“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26)
Jesus promised that His servants would be wherever He is. This is great news for us for He has called us, His followers, to preach the good news of salvation in Him to everyone. So when others meet us, they are actually meeting with Jesus. This may seem a little daunting at first to be a physical representation of Christ. It should, however, be encouraging to know He is where we go for we will not be alone when we follow Jesus’ commands and encounter many who will be violently opposed to the gospel.
It was the same way when Jesus entered Jerusalem that Palm Sunday morning. Though many welcomed Him as Messiah with shouts of praise, others, notably the scribes and Pharisees did not think that He was even a prophet sent from God, despite the signs and miracles He performed. This is why John cited Isaiah 6:9-10, the commission that the Lord gave that prophet when he saw the Lord in all His heavenly glory.
The message to the Jews of Isaiah’s day was one of coming judgment because they had refused to trust, serve, and obey the Lord. Consequently He pronounced them to be blind and stubborn, hard of heart, and worthy of judgment. Yet there was still hope for the people though they were going into exile: the Lord was not going to desert them.
John’s citation of Isaiah confirms that the Jews who rejected Jesus were rejecting God. The Lord hardened their hearts because of their attitude. The same is true today of those who reject Jesus. There will come a time when they will no longer be offered an opportunity to accept the gift of salvation He offers. Then the Lord will give them what they want: an existence without Him. This thought should sadden us so much that it ought to provoke us to present the gospel to our friends, family, neighbors, and even our enemies before their hearts are completely closed. Who knows that the words we say or actions we perform in the name of Jesus will lead them away from eternal punishment into His loving arms.