Followers of Jesus

"Follow me, as I follow Jesus"

Jesus left us no writings. If we want to get to know him, it has to be through the letters and stories that his followers left us, directly or indirectly. They literally followed Jesus on foot. They learned through being with him, observing him, speaking with him, helping him. And then he sent them on their path. "Follow me, as I follow Jesus."

What you can find here

There are three texts here that may help you follow the followers of Jesus:

- A very New Testament. A way to read the New Testament as the exciting story of the people who wrote it in the first century.  They were fisherman, pharisees and refugees, and they had to interpret and translate the message of Jesus in the turmoil of the first century. Follow them on their exciting journey and start discovering the New Testament in a whole new way.

- The Calling of God. An attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Gospel Writers and of Jesus himself. What happens if I retell the gospels stories in the present tense and from the first person perspective of Jesus? For me it was as if he incarnated as man all over again and became my oldest brother bringing me home to the Father.

- The Apostles' Creed. Reflections on the ancient words. As a father, a theologian and a citizen today: how can I speak with the generation of my children about the faith that was passed on to me?

There is more. Jesus was a religious Jewish man from Galilea. He lived in accordance with the Thora, the Law of Moses, was comforted by the Psalms of David (and other poets), and was inspired by the prophets. To get a feel for the Thora, for the kingdom of David and for the temple of his son Salomon, and for the psychology of the psalms, you can read and discuss the following:

- Zipporah's God. Moses through the eyes of his Midianite wife, Zipporah. It is a mix of Thora-research and a historical novel with a strong female lead. You will see how Moses struggles with his calling as a leader and his roles as husband and father. Who is YHWH? How can a nation like Israel be in a covenant-relationship with God? What does it mean that Zipporah and her sons are on the margins of Judaism because their Midianite heritage?

- David, his songs and his temple. The story of David as you find it in the Bible in the books Ruth and I and II Samuel, all the way to the dedication of temple under Solomon in I Kings. Read how this story presents the concepts of kingship and temple as essentially human institutions, granted by God for on their request. You will also discover a family drama in the life of David that he himself had caused. And you will see something of the spirituality of David's psalms, that are often explicitly associated with his life story. 

- Jeduthun. Jeduthun was one of the leading singers among the descendants of Korach, the Levites who served in the temple. He had a reputation for his intelligence and wisdom. But he was also depressed and in despair. The psalms associated with him will give you a deep insight in the psychology and spirituality of the Psalms.

For an introduction, check out the Lucas Vos-podcast: