CONFESSIONS & REFLECTIONS - Be a Good Follower

It is only right to do all that God requires - Jesus. Matthew 3

This was written when Jesus began his ministry. He left Galilee and met John the Baptist at the Jordan to be baptized. John protested saying that it would be more appropriate that Jesus was the One to baptized him, not the other way around. Jesus, responds saying that it is ONLY right to do ALL that God has required. 

CONFESSIONS & REFLECTIONS - Be a Good Follower

Now, let’s consider, did John have something that Jesus needed? No. Did the water provide Jesus with something necessary to begin his mission and ministry? No. Did Jesus know the specific outcome of his baptism? Arguably, no… which means, most likely He didn’t know ahead of time that the heavenly realm would open and the Father’s voice would appear audibly with a seal of approval and certified identity. 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ response here gives us a picture of what true obedience looks like. “It is only right to do ALL  that God requires.”  Seemingly insignificant acts of surrender and compliance with all that God has asked make waves in Eternity. For example, this one act of obedience on Jesus’ part has established what sonship and identity looks like, not only for Himself but for all those who share the same sonship - us. We are pleasing to the Father before we do anything - it’s about whose we are and who we are, not what we do or have done to prove our worth.

We know that Jesus was the best Leader that has ever and will ever walk the face of the Earth but, that is only because He was the best follower. He willingly and proactively was led by the Spirit. He ONLY did what he saw the Father doing.

Matthew chapter 2 talks of the dream that Joseph had where he received instruction, “Get up NOW and flee to Egypt” the angel of the Lord said. “So that very night he got up and took Jesus and his mother…” Words that are time-sensitive, that depict urgency and proactivity are important for us to pay attention to. ‘Now’, ‘Immediately’, ‘..that very’… warrant attention as do words of quantity such as, ‘all’ and ‘none’ when we are talking about what it means to be a good follower. 

To be a good leader we must be a good follower and to be a good follower we must be “all in” at “all times”.