Knowing Jesus. Hearing His Voice

 Jesus did not call people to be passive believers waiting to die and go to heaven.

For Jesus, faith was a strong personal connection with his heavenly Father. He wants you and me to experience nothing less.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. Jn 15:9 NIV

 Jesus lived his whole life on earth, saturated with the love of his Father and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. He wants nothing less for you and me.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
 
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jn 7:37–39 NIV

He called people to follow Him, to learn from Him, to obey Him, to become like Him, to live in friendship with God as He had just done.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn 8:12 NIV

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

It does not mean travelling to Israel, wearing old-fashioned clothes and preaching in Aramaic.

Nor does it mean fitting in at a church where nothing special happens. With Jesus in Israel, it was never conventional, routine or religious.

God calls you to trust Him as Jesus trusted, to know Him as Jesus knew Him personally.  

God calls you to be full of love for others, loving like Jesus.

God is calling you to hear His voice and recognise and do what He shows you, just like Jesus.

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Jn 14:10 NIV

You and I are far from living up to this amazing example, but we can grow into Christ.

Follow God's example in everything, for you are his beloved children.

Let your lives be characterised by love, just as Christ loved us, for he gave himself as a gift and sacrifice for our sins...

How did Jesus live on earth?

He was always in communication with his Heavenly Father. He was always open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in every moment.

I am learning to experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit better and better. This is a learning process for all of us.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jn 10:27–28 NIV

Are you not yet travelling with Jesus? You can start now.