2,000 years ago Jesus walked the earth. He really was born in Bethlehem. He really did spend time in Egypt as a toddler. He really did grow up in Nazareth with His family. He really conducted a public ministry that included miracles and teaching with authority. He really cast out demons. He really died on the cross. He really rose from the dead. He really is the Son of God!
In His very real life, Jesus interacted with very real people. He talked with fishermen, business people, and tax collectors. He interacted with men and women – young and old. He spent time with people of the majority ethnic group in the region where He lived, as well as minorities. He talked with the sophisticated and the simple; hung out with religious leaders and notorious sinners; had friends from red states and blue ones and who “voted” for all kinds of political candidates.
As He interacted with these diverse groups, there was a powerful consistency to His message. Everywhere He went, He invited people to simply, “Follow.” In Matthew chapters 8-10 alone, there are eight references to people following Jesus or Jesus asking people to follow Him.
Since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can expect a consistency to Jesus call in our own lives. In a very real way, He is inviting us to “follow Him.”
Like those in the first century, Jesus is issuing this call to “follow” to a very diverse group of people. Men, women, young, old, white, black, rich, poor, white collar, blue collar, upper class, middle class, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Sooners, Cowboys, and Longhorns . . . we all receive the same call from the Savior . . . come and FOLLOW JESUS!
- Sometimes we think we are too old to start following Jesus – that we do not have enough time left in our lives to begin following Him.
- Sometimes we think we are too young to follow Jesus – we will get around to it later.
- Sometimes we think we are too broken to follow Jesus – we feel unworthy because of past mistakes.
- Sometimes we think we are too independent to follow Jesus – we are intent on making our own way.
Whatever our excuse, we need to look back on the pages of Scripture and see all the people who followed Jesus WHO WERE JUST LIKE US. As they got up from their past and followed Jesus into their future, we can find divine inspiration for our own lives.
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church we will be continuing our “Follow” series by looking at Matthew 9:9-17. This great passage sees Jesus invite a surprising group of people to Follow Him . . . including the author of the Gospel of Matthew! In this invitation, we find hope for sinful people like you and me. Make plans to be in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service as we “Follow” Jesus together. See you Sunday . . . and bring a friend!