Day 11 - Issue 42
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John 1:43
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
I love the sheer simplicity of this verse. Jesus called Philip to follow him and he did! From this moment on, Philip’s life was defined by following Jesus, right up to the moment when he was crucified upside down in Hierapolis about 50 years later. I am sure that, throughout those years, he looked back to that initial moment when he responded to the call of Jesus.
John’s Gospel is all about following Jesus. So it is no surprise that, in the final chapter, we hear Jesus inviting Peter to follow him. Peter had just told Jesus how much he loved him, but still he said: “Follow me.” Whoever you are, whether you have followed Jesus for years or haven’t yet made up your mind, Jesus says to you: “Follow me.”
Christianity is all about a personal relationship with Jesus. Sadly, churches often get in the way. We make it look as if our commitment is to a particular church, but Jesus always needs to be the focus of our attention. It is only as a result of that relationship that we should commit ourselves to any church.
Our experience of following Jesus is obviously not the same as it was for the disciples. They followed him day after day walking, working, relaxing and eating with him. We can’t do those things but we can follow Jesus, living by the example the disciples set in the Gospels and continually learning from the Christians around us. We can look for the ways in which our Christian friends’ lives have been shaped by Jesus and, as we see their love, generosity, kindness, peace, faithfulness and gentleness, we can strive to follow their example.
As we look through John’s Gospel, my prayer is that, every day, you will hear the voice of Jesus lovingly saying to you: “Follow me.”
Question: If you follow Jesus, how could you do so more closely? And if you don’t, why don’t you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I could never deserve your love and forgiveness. Thank you that you invite me to follow you today. Amen
Released on 11 Jul 2022
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