Day 113 (Year 3)

Believers Honored by God the Father

Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26 NASB)

The verse’s context suggests that some revolutionaries might have sought out Jesus, trying to persuade Him to join a revolution. But He firmly refused and invited them to follow Him. The word “honor” near the end of the verse comes from the Greek word timao, which also means “to fix the value, have in honour, to revere, or venerate.” Therefore, we who serve Jesus alone can receive the Father’s honor in great measure. If the Father deeply honors us, our prayers, offered according to His will rather than out of selfish desires, will surely be answered. I believe that for those turning from Satan’s dominion to God’s, the greatest reward comes from serving Jesus wholeheartedly. Thus, the greatest desire we should cultivate is to follow and serve Jesus.

To serve Jesus, we must first follow Him. In the four Gospels, many disciples had to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Today, even if we do not immediately leave everything behind to follow the Lord, we must at least do so in our minds. That is, when we are clear about what Jesus asks us to surrender, we should be ready and willing to let it go at any time and then serve Him wholeheartedly according to His calling. Conversely, those who refuse to follow Jesus, or who turn back after following Him for a time, often experience even greater calamity.

Where Jesus is, there shall the servant who serves Him also be. Thus, we should pay attention to the work Jesus desires to do, or the places where He is actively at work. Some believers may find Jesus in more personal work; others in community. Or, some may find Jesus in a financial career, bearing witness for the Lord and the church while earning money. Others may find Jesus in specific relationships, and so forth. Regardless, once we find where Jesus is, we need to know among whom, in what matters, and how to serve Him. For instance, Jesus said that serving even one of these little ones is serving Him and will surely receive a reward (Matthew 10:42). Therefore, this experience of seeking Jesus can be very personal. Serving Jesus requires much prayer and discernment, along with asking the Lord to grant us His wisdom and power. After all, receiving great honor from the Father is a profound privilege for us, and this sets us on a carefree path.

Reflection questions:

1) Following Jesus, going to the place where He serves, and knowing how to serve Him—among these three things, which do you need most right now?

2) In obeying Jesus’ words, are you totally submissive to Him? If you lack anything, what else do you need to do?