Which Jesus are believers supposed to follow today?
Believers today follow the crucified, risen Lord of glory, not the Jesus of Nazareth of the dusty roads of Palestine. As they follow Paul, who followed Christ, they are following Jesus Christ—the Lord of glory—rather than the earthly Jesus that many assume they must follow.
Les explains that in Philippians 3:17 Paul writes to the church at Philippi, “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so ye have us for an example.” Most people think believers should be following Jesus, and Paul is absolutely following Jesus Christ; as we follow Paul, we are following Jesus Christ. But it is not the Jesus of Nazareth on the dusty roads of Palestine—it is the crucified, risen Lord of glory. Les illustrates that if we tried to follow the earthly Jesus, when He took off on foot from the shore of Galilee, we could not walk on the water; Peter proved that. So the one believers follow today is the risen Lord of glory, as they follow Paul’s example.