Are We Following Jesus?

1. The Women at the Cross

Mt. 27:55-56,61; 28:1-10; Mk 15:40-41; 47-16:11; Lk 23:27-31,49, 55-24:11,22-23; John 19:25-27; 20:1-2,11-18

[On the way to the cross] A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

[Jesus was crucified and died. We know from John that Jesus’ mother, Mary, stood near the cross with some of the women and John.]

Many women were there, watching from a distance. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had come up with him to Jerusalem. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

[Jesus was buried.]

The women followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of Joseph, were sitting there opposite the tomb and saw where he was laid. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

When the Sabbath was over, on the first day of the week, very early in the morning while it was still dark, the women took the spices they had prepared so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. They went to the tomb. On their way to the tomb they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

[The the tomb empty. They did not find the body of the Lord. Then angels appeared to them — their clothes were white as snow and their appearance like lightening.]

The women were alarmed, and in their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground. The angels said to the women: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where they laid him. Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’

So trembling and bewildered the women hurried away from the tomb. They were afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

[Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and told her] “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

[Jesus appeared also to the other women] Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

2. The Women Followed Jesus

Many women followed Jesus on his way to the cross. They mourned and wailed from him. Many women watched Jesus died on the cross. Some of them were just spectators and part of the crowds. But many were followers of Jesus.

Who were these women? Their specific identities are not as important as what they did, and what their example is teaching us and calling us to do.

These women believed and followed Jesus. They loved and served Jesus. “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” (Lk 8:1-3)

These women gave up everything, their lives, their families. They left the safety and security of their homes, and followed Jesus. But they did not just follow him. They served him out of their own means. They cared for his needs from their own financial support.

These women followed Jesus in Galilee. They followed him to Jerusalem. They followed him on the way to the cross. They were present at his crucifixion and at his death. They were present at his burial. They were present at the empty tomb.

These women followed Jesus all the way, up to the end. They remained faithful until his death and even afterward. They returned to anoint his body. They continued to serve him into his death.

At the cross these women shine as faithful followers of Jesus. One disciple betrayed Jesus. In Jesus’ hour of need in the Garden of Gethsemane the men slept! When Jesus was arrested the rest of the disciples abandoned Jesus and ran away. Peter observed Jesus from a distance but then cursed and denied that he even knew Jesus. Many followers of Jesus were filled with fear. They were either hiding or watching from far away.

But the women were there at the cross. With love, tears, pain, and with no fear for their lives these women followed and remained with Jesus to the end. We must dispel one myth or incorrect interpretation that excuses the men’s behavior. It is said that the women remained at the cross because it’s unlikely that the authorities would have arrested women followers of Jesus. That is not true. The Jewish leaders had no scruples to execute women for transgressions of the law. History shows us that the Romans had no scruples crucifying women, even children.

These women were followers of Jesus like all the other disciples. They were equally in danger of being arrested as the others were. Yet, they did not flee or hide. They remained with Jesus. With love, courage, and strength they fearlessly risked their lives to follow Jesus faithfully all the time, all the way to the end.

Therefore, these women were eyewitnesses of everything that happened. They were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ suffering, his death, his burial and his resurrection. Now the same Jesus that they followed all the way from Galilee is risen. Jesus appeared to these women first. They were the eyewitnesses to the reality that Jesus is alive.

And now these women received the commission, the privilege and joy of announcing that Jesus, the Lord is alive! They were the the first witnesses, the first missionaries of the good news. We know the details of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection because of these witnesses, these women.

The question for us today is …

3. Are We Following Jesus?

Are we following Jesus all the time, all the way, everywhere? How are we following Jesus? How should we follow Jesus? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Who are we following?

The angel told the women that Jesus is not here. “He has risen, just as he said … Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” In Mark’s Gospel Jesus told them this three times. And each time Jesus followed this by teaching on discipleship — How and what it means to follow Jesus.

The question for us today — Who are we following? If Jesus, who is the Jesus we are following?

We are not following an idea. We are not following a Jesus of our own creation that serves our needs. We follow Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, who is God himself. Jesus who came into the world as a human. Jesus who was crucified, died, was buried, and resurrected. Jesus is alive. Jesus is real. Jesus is Lord of all. Jesus is Savior of the world.

At the cross we are confronted with this truth, with this reality that Jesus the Christ is Lord and Savior. What is our response to Jesus Christ? Do we believe or reject Jesus? And if we believe what action do we take in response to Jesus? What action flows out of this faith, this belief? Will we follow Jesus? How will we follow Jesus?

After the first prediction of his suffering in Mark 8:31, Jesus said this, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross (daily—Luke) and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mk 8:34-38)

After the second prediction of his suffering in Mark 9:31 the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest (9:34). Jesus told them, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (9:35). We don’t have time to read the rest of chapter 9 but Jesus continued to teach on serving others — serving children, serving others in the name of Jesus, not causing others to stumble, to deal radically with anything that causes us to stumble and sin, to be salt, that is, to make a difference in the world and to counteract evil in society, and to be at peace with one another.

After the third prediction of his suffering in Mark 10:32-34, the disciples were indignant with James and John because of their request for special places in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus told them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:41-45)

To follow Jesus is a radical step and it will cost us everything. We must count the costs and make sure that we are willing to pay the cost to follow Jesus all the way all the time. Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:62)

To follow Jesus requires childlike faith and humility, to believe like little children. It means to accept in faith that Jesus is my Savior. To believe and accept his sacrifice, to receive in faith the forgiveness of sins, the new eternal life, the amazing love and grace of God.

It requires humility because we have to die to self, deny ourself, and take up our crosses daily. This is radical, revolutionary, and requires radical action. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26-27) To deny ourselves and to follow Jesus means to leave everything behind. To follow Jesus, to deny ourselves means to humbly submit ourselves completely and totally to Jesus as my Lord.

To follow Jesus means that we now live for and serve others. We become slaves of all. We show our love for Jesus and we serve Jesus by loving and serving others.

Will we be like the women? Are we willing to give up everything to follow Jesus? Are we willing to follow Jesus all the time, everywhere into all places and up to the end whatever that end may be? Or, when the going gets tough will we run away, flee, hide, or even deny Jesus?

When everything goes haywire or wrong, when we encounter problems, trials and suffering, when we are persecuted, what will we do? Will we grumble and complain against the Lord — Where is God? Why is he not taking care of us? Serving us?

When we give up on the Lord we will become negative, cynical, depressed. Overwhelmed by anxiety and worry. When we give up on the Lord, when we trust in ourselves, or trust in other powers or the things of this world, we will be disappointed.

We will become exhausted as we try to do things in our own power and in our own ways. We will experience burn-out. We will not longer think clearly. We can no longer be wise. We cannot discern truth anymore. We are blown around by every wind of fake news that comes our way. Work and life become a burden. Exhausted and discouraged.

All because we are not following Jesus as Lord, trusting him, giving everything over to him, trusting him with our heavy burdens. Believe Jesus’ promise

Yes, it is not easy to follow Jesus and yes, it will cost us everything. But it is possible. Believe and accept Jesus’ promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

When we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, submit to and follow Jesus as Lord, empowers us through his Holy Spirit to follow him and live for him.

Believe! Turn to Jesus and find life. Jesus suffered, died, rise again so that we can have new and eternal life. Your old life, your sins are gone, washed away by his blood. Turn to Jesus and find life. Follow him and live the new, eternal life we have in him.