By Jesus’ Example
You and I can learn many things from Jesus not only by listening to what He said but also by doing what He did - by following Jesus’ example.
Matthew 14:23
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
Luke 5:16
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Jesus would oftentimes go away by Himself to a secluded place to pray. There were many times in His busy life when He needed to get away to be alone with the Father.
There are times in our busy lives when we must follow Jesus’ example and go away to a secluded place to be alone with the Father. A place where we can regain the perspective or thank Him for what He has done or just praise Him for the beautiful day.
Luke 6:12, 13
It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
Jesus went to the Father in prayer before making a decision and you and I can learn from Jesus’ example. Just as He went to the Father for help in making His decisions you and I must also go to the Father for help in making our decisions. And the bigger the decision the more time we need to spend in that secluded place.
Jesus spent an entire night with the Father in prayer. He understood the importance of going away to a secluded place to pray.
So…
Do you know of a secluded place?
Gone there lately?
By Jesus’ Example
Luke 4:4
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.’”
Luke 4:8
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”
Luke 4:12
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
Jesus often quoted Scripture in response to a question or situation.
He quoted from the Law (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18)…
Matthew 22:37-40
And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
He quoted from the Psalms (Psalm 118:22, 23)…
Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?”
He quoted from the Prophets (Isaiah 6:9, 10)…
Matthew 13:13-15
“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
Jesus knew the importance of having a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. And you and I can learn from Jesus’ example.
During the time of Jesus Hebrew children began studying the Scriptures at the age of 5. And by the age of 13 not only did they have a working knowledge of them but they also had portions of Scripture committed to memory. Jesus’ ability to quote Scripture wasn’t necessarily because He was God and knew all things but because it was the practice of His day.
To become strong in our faith and confident in our walk with the Lord it is important that you and I read, study, meditate on and memorize the Scriptures…
Psalms 1:2, 3
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
And not only is it important for us to study the Scriptures for ourselves but we must teach the Scriptures to our children and our children’s children…
Deuteronomy 6:6, 7
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Jesus understood the importance of studying the Scriptures because it is the Scriptures which tell us about Jesus…
Luke 24:27
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
So…
Read any good Scripture lately?
How firmly planted are you?
By Jesus’ Example
Matthew 20:28
“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus gave up all of His heavenly power, authority, honor and glory to come to earth and become a servant. And you and I can learn from Jesus’ example.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry He served the people - He taught them, He healed them, He opened their eyes, He made them walk, He cast out their demons, He raised them from the dead. Jesus put the needs of the people above His own…
John 13:12-15
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”
Jesus thought serving was so important that during the last meal He had with His disciples He washed their feet to set an example.
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
In His serving Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice. He sacrificed Himself for the eternal welfare of you and me.
Jesus understood the importance of serving. As we serve others and put the needs of others above our own we will begin to see things as Jesus saw them and in the process of serving we will become more like Him.
So…
Serve anybody lately?
By Jesus’ Example
John 4:34
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Jesus yielded His own will totally and completely to the will of the Father. He put the Father’s will above His own will. And you and I can learn from Jesus’ example.
When you and I learn to surrender our will to the will of the Father He will begin to work in our lives. He will change us and work through us. He will use our lives to touch the lives of those around us just as He used Jesus’ life to touch the lives of those around Him.
John 17:4
“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”
Jesus understood the importance of yielding His will totally and completely to the will of the Father and as you and I follow Jesus’ example we too will bring glory and honor to the Father as Jesus did.
So…
Have you yielded your will to the will of the Father?
By Jesus’ Example
Luke 18:31
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.”
Luke 19:28
After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
John 2:13
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem is located at the top of Mount Moriah. And because of this location we must go up to Jerusalem.
The Temple itself, which was located in Jerusalem, was constructed in such a way that as one approached the Temple building one would go up through a series of courtyards. As one came into the presence of the Most High they would constantly ascend, climbing higher and higher.
The fact that we must go up to Jerusalem and ascend to enter the Temple is no accident - the Father is teaching us a valuable lesson.
Climbing up a mountain is not something we do passively - it takes effort, determination, commitment and most importantly a desire to make it to the top.
Seeking the Father and following Jesus is not something we do passively - it takes effort, determination, commitment and most importantly a desire to get to know Them better.
Our pursuit of the Lord may not always be easy - it might be an uphill battle at times. But if we have a true desire in our hearts to make it to the top and if we persevere the Father Himself will provide places for us to rest and the strength to go on as we continue our journey to come into His presence.
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
So…
Go up to Jerusalem lately?
With how much of your heart are you seeking the Father?
All of it?
