In Matthew’s biography of Jesus, he repeats one phrase three times: “When Jesus had finished saying these things…” From this we can list three responses to Jesus.
This phrase signals a transition in the story. Jesus spoke to the people and afterward the people respond:
- One time they were amazed.
- One time they followed him.
- One time they did nothing.
Today people’s reactions to Jesus occur in the same three ways:
- They may respect him as a teacher, but nothing more.
- They may follow him.
- They may ignore him.
Respecting Jesus is a great place to start, but following him is what he desires.
[Matthew 7:28, 19:1, and 26:1]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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