Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ¹⁹  Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.  And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

 ²⁰  Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them;  the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

 ²¹  So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

 ²²  Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me!”

 ²³  Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die;  yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”  John 21:18-23. 

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Jesus commands us:  “Follow me!”  We should not hesitate to make sure that everyone else has the same marching orders.

As parents, we are all too familiar with a similar reaction of one of our children when we ask that child to do something.  That child will typically react by hesitating and exclaiming:  “What about my brother!  Why does he not have to do this job!”

We would do well to remember Jesus’ words in Luke 14:27
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

This duty may be clear, but who has the strength and faithfulness, to even just figuratively, carry his own cross to his own crucifixion?

But, there is hope!

John 10:4
“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

But, our focus should not just be on us, dumb sheep, and our own ability to hear Christ’s voice and our own ability to follow.  We have a Good Shepherd Who brings us to where we need to be. 

“²  He makes me lie down in green pastures;
         He leads me beside quiet waters.
    ³  He restores my soul;
         He guides me in the paths of righteousness
         For His name’s sake.
    ⁴  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
         I fear no evil, for You are with me;
         Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:2-4.