Because Jesus went before us

This morning, I was meditating on verse 36, where Jesus told his disciples,

Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later. (John 13:36)

Where was it that Jesus was going? And why couldn’t the disciples follow him at that time?

The answer, of course, was the cross. And the reason his disciples couldn’t follow him at that time was because no one, not they nor any other person, could ever pay the price for sin that Jesus paid when he died on the cross for us.

But because Jesus went before us, we now have a pathway to the Father.

As we walk down that path, we may be called to suffer for Christ’s sake (I Peter 2:21).

Peter and the other disciples certainly had to. But we do so not to earn our salvation. Rather we do so out of joy because our salvation has already been bought.

And the day will come when we will follow Jesus into glory.

That is why the writer of Hebrews could say,

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20)