WE ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW JESUS
John 12:26
Morning Meditation 1/6/15
"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour."
The first thing in this verse is the “follow me” of service. “If any man serve me,” is a general statement and not aimed at any particular person. He is declaring a condition in a general statement. The if is a third class condition and means, “maybe you will and maybe you won't.” But if you do, the condition is to “be my attendant, to minister to my needs,” it is the same word translated deacon.
The condition is “let him follow me.” In that day it meant to literally follow Him. In this day it means to follow Him in His teaching and practice. I am a follower of the Lord. Most of you who read this meditation are followers of the Lord.
The next statement our verse makes is, “and where I am, there shall also my servant be.” We follow Him to the poor and meet their needs. We follow Him to the mission fields of the world through the missionaries to get the message to every creature. We follow Him to Church because He loved the Church and purchased it with His own blood. He tells us Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Matt. 25:35-36, “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
Jesus is clear that we are where He is, after He is gone, when we minister to those mentioned here.
Then next He says, “if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” The “if” is a third class condition and means, “If in case.” It is, maybe you will maybe you won't. Serving the Lord is a decision that one has to make. Many are simply saved and make no effort to serve and show any gratitude for their salvation. There is a pay day coming for people like that. But we are not the judge.
What does He mean when He says, “Him will my Father honour.” First of all God is a Father of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to an especially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere him as their reconciled and loving Father. That is an honor in itself. But this goes further and involves special blessing and treatment toward those who faithfully serve Jesus in the capacity stated above during our Lord's absence from earth between the time of the ascention and the rapture. The word “honor” means, “to fix a special value upon a person.”
Let's face it. There are Christians who are worthless so far as their service to the Lord is concern. They are selfish and self centered. They despise the Church and contribute nothing to its progress and mission program to reach the lost world. If fact, many Christians stand in the way of the progress of the Church. Then there are those who are there everytime the doors open. They have open hearts and give liberally to the program of the church including world missions.
Are we serving the Lord? If we are we will be where He is doing what He would do including making the physical sacrifice and financial sacrifice that He would make. What reward will we have if we do? The Father will honor us. I would rather have His honor than all the money in the world.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
