The Ultimate Rabbi

Transcript:

This day, we have another beautiful opportunity to follow Jesus who is the best person to disciple, mentor, guide and help us walk in the ways of our heavenly Father. However, we have to meet His requirements.

In Mark 8:34, Jesus says that he understands that we have a desire to follow him, but, if that is truly our intention we must deny our self. This is the hardest because we have many parallel desires that we want to pursue. Following Jesus doesn’t mean that we get to do everything we want to! We have to forget our self. This means that instead of thinking about our desires, our thoughts will go to what our Rabbi wants. We need to know how to ignore our self, when our mind, heart, flesh and circumstances say otherwise. We have to disown or let go of the ownership, leadership, authority over our life.

When we follow Jesus, he is going to call out the greatness inside of us. He is going to make us a fisher of men. He is going to do things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has known. This comes as a result of dying to ourselves first, to be the seed that falls to the ground and dies so that the fruit could appear. These fruits are not because of our talent or influence but because of God’s power in and through our life. The glory of God will begin to shine on us.

The cross is not the sufferings that we have to endure but the assignments that we are given. For Jesus, his cross was his assignment. For some of us, our assignment may be to go to prison and suffer for Jesus. For some others, to rule like King David, or to help rule like Joseph who supported Pharaoh or like Daniel did to Nebuchadnezzar. For others, it may be to raise godly children like Ruth did. We have to value whatever assignments we are given and take up those assignments (our cross) and follow Jesus. This is how we become a disciple of Jesus.