This is what the Lord says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Isaiah 66:1, NIV

 

Despite being the Creator of heaven and earth, Jesus chose to live his earthly life on a small swathe of land. In his book, "Jesus the same", Charles Edward Jefferson writes, “It was an obscure and rural country, small in territory and insignificant in prestige, and yet the Prince of Glory confined himself to this corner of the earth.”

 

Born in Bethlehem, this famous Galilean lived a large portion of his life as a carpenter in Nazareth, a backwater town. He spent time in cities, towns and villages dotted all over the Holy Land.

 

Bethany is where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and the Judean Wilderness is where he spent those 40 days and nights tempted by the devil. The Jordan River is where he was baptised by John. Some memorable, others unrelenting terrain or of spiritual significance.

 

Jerusalem, the beloved city where God had himself set his name was the place of his ultimate sacrifice. Resolutely, he powered on, never swerving from his mission of securing salvation for sinners. And someday, Jesus has promised that he will come back to earth and then his feet will touch down exactly where he left, on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14:4)

 

But before that great day, Jesus has called us to follow him, not in his physical footsteps, but in the way he lived. We have been called to walk/live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6) God has created Jesus as the Firstborn among many with our transformation into his likeness, Almighty God’s goal.

 

We are truly privileged to be able to reflect Jesus as his image-bearers, a marker of those spending their days walking the way that Jesus did. This God-man is the hardest act to follow. It will take a lifetime of learning. Peter summed it up so well: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)

 

In Christ, God has given us a perfect example to follow to live godly lives that glorify him.

 

Prayer: Thank you for coming to be an example for us, Lord. You came, endured the cross and became human to relate to us. We praise you for being such an incredible Saviour. Amen.