Going Further With Jesus
GOING FURTHER WITH JESUS
Text: John 18; Matthew 26
Theme: Going the extra mile in our walk with the Lord
Going Further With Jesus
In the quiet darkness of Gethsemane, Jesus went “a little further” (Matt. 26:39). Before He prayed alone, His disciples naturally divided into three groups: Judas turned back before they even left the upper room, eight stopped at the entrance of the garden, and only three—Peter, James, and John—followed Him deeper. These three had a richer history with Jesus: they were among the first called, they saw His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they heard Him teach on going the extra mile. Yet even they, despite going further than the others, eventually grew weary and fell asleep. Their story reminds us that every believer faces moments of discouragement, difficulty, or fatigue where we are tempted to “pull over” spiritually and stop moving forward.
Going further with Jesus begins by remaining faithful when betrayal or disappointment comes. Judas is a sobering example—not of weakness, but of deliberate betrayal. He walked ahead of Jesus rather than with Him, seizing the wrong opportunity and ignoring the consequences. True discipleship means resisting shortcuts and staying close to Christ, trusting that it never costs more to serve God than to serve sin. Going further also means choosing forward movement even when others stay behind. Ruth followed Naomi when Orpah turned back; Elisha stayed with Elijah when others stood at a distance; Paul pressed toward the mark instead of dwelling on the past. Faithfulness is not always fast or glamorous—sometimes it looks like the steady endurance of an old plow horse who may not outrun others but can always be counted on to finish the work.
Finally, going further with Jesus means watching and waiting for His return. The early church was known for prayer, perseverance, and sacrifice, while today’s church often leans toward comfort and convenience. But the path of discipleship calls us to the same faithfulness seen in Daniel, Joseph, Jeremiah, Paul, and ultimately Jesus, who went all the way to the cross in obedience to the Father. The three disciples who went further into the garden later became key voices about the coming of the Lord, writing letters that urged believers to stay awake, stay patient, and stay ready.
The question is simple but searching: How far will you go with Jesus? Some quit early, some stop when excuses seem reasonable, and some keep going until they grow tired. But Jesus went all the way, praying, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” May we follow Him a little further today—beyond comfort, beyond excuses, and beyond the place where we last stopped.
Text: John 18; Matthew 26
Theme: Going the extra mile in our walk with the Lord
Going Further With Jesus
In the quiet darkness of Gethsemane, Jesus went “a little further” (Matt. 26:39). Before He prayed alone, His disciples naturally divided into three groups: Judas turned back before they even left the upper room, eight stopped at the entrance of the garden, and only three—Peter, James, and John—followed Him deeper. These three had a richer history with Jesus: they were among the first called, they saw His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they heard Him teach on going the extra mile. Yet even they, despite going further than the others, eventually grew weary and fell asleep. Their story reminds us that every believer faces moments of discouragement, difficulty, or fatigue where we are tempted to “pull over” spiritually and stop moving forward.
Going further with Jesus begins by remaining faithful when betrayal or disappointment comes. Judas is a sobering example—not of weakness, but of deliberate betrayal. He walked ahead of Jesus rather than with Him, seizing the wrong opportunity and ignoring the consequences. True discipleship means resisting shortcuts and staying close to Christ, trusting that it never costs more to serve God than to serve sin. Going further also means choosing forward movement even when others stay behind. Ruth followed Naomi when Orpah turned back; Elisha stayed with Elijah when others stood at a distance; Paul pressed toward the mark instead of dwelling on the past. Faithfulness is not always fast or glamorous—sometimes it looks like the steady endurance of an old plow horse who may not outrun others but can always be counted on to finish the work.
Finally, going further with Jesus means watching and waiting for His return. The early church was known for prayer, perseverance, and sacrifice, while today’s church often leans toward comfort and convenience. But the path of discipleship calls us to the same faithfulness seen in Daniel, Joseph, Jeremiah, Paul, and ultimately Jesus, who went all the way to the cross in obedience to the Father. The three disciples who went further into the garden later became key voices about the coming of the Lord, writing letters that urged believers to stay awake, stay patient, and stay ready.
The question is simple but searching: How far will you go with Jesus? Some quit early, some stop when excuses seem reasonable, and some keep going until they grow tired. But Jesus went all the way, praying, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” May we follow Him a little further today—beyond comfort, beyond excuses, and beyond the place where we last stopped.
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