Which Jesus are believers supposed to follow?
Believers are to follow the crucified, risen Lord of glory, not the Jesus of Nazareth who walked the dusty roads of Palestine. Paul followed Jesus Christ, and as believers follow Paul's example, they are following the same exalted, risen Lord, not the earthly Jesus of His pre-cross ministry.
Les teaches that Paul's epistles repeatedly command believers to follow his example, as in Philippians 3:17: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so you have us for an example." Most people assume believers should follow Jesus, but Les clarifies that Paul was following Jesus Christ, and as we follow Paul, we are following Christ. However, it is not the Jesus of Nazareth walking the dusty roads of Palestine; it is the crucified, risen Lord of glory. Les illustrates that if we tried to follow the earthly Jesus, we could not walk on water when He departed on foot from Galilee's shore—though Peter did.