Christian Living

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Jesus: The Ultimate Disciple Partner

by fishtail(a.k.a. Julie)


My body convulsed, and tears spilled out as I watched the beginning scene of (as far as I know) the most gruesome crucifixion in history--the murdering of our Lord. I never seen such as depicted in The Passion of the Christ.

Blood gushed out of our Messiah's ribs as council ordered soldiers to drag Jesus across the temple floor like a dead piece of meat.

I thought to myself, Those self-centered wealth bags! How could they do such a thing? If only they knew what they were doing. Don't they know he is the Christ?

I wonder this, but later I asked myself how I could I do that! That is, how could I crucify my own Lord like I do? I never gave anyone thirty pieces of silver to kill Jesus, or pounded the nails in his hands and feet, or whipped him until his whole body was crimson red.

However, just like Peter, I have acted as if I never even knew Him. I have cussed and sworn, hung out with the wrong people, and all the other nonsense that Peter did--that you would see if you study the gospels. I find it hard to believe that such a dynamic healing minister like Peter had backslidden at one time, but it's true.

Remembering Peter's ups and downs is significant to me, because I am called to a similar life Peter is called to. When I watched this movie, I identified with Peter who cried himself to public shame after he denied Jesus three times. He felt unworthy to associate with any fellow believers afterward. I have done similar.

Later on, I witnessed Jesus barely standing, hoisting the wooden execution apparatus broadside his neck and shoulders, while lugging his half-alive body to Calvary. During this scene, I thought of the following scripture from Luke 9:23:

"If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

After the movie, I took time to think about what that scripture would mean to me. I asked myself whether it would mean I should go by a silver Jesus fish for my car, or buy the latest contemporary worship CD, or the newest end time phrophecy study book. Or perhaps, I thought, maybe I should buy a witnessing t-shirt, or the most up-to-date study bible--leather bound of course, complete with bible cover.

This would cost me quite a bit, right? Yeah, it might, and this might be helpful in my walk with God, and serve as a tool for encouragement. My Christian friends can be a fuel for drawing me closer to God as well. However, I must not forget about Jesus Himself, who is the Ultimate Disciple Partner.

He is the one to walk with, talk with, eat with, and...don't take this wrong...even sleep with. I don't mean like a one night stand (or other spiritually illicit sexual activity) but as someone who protects us from the nighttime terrors as it says in Psalms 91:5a. Jesus wants to be my everything. He wants to be my best friend, and lover of my soul. He wants to be that for every person on this earth.

For single people such as myself, he wants to be a mate, and our main source, and the first person we go to for companionship and intimacy. For married people, he wants to be the third person in the marriage, the center that holds the two people together.

He is the One for me. I no longer want to search for a counterfeit as I did when I drifted away from God like a dead log on a river. I want the real thing--like I said, the Ultimate Disciple Partner.

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