When Jesus declared his intent to His disciples to travel back to an area where their lives would be in danger, we read about their concerns in an interaction within the group.
My interpretation on Thomas’ declaration in John 11 illustrates how we are willing to follow a worthy leader into harms way and possibly unto death.
As we imagine the small group with Jesus in the Samaria or a village away from Jerusalem, it is easy to see the common dynamics between a leader and his followers. Why is it more difficult to follow the invisible God, the resurrected Jesus, to where He leads us?
Probably in a point of the spear combat unit, more than anywhere else, do you see the honest desire for, young men at least, to risk death. Of course, it’s better to achieve life and victory, but it comes through a crucible of risking devastating defeat, or even annihilation in the process.
It’s not just the fighting, a just cause comes first, like fighting for ones country in patriotic duty, but then something else must happen. A leadership figure, like a Commanding Officer, must arise that builds unit cohesion and further validates the potential sacrifice. There are synergies being closely connected to others who share the same daring and willingness to prove their themselves worthy of the cause.
A unit that has weak leadership and is ill-prepared to perform their main task of destroying an enemy will have far less desire to fight except for the survival of their shipmates and comrades at arms who fight along side them. In any case, the final identification of human camaraderie that can still sustain a willingness or survive. A final human connection.
Capability to achieve the mission is also a crucial factor, performing as a team for a cause, and the preservation of the relationship itself can take on a supernatural quality, a willingness to sacrifice oneself for his comrades. Love, the type that the Greeks call “Agape”, is strong, where one is willing to sacrifice oneself for others.
We are made in the image of God. The innate desire to offer oneself as a sacrifice for the ones you love is a character quality that comes from God, a quality we ought to seek to apply wisely.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. – John 15:12-14
The last verse may strike some people as odd, but this is the exact condition that exists in the military when a unit is in one accord under the Commanding Officer. His orders are trusted, because the leader has earned the trust of his soldiers or crew.
One of my favorite old analogies of loyalty is how the loyal friend isn’t one who is going to ask why you need to bring shovels to the cemetery at 1:00 am in the morning, he’s going to respond with “how many do you need?” (some tongue in check is intended, but you get the idea).
Even though God is not seen, what can be said about this drive to sacrifice oneself even without any clearly evidenced assurance of life after death?
It’s seems inherent that most people are aware of a variety basic spiritual principles even without proof. Faith in Christ is based on his trustworthiness, the ultimate, not only in trustworthiness, but perfection in righteousness, holiness, justice, and most importantly, love. There is no greater leader to be followed. It is not blind faith as many people mistakenly believe.
Revisiting John 11
The disciples are not comic book superheroes, but they follow their leader back to enemy territory. The gospels are eye witness accounts about real people, not a movie script or a historical novel. His disciples, like most of us, are neither trained warriors in the conventional sense nor spiritual geniuses, and at this time in their ministry are still unclear about the even greater miraculous works of Christ that were to unfold. The fear of the powerful religious leaders as well as the Roman authority were real.
It’s an encouragement to us, knowing that each of these disciples (except for Judas Iscariot) ultimately became great men of God and in the end were willing proclaim the Gospel in the face of great persecution. They gave their lives for the sake and cause of their leader, their Lord, their God whom they had witnessed defeat death through His resurrection.
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” – John 11:1-16
Advancing into the gates
Jesus plans to return to Judea, where the disciples dread. There, a mere couple of miles from Jerusalem, the very hive of the religious Jews who are hostile to Jesus, Christ plans to do His greatest miracle in His earthly ministry, before His own resurrection. He plans to raise his friend who is clearly dead to further offer proof of his deity. This is the catalyst that will drive the enemy insane with hate to kill him.
For those who will believe, they will believe, for those whose hearts are hardened with sin will not submit, they will not.
Evidence upon evidence: The ministry of Jesus was for three years done in the light, the darkness surrounding his destiny to save humanity would eventually arrive, but not yet, as the group reentered the troubling area of Judea.
It is only through the sovereign plan of God, the will of Jesus to follow His Father’s will, and an extraordinary detailed fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, that Christ ended up on a cross to suffer humiliation by sinful men, agony of the Father’s wrath, and to give up His guilt-less earthly life for our sins.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Commander of legions of the angelic hosts (armies) mentions to his disciples upon his arrest that fateful evening in the Garden of Gethsemane:
“Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” – Matthew 26:52-54
I follow Jesus, will you? He is the ultimate Commander. He is worthy of all Godly worship, submission, and sacrifice. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life leading to the victory of eternal salvation.
Get to know Jesus for yourself. The most pivotal character in the history of humankind.
Read the Gospels and the Book of Acts to begin with (the first 5 books of the New Testament). Contrary to much disinformation, the New Testament is full of Eye-witness historical testimony written within the life times of those who knew and saw Jesus.
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
CKY
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24.01.13