze upon the precious baby that has come to die for your sins, the true Lamb of God. And smile with Mary and treasure all these things in your heart. Even hold out your arms to hold the newborn king and Mary will gladly share Him with you. And go up to the temple for the purification and listen to Simeon and Anna and marvel at the revelation. Next experience the Magi and the escape to Egypt and weep with Me over the boy babies that Herod had put to death by the sword. And later return to Nazareth with Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus.
Experience already your Teacher at twelve years old questioning and responding with such wisdom to the elders in the Temple and then return to Nazareth and see Him grow in wisdom and grace before Me and men. And then join at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and watch the Holy Spirit descend and remain on Him. And listen to what John says and what Jesus replies to fulfill all My Will. And thrill that Jesus will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and FIRE.
Go into the wilderness with Jesus and watch how He responds to the devil with “It is written . . .” and takes down every one of his temptations. And learn from this how to respond when you are tempted and wrong thoughts are presented to you by the evil one.
And then join John and Andrew in following along to see where Jesus’ stayed and imagine spending the afternoon there. Go with Him to the synagogue in Nazareth as He unrolls the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and make His mission statement yours also, for as He is so are you in the world, and as I sent Him so He sends you. And the Spirit of the LORD is also on you who believe and I have anointed you also to preach the good news and set the captives free and announce a year of favor, the age of grace.
And then as He calls Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him see it as yourself and join in the journey to discipleship and becoming just like the Master. Go with them to every gathering, every teaching, every private explanation. Take notes and ponder anew at the Sermon on the Mount and the sermon on the plain. Never be absent from even one of His teachings as you about the day with Him.
And then we come to the many healings that took place at Jesus’ hands and Words. Be there at each one as you read them in the Gospels and marvel as the blind see, cripples walk, lepers are cleansed and the dead are raised. Study what each person did and what faith they showed and examine your own heart and thoughts. And as you meditate by imagining yourself there watch your faith grow for receiving and administering healing.
And then remember that Jesus told you that you who believe would do the works He did and greater and imagine yourself reaching out your hand and touching the leper to cleanse him and see his joy as he is cleansed at your touch. See yourself with the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit in you being released to heal those who touch you, as happened with Jesus, and later even with the shadow of Peter and cloths touched to Paul.
Go to the tomb of Lazarus with the crowd and Jesus and watch in awed amazement as Lazarus comes out. And go back and carefully analyze all that Jesus said and did in approaching that moment. And realize He sent out His disciples to preach, heal, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, and you are one of them so that assignment is yours too.
Observe and listen in your heart as you read His words of how He spoke to those who came to Him, what He said at banquets and parties, what He said to those He healed, His conversation with the Samaritan woman, with blind beggars, with the woman caught in adultery, and with bereaved parents and learn from Him how to lead people to Me and give them a whole new life.
Listen to every instruction and every admonition He gives and take it to heart as from your Teacher. Learn to pray as He teaches His disciples. Learn from Him how to respond to those who question you with ill will to trap you. Watch how He is slow to speak and careful to only say My Words and do the same.
Watch His love for children and how He blesses them and do the same with your children and students. Bless them do not ignore them.
Watch His care and concern for the crowds and for each person to take care of their needs. And take comfort in your own needs being met in the same way and then look to be like Him in helping others. Imitate Him. Observe His trust in Me and how He calls upon Me.
Be there as He calms storms and speaks to trees, multiplies bread, and listen intently of how you can do the same. Learn the basics of faith in His conversations and teachings and the responses of those who were healed and had their prayers answered.
Imagine He is asking you when He asks the disciples who that they say He is and give your response. And be there to experience the transfiguration and the teachings I impart there.
Be at the last supper and watch as He washes His disciples’ feet and listen intently to His direction that you must do the same—that the greatest one among you is the one who serves the rest. Listen to all He tells you of the Holy Spirit and gives you a taste of the good things to come. Receive His gift of peace and learn from Him how to keep it. Take Holy Communion with Him and the disciples. Go back and again read His teachings on His Body and Blood in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John and imagine yourself there with the crowd receiving these amazing words of life. And say with Peter that He has the Words of eternal life and set your heart to never leave Him.
Listen to His prayer for you to Me at the Last Supper and ponder anew what it means for your life. Then go with Him to Gethsemane and watch with Him for the hour. Take seriously His Words to pray that you not be put to the test for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And then remain with Him through the betrayal of Judas, the healing of the ear of the servant of the High Priest, and see how to treat those who come against you. Go with Him to the mock trial before the Sanhedrin and watch Scripture being fulfilled before your eyes. Go with Him before Pilate and listen carefully to His responses and learn from Him how to act under extreme adversity. With love and gratitude watch Him being scourged for your healing and learn never to accept illness as something from Me, but resist it and declare you are healed by His stripes which He took so you would not have to take it. As His disciple watch and learn from everything and grow in love for this meek and humble servant who underwent all this so that you could be righteous before Me with all your sins forgiven and gone, borne by Him who knew no sin but became sin for you all.
And walk with Him to Calvary and stand at the foot of the Cross with the disciple John and with Mary and take her too as your mother. And listen to every Word spoken by Him upon that Cross and marvel. Be there through the darkness and earthquake and the tearing of the veil. Ponder all anew and let Me teach you what I have done for you and who you are now in Christ.
Know the burial but then run there in the morning with the women to find your Lord raised and glorified, and then of course, you want to be a part of every teaching He gives after I raised Him from the dead and everything He directs you to go and do.
Learn from Him. And in seeing Him, you see Me. Imitate Me as My dear children and walk in love even as Jesus did. He is there for you.
By this My love has manifested in you, that I sent My only begotten Son into the world so that you might live through Him. In this is love, not that you loved Me, but that I loved you and sent My Son to be the propitiation for your sins. 1 John 4:9-10.
Learn from Jesus. Follow Him in the Gospels and you will come to know and believe the love which I have for you. I AM love, and the one who abides in love abides in Me and I abide in him. By this, love is perfected with you, so that you may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as Jesus is, so also are you in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. Love because I first loved you. 1 John 4:16-19.
And when Jesus ascended on High He gave gifts to men. He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of believers for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until you all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of My Son, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, you are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, you are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16. I send you apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to help you to be like Christ. And so too, once you have matured, should you be to another also.