Knowing the purpose of our relationship with Jesus is important. It’s more than just going to heaven.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a person of understanding…

“Follow me”

Jesus wants us with Him. His call to His disciples was specific. He is still calling people to follow Him. Here are the verses where He called people to follow Him. Some did; some did not.

• Matthew 4:19 (also Mark 1:17)
• Matthew 8:22 (also Luke 9:59)
• Matthew 9:9 (also Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27)
• Matthew 19:21 (also Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22)
• John 1:43
• John 10:27
• John 21:22

The best verse is John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Based upon Jesus’ call to His disciples and His subsequent call on our lives, we can conclude that:

1. Jesus pursues us and calls us to follow Him.

The next passage that reveals God’s heart is, ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Based upon Jesus’ revelation that we can have fellowship with the Trinity,

2. We come to love Christ through relationship.

The third set of verses tell us how to love God. One of God’s love languages is SERVICE.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24

If we believe God, then we believe Jesus’ teachings and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. If we believe, then we trust Him and act on that belief. Our obedience is our belief in action. Based upon my faith and trust in Jesus’ testimony,

3. We show/reveal/display our love through obedience.

The last set of verses shows the kind of relationship that God wants to have with His children.

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17a

²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. John 15:26

¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:13-15

Jesus will reveal to us what we need as we need it. He longs to reveal more and more of Himself and our fellowship in the Trinity (time is another one of God’s love languages). As we grow, He unveils more and more truth to us. Based upon our ever-growing relationship with the Father/Son/Spirit,

4. Our obedience opens the door ever wider to knowing and enjoying the Fellowship of the Trinity.

Listed together, here is what we learn from John, specifically in chapters 14-16:

1. Jesus pursues us and calls us to follow Him.
2. We come to love Christ through relationship.
3. We show/reveal/display our love through obedience.
4. Our obedience opens the door ever wider to knowing and enjoying the Fellowship of the Trinity.

May we give ourselves to Him daily as He pursues us, may we experience His love, may we love Him through our obedience, and may we enjoy the Fellowship of the Trinity on an ever-upward basis. Amen