The Lamb's Elite Warrior

The Lamb’s Elite Warriors
Revelation 14.1-5

Jesus himself, of course, used this image of the shepherd in the tenth chapter of John’s gospel. And his call to people to ‘follow him’ is one of the most persistent commands he ever issued. One might almost say that, in the gospels, ‘following Jesus’ is the basic phrase which describes someone who belongs to Jesus, who believes in him (e.g. Matthew 4.19; 8.22; 9.9; etc.). But, in John’s gospel particularly, we find some poignant and striking passages on this theme. ‘Whoever serves me must follow me,’ he said (John 12.26). Peter insists that he will follow Jesus absolutely anywhere, to prison or even to death (John 13.37; Luke 22.33), but Jesus solemnly warns him that he will in fact deny that he even knows him...