FOLLOW THE LEADER

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, (Hebrews 2:10, 11 NKJV)

The word translated in this passage "Captain" might be rendered file-leader. It was thus used by Peter when he said, "Ye killed the Prince, i.e. the file-leader of life." Our Lord is seen as stepping up from the grave in Joseph's garden, to which, apparently, the hatred of His foes had brought Him; and as He passes onward, He is discovered to be the first, or leader, of an endless procession, which, in single file, is ever ascending from the grave to stand with Him, and to follow Him through all the subsequent ages.  What a perfect picture!

In the earlier part of that great procession, we can see the glorious company of the Apostles, behind them the company of prophets and the noble army of martyrs who have been slain for the cause of their Captain, Jesus.  Our Christian ancestors follow, and our Christian parents. We are there, and our Christian children will follow. We follow Christ our Captain through Gethsemane to Calvary, through death to life, through the grave to the Ascension mount.

When Isaiah anticipated Christ's arrival, he said that God had given Him to be a leader and commander to the people.

Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people.  (Isaiah 55:4 NKJV)

He has the supremacy, not only because of His original glory, as the Son of God, but also because of His obedience as man. Never has the will of God been wrought out so perfectly as by our Lord; and in this we are called upon to obey and follow Him. He was made perfect through sufferings, so shall we be; and as He is now crowned with glory and honor, so shall we be if we persevere in obedience to our Captain.  We will win the victory over death.

The only way in which Christ could bring us to share in His glory was to submit to suffering and death. In no other way could He act as the Mediator of the divine life to us who are His brethren. Similarly, if we are to become the peace corps of help and blessing to others, we also must be willing and prepared to suffer. We must learn to do this in spite of our own will and self-centered way. The way of the cross is the only path to the throne. Jesus said it this way in John 14:6 (NKJV),

Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

We can only reach our highest goal by constantly saying no to a self-centered life and yes to the Christ-centered life. This will involve suffering and pain; but it’s the only way we can follow our Captain.  Are you under His command?

PRAYER

Teach us, O Lord, not only to bear, but to love your cross. As we take and carry it, may we find that … it is carrying us. In Your name, Jesus, we ask it.  AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #4:
I created you in My own image with My special blessing.

Genesis 1:27-28 (WEB)  
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”