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John 20:17 Following in Your Father’s Footsteps

John 20:17 Following in Your Father’s Footsteps

Last updated on: January 2, 2007 at 8:05 pm by Jim Erwin

John 20:17 Following in Your Father’s Footsteps 2007-01-02T20:05:00-05:00 Jim Erwin

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John 20:17 Following in Your Father’s Footsteps

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

(John 20:17 ESV)

Jesus describes after His resurrection the fact that He will return to His Father. He calls God His Father, but also our Father. It occurred to me that Jesus is essentially following in His father’s footsteps.

Have you ever heard of a son who follows in what the father does? A father is a carpenter and so the son learns to be a carpenter. The son is following in the father’s footsteps. The son is following the father’s example.

What do we mean when we say that someone is following in their father’s footsteps? It means two things. First, it shows the relationship of the father to the son as one who sets an example. The father steps forward and blazes the path for the family to go. The father leads the family by setting his steps first.

Second, it shows the relationship between the child and the father, as the child follows the father’s example.

Every child will learn from the father’s example – good or bad. You see it when you look at how the children act. You can spot whose children they are, not just by how they look, but also by how they act.

Fathers are expected to teach the children by example. Most people think that you should tell children what to do. That is just the first way of teaching. But the better way of teaching is to set the example. You model the behavior and the child learns it. This is an important way to teach because it says to the child, I will love you by showing you how to act. It is also important because it forces the parents to act mature. If you lead a poor example, or a bad example, your child is going to learn it. Even if you tell your child not to do it.

Of course, every Christian father walks in the direction that God shows him. So our earthly fathers, while they may be setting the example for their earthly families, are doing so by following God’s example.

A Christian father can only set the example for his children when He is following the example of His Heavenly Father. So the Heavenly Father sets the example for the earthly father. And the earthly father sets the example for the children.

This is important because in today’s world, most children don’t have a good father to follow.

This leads me to think of a very difficult problem: How hard it is to follow in God the Father‘s footsteps when our father’s example is not good?

When I follow God’s footsteps for me as my Heavenly Father, will it be the same as when I follow in my own father’s footsteps?

God’s example is perfect. He shared that perfetion with His Son Jesus. Jesus mirrored exactly what His Father does, and we as Christians have seen it. So when Jesus was following the footsteps of His Heavenly Father, He was in essence the perfect mirror.

This is not the case with our earthly fathers. We are all marred by sin. This sin is like a mirror that is dirty and full of smudges.

Jesus was able to follow God’s example without getting any dirt on His Mirror – Himself. Jesus was never once stained with sin. However, all of us get dirt on our mirrors and we need to clean them. That is the first step. We need to get out mirrors cleaned.

THIS IS CALLED CONFESSION OF OUR SINS AND OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR

But Jesus never looked to someone else to reflect. Jesus always reflected God His Father. Jesus always has His mirror pointed to His Heavenly Father – God. The same must be true of us.

We must believe that God is our Heavenly Father and that Jesus is His Son. We must turn from examples that we like to follow, and start to follow the example of God in Jesus Christ. This means that we have to keep our mirrors turned to Jesus.

THIS IS CALLED BELIEVING IN JESUS AND COMMITTING TO JESUS IN REPENTANCE

You see, this is where our example follows our direction. When I keep my mirror in God’s direction, then I can follow His footsteps. When I don’t keep my mirror in God’s direction, then I will be following someone else’s footsteps.

Now we all follow someone’s footsteps. Even if we say we follow our footsteps, or blaze our own trail, we are following someone’s footsteps. God wants you to follow His footsteps. This is what the ascension shows us. Just as Jesus follow’s His Father’s (and our Father’s) footsteps, we too need to learn to look to God and follow Him. We follow God when we follow Jesus. Just as Jesus mirrors God’s example, we too need to point our mirror to God and His direction for our lives.

HOW DO I FOLLOW IN MY HEAVENLY FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

I watch what the Father does.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will

show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

(John 5:19-20 NKJV)

I mimic the Father’s behavior.

I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

(John 8:38 NKJV)

And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

(John 12:50 NKJV)

I have revealed (mimicked) Your name to the men You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

(John 17:6 HCSB)

I follow the Father’s interests.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

(John 3:35 NKJV)

And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

(John 8:29 NKJV)

I go where the Father leads.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,

(John 13:3 NKJV)

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

(John 15:10 NKJV)

Why did Jesus do all this? Why did He watch, mimic, follow and go where His Father’s footsteps took Him? Jesus did this because He knew that His Father loved Him.

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

(John 10:17 NKJV)

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

(John 15:9 NKJV)

That same love – the love that Jesus knew from His Heavenly Father – Jesus shares with us all. If you don’t know the love of a father, or if you think your mirror is dirty, or if you think you can’t follow the footsteps of your own father, then consider Jesus. Look to Jesus and His Father – God. He will share with you the love that you need. Everyone needs a father. Everyone needs a loving father to follow. Follow in the footsteps of God the Father today.

End with the song (read as a poem) Footsteps of Jesus

1975 Baptist Hymnal, #325

Sweetly Lord, have we heard thee calling, “Come, follow Me!”

And we see where thy footprints falling, lead us to thee.

Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow;

We will follow the steps of Jesus wherever they go.

Though they lead over the cold, dark mountains, seeking His sheep,

Or along by Siloam’s fountains, helping the weak.

If they lead through the temple holy, preaching the Word,

or in homes of the poor and lowly, serving the Lord

Then at last, when on He sees us, our journey done,

we will rest where the steps of Jesus end at His throne.

Footsteps of Jesus that make the pathway glow;

We will follow the steps of Jesus where ever they go.

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