Why follow Jesus?

     I never really went through a rebellious stage in my teens.  I had a strong family who focused on what was right and my parents were fair about what they allowed me to do.  If something came up that they disapproved of, I deferred to their authority as my parents.  It released me of any responsibility for what might happen if I made bad choices against their judgement.   The reason that was a good idea was that my parents judgement was very closely related to what the Bible teaches.  They themselves deferred to the authority of God and the things they had been taught about what was right and wrong in His eyes.  So in a way, we were all under God's authority. As an adult, those decisions fell to my own judgement and for the most part, I determined to use similar judgement to what I had been taught.  It has served me well, but I know there are those who have not had this type of upbringing.  

     As a Christian I have made a decision defer to the authority of Jesus.   This brings the question of why a person living today should follow the commands of Jesus, who walked on earth two thousand years ago.  The reason is based on a few things that I know about who Jesus is.  By knowing who He is, I know by what authority He commands me and other followers.  Here is what I know.

     Jesus is the son of God.  He is part of God along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The Trinity-three in one.  This means that He is God.   The things he taught as "God in the Flesh" are the words of God.  Therefore, I follow them.  It would be foolish not to.  The God of the universe, the creator of everything, who always has been and always will be, the all-knowing, all-powerful, author of existence itself.  How can I begin to think that I know a better way to live than His way.   His name is "I AM."  His very existence explains everything else.  It has taken me over 40 years to even begin to understand the smallest part of God's existence and even in that minuscule amount, I am dumbfounded and overwhelmed at His greatness.  He has authority over all, because He is the author of all.

     We are often wrapped up in the drama and details of our surrounding, that we neglect to step back and realize that in chasing our own goals, we are chasing our own tails.  True fulfillment will come in fulfilling our part of the master design that the author of true reality has set in place.  And so, by His authority, I will strive to find out who I am by continuing to try to know Him.