FRIDAY 14th
John 13:1-20
NIV (15) – ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’
ESV (v15) – ‘For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.’
This is linked to where we were with our devotion on Wednesday, a command for us to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ which was an example of humility.
In Philippians 2:1-11 we read ‘So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’
May we always make every effort to ensure that Jesus is the example that we want to follow. We live in an era where following someone is very popular, for example with social media, your activity is measured by how many people you follow or how many are following you, many follow a particular football team, or other sporting team / individual, etc. some of those we follow are good examples in their particular sphere, we may follow someone socially because of who they are but there may be aspects of their personal life that we would not be willing to endorse, but when it comes to following Jesus, he is perfect in every way, in who he is, in what he has done and in what he continues to do. Pilate when looking at Jesus made this statement, ‘I find no fault in him’ and Pilate would have been strict in his scrutiny of Jesus. How well do we follow him, how closely do we follow him, how determined are we in ensuring that whatever our lot, we will follow Jesus, any day, every day, we will follow on? For those of us who do use social media, let us make sure that following and liking and keeping up with Tom, Dick and Harry doesn’t get in the way of hindering our following, liking and keeping up with Jesus.