(1 PET 2:21) "FOR EVEN HEREUNTO WERE YE CALLED: BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS:"
In 1896, Charles Sheldon published a book, which took its title from our Scripture reading today, In His Steps. Sheldon's novel went on to become one of the best selling and most widely read Christian books in history. You can find all sorts of things today, bracelets, necklaces, etc with the initials W.W.J.D.
Have you ever considered what Jesus would do if He had come today instead of 2,000 years ago? Hebrews 13:8 tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." I am convinced that we can find the answer to the question "What would Jesus do?" by asking another question "What did Jesus do?"
In this message and several to follow, we will examine several key characteristics of Jesus that will help us answer the question "What did Jesus do?" which in turn will enable us to answer the more pressing question, "What would Jesus do... today?"
I. Jesus Obeyed.
A. Jesus was Obedient as a Boy
1. There is little information about the adolescence of Jesus in the gospels.
a. How the Son of God veiled in human flesh grew and learned is unrevealed to us.
b. That early era of His life can be summed up in these two verses.
(LUKE 2:40) "AND THE CHILD GREW, AND WAXED STRONG IN SPIRIT, FILLED WITH WISDOM: AND THE GRACE OF GOD WAS UPON HIM."
(LUKE 2:52) "AND JESUS INCREASED IN WISDOM AND STATURE, AND IN FAVOUR WITH GOD AND MAN."
2. The fact that He "became strong in spirit," was "filled with wisdom," that "the grace of God was upon Him," and that He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" tells of an obedient child.
3. Parents, imagine raising a sinless child!
a. His room was clean.
b. He said "Yes sir" and "No ma'am."
c. He always obeyed instantly.
B. Jesus was Obedient as a Man
(MAT 3:13-14) "THEN COMETH JESUS FROM GALILEE TO JORDAN UNTO JOHN, TO BE BAPTIZED OF HIM. {14} BUT JOHN FORBAD HIM, SAYING, I HAVE NEED TO BE BAPTIZED OF THEE, AND COMEST THOU TO ME?"
1. One of Jesus' first steps as He began His ministry was to submit to baptism.
a. Baptism is picture of salvation, the first step of obedience in the life of someone who has been born again.
b. It identifies us with a body of believers and a body of belief.
2. Jesus didn't need to be baptized.
a. He was baptized as an act of submission and obedience to the Father.
b. He said it was "to fulfill all righteousness."
3. There may be some here today who need to be obedient in baptism.
C. Jesus was Obedient as a Savior.
1. There are many verses throughout the gospels that tell us of Jesus' obedience to the will of the Father.
(JOHN 14:31) "BUT THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW THAT I LOVE THE FATHER; AND AS THE FATHER GAVE ME COMMANDMENT, EVEN SO I DO. ARISE, LET US GO HENCE."
(JOHN 5:30) "I CAN OF MINE OWN SELF DO NOTHING: AS I HEAR, I JUDGE: AND MY JUDGMENT IS JUST; BECAUSE I SEEK NOT MINE OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHICH HATH SENT ME."
2. Jesus prayed for obedience to the Father.
a. In His Model Prayer in Lk.11:2, He said, "... Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
b. In His agony in Gethsemene, He prayed in (Mat 26:39) "... O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
3. Jesus was obedient even to death.
(PHIL 2:8) "AND BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS."
D. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Being Obedient to the Father.
1. He said in (John 15:10) "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
2. He said in (Mat 12:50) "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
II. Jesus Studied.
A. The Word of God Permeated Jesus' Life.
1. Lk.2:41-51 records the story of how Jesus at age 12 was in the temple with the learned scholars "listening to them and asking them questions."
2. I believe Jesus challenged their understanding of the Scriptures.
3. They were "astonished at His understanding and answers."
B. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Applying the Word.
1. If Jesus were living on this earth in flesh today, what role would the Scripture play in His life?
2. Would He study the Scripture daily?
3. Would He come to church to hear the Word on Sundaymorning? Sunday School? Sunday evening? Wednesday evening?
4. To be like Jesus is to be immersed in the Word.
5. We can't immerse ourselves in the Word when we are satisfied where we are.
III. Jesus Prayed.
A. Prayer was Essential to Jesus.
1. Jesus prayed constantly.
2. There are many records of His public prayer, but He also was a man of private, personal prayer.
(MARK 1:35) "AND IN THE MORNING, RISING UP A GREAT WHILE BEFORE DAY, HE WENT OUT, AND DEPARTED INTO A SOLITARY PLACE, AND THERE PRAYED."
(MARK 6:46) "AND WHEN HE HAD SENT THEM AWAY, HE DEPARTED INTO A MOUNTAIN TO PRAY."
(LUKE 5:16) "AND HE WITHDREW HIMSELF INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND PRAYED."
(LUKE 6:12) "AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS, THAT HE WENT OUT INTO A MOUNTAIN TO PRAY, AND CONTINUED ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER TO GOD."
B. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Spending Time in Prayer.
1. It goes without saying that if prayer was so important to Jesus, how much more important it ought to be to us.
2. Jesus prayed so hard because He had so much to do for the Father.
3. Perhaps the reason we fail to give priority in prayer is because we are not doing much in the service of God.
4. We need to pray!
IV. Jesus Served.
A. Jesus we Born to be a Servant.
1. You would think that pre-existent God, the Creator and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, if He became a man would be the most prestigious and honored man in the world.
2. Jesus didn't come that way.
3. He was born in a barn and lived a humble existence.
4. He had no home.
(PHIL 2:7) "BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, AND TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN:"
5. One day the disciples were arguing about who would sit next to Him in His kingdom.
a. After Jesus gave some strong teaching about serving each other,
b. He said what is the centerpiece of Mark's gospel:
(MARK 10:45) "FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED UNTO, BUT TO MINISTER, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY."
6. Just before the last supper, Jesus took a basin of water and a towel and began to wash the disciples' feet.
7. Imagine, the God of all creation acted as a slave by washing the feet of the disciples as an example of serving others.
B. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Serving Others.
1. Walking in Jesus' steps means more than soaking up worship and the Word on Sunday morning.
2. It means living the Word seven days a week and serving others.
V. Jesus Forgave.
A. Jesus Came to Earth for the Ministry of Forgiveness.
1. When Jesus walked this earth, He personified forgiveness.
2. Even from the cross, Jesus prayed for His murderers, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk.23:34).
3. We can all find that type of grace and forgiveness in Jesus.
4. His blood shed from the cross was the perfect sacrifice to pay for our sins.
(EPH 1:7) "IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE;"
(1 JOHN 1:9) "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS."
B. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Forgiving Others.
1. For those of us who are born again, Jesus has forgiven every sin of our past, present and future.
2. No sin is unforgiven.
3. That's great news!
4. Yet, how often do we bear grudges against others?
5. How often are we controlled by a bitter, sarcastic spirit?
(EPH 4:32) "AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE HATH FORGIVEN YOU."
VI. Jesus Loved.
A. Jesus Loved Us in Life and in Death.
1. God's love for man brought Jesus to earth.
2. Jesus' love for man called Him to the cross.
(JOHN 15:13) "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS."
B. To Do What Jesus Would Do Means Loving Others.
(1 JOHN 3:16) "HEREBY PERCEIVE WE THE LOVE OF GOD, BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US: AND WE OUGHT TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE BRETHREN."
Have you trusted Christ as your Savior today? Why not come and find the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life? Come to Jesus today. God loved us so much, that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us on Calvary.
Christians, are we ready to follow "in His steps?" Are we ready to do what Jesus would do? To obey, to study, to pray, to serve, to forgive and to love?