I’ve always wondered, when people say, “Love Jesus, follow Jesus, give your life to Jesus,” what happens to the Father? Is He set aside? Is He forgotten? It’s almost as if Jesus becomes the entire focus, and the Father fades into the background. But the Scriptures say otherwise. Jesus Himself proclaimed,
“I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)
Following Jesus isn’t about leaving the Father behind; it’s about walking in step with the fullness of God. To love Jesus is to love the Father because they are one and the same, inseparable, indivisible, and whole.
God’s Call to Follow in the Old Testament
“You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.” – Deuteronomy 13:4
From the very beginning, God commanded His people to follow Him with undivided devotion. This call was not merely about obedience to laws but about a relationship rooted in reverence, trust, and faithfulness. The singular worship of the one true God in the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in the New Testament when Jesus calls His disciples, not to a new way, but to the very path God had always intended. His call to follow is the culmination of God’s eternal command, revealing that walking in obedience to Him is walking in the fullness of divine truth.
The Promise of God’s Presence
God assured Israel of His guiding presence, declaring:
“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way... for My name is in Him.” – Exodus 23:20-21
This Angel, carrying God’s name, foreshadows Jesus Christ, the visible manifestation of God’s power and authority. Just as the Angel led Israel in the wilderness, Christ leads His people into the promised salvation. When Jesus proclaims, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), He asserts that to follow Him is to follow the very presence of God. He is not only the guide but the path itself, fulfilling the ancient promise that God would dwell among His people and lead them into righteousness and eternal life(Zechariah 2:10-11).
The Shepherd of Israel: God’s Care Revealed in Christ
🟦 Psalm 23:1 – The Lord, Our Shepherd
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
The imagery of God as the Shepherd of His people is woven throughout Scripture. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), revealed that to walk with Him is to walk with the very God who led Israel through the wilderness, as Hebrews 13:20 states:
“That great Shepherd of the sheep.”
Isaiah prophesied of Him, revealing His divine identity:
“For unto us a Child is born… and His name will be called Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
– Isaiah 9:6
As Isaiah prophesied, He is the Everlasting Father revealed in the Son, not separate from God but God in the flesh. To walk with Him is to walk with the very presence of the Almighty, the Great Shepherd who gathers His sheep and leads them into His eternal kingdom.
🟦 God, the Eternal Shepherd (Isaiah 40:10-11)
Isaiah beautifully portrays God as the Shepherd who tenderly cares for His people:
“Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.”
– Isaiah 40:10-11
This passage highlights God’s personal care and leadership. He does not delegate this role but takes it upon Himself to shepherd His people with strength and compassion.
Jesus as the Shepherd fulfills this prophecy, declaring:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
– John 10:11
Here,Jesus is revealed as the visible arm of God, gathering His flock and leading them into safety. In Isaiah, the “arm of the Lord” represents God’s power and active presence, which is fully expressed in Christ.
For a deeper exploration of this theme, read Jesus as the Right Hand of God: Power, Authority, and Manifestation, where we discuss how Christ embodies God’s authority and power.
🟦 Christ, the Revealed Shepherd
Jesus’ ministry confirms that the Shepherd spoken of in the Old Testament is fully realized in Him. He seeks the lost, heals the sick, and leads His people into righteousness.
The unity between God and Christ is undeniable. The Shepherd of Israel is the same Shepherd who walked among His people in the person of Christ.
Jesus establishes this truth in John 10:14-15:
* I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.“
Christ does more than simply mirror God’s role as Shepherd; He is the very fulfillment of God’s promise to care for His flock. The same God who led Israel through the wilderness now leads His people through Christ.
Taking Up the Cross
When Jesus walked the earth, He didn’t just invite people to listen to His teachings. He called them to follow Him. His words were not just instructions; they were a summons to leave behind everything and walk in obedience to Him. He made it clear that following Him was about full surrender. Just as a shepherd goes before his flock, guiding them with care and calling them by name, Jesus leads His followers on the path of truth and righteousness. His sheep recognize His voice and follow Him because they trust in His guidance (John 10:27).
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24:
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
This wasn’t a new idea. Just as Israel was called to forsake idolatry and follow the LORD alone, we are called to forsake the world and follow Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). True discipleship requires knowing the one true God revealed in Christ, for He said:
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
Some misinterpret this verse as separating Jesus from God, but it actually affirms that eternal life comes from knowing God as revealed in Christ. The phrase “whom You have sent” does not indicate a separate divine person but rather the full revelation of God in human form (Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16).
As the Word that goes out from God (Isaiah 55:11), Christ accomplishes all that the Father has purposed. To take up the cross is to forsake all and follow the One who is life itself. Jesus is not merely a messenger but the only true God made known to us.
Embracing the One True God in Christ
Following Jesus is not about abandoning the Father but embracing Him fully. From the Old Testament to the New, God’s call remains the same, to walk in obedience, trust, and love for the one true God revealed in Christ.
As 1 John 5:20 asserts,
“This is the true God and eternal life.”
There is no division in God, no separation between the Father and the Son. To know Christ is to know the only true God, to reject Him is to reject life itself. Let us follow Him with unwavering faith, for there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, who has revealed the power, presence and authority of the Almighty.
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