Our leader, Jesus Christ, has punched a hole in the air and blazed the trail before us. We are the ones following right on His tail, able to benefit from what He has already done for us. The hole has been punched, and we must follow Him through it to finish this race with a good outcome, depending on how closely we follow Him. The foundational principle of Christian living is imitating Christ, living as He lived, so that in the resurrection, He may say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." When Jesus called His disciples, His command was often "Follow Me," and they immediately left what they were doing to follow Him. This command means more than just physically walking behind Him; it encompasses doing what He does, living as He lives, experiencing what He experiences, suffering and dying like Him, and ultimately sharing eternal life and His rewards. Following Him runs the entire gamut of Christian life. Following Jesus is not easy or risk-free; it involves severe sacrifices and hardships, demanding absolute devotion and dedication to Him. True discipleship requires a willingness to give everything, as Jesus tested His followers to see if they were committed to His way of living and His will. The Christian life is one of discomfort, where we live as strangers and sojourners without a fixed abode, often making do with temporary dwellings and lacking the comforts of home, just as Jesus and His disciples did. The Christian life is also sacrificial, requiring us to forsake customary duties, privileges, and associations of normal life to focus on preaching the Kingdom of God. It demands new loyalties, where devotion to Jesus and God's family must be stronger than ties to our own blood, an act of will to prioritize Him above all else. As soldiers in Christ's army, we must take whatever our Commander and the battlefield dish out, doing His will with joy to please Him, wholly committed to serving Him even to the point of martyrdom if required. Jesus gives plenty of warning that following Him will be arduous, exhausting, and consuming. We must count the cost and determine if we have what it takes to fulfill the requirements of our calling. Once we sign on, we must plunge into our calling with everything we have, loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. This means denying ourselves—renouncing, rejecting, and abandoning our own desires and ambitions to prioritize Him above all. Jesus instructs us to take up our cross, an instrument of torture and death, voluntarily submitting to God's will no matter where it leads, even if it means suffering or death. This complete submission is a willingness to bear whatever God sends our way, committing our souls to Him and doing good, knowing He will be faithful to reward us. The paradox of following Christ is that the only way to attain eternal life is to sacrifice our lives voluntarily to Him now, dying to ourselves and this world daily until we receive the fullness of eternal life. Our devotion to Jesus is personal; what He requires of each of us may differ, but we must each devote ourselves individually and totally to Him. As His slaves, we must develop a mentality of immediate, cheerful obedience to our Master in all things, even to death, knowing He is not asking us to do anything He has not done Himself. He labored tirelessly, gave everything during His ministry, and ultimately spilled His life for us. Jesus assures us that He is preparing a secure reward for us, waiting at the end of the road. He has given His all for us, and now He asks us to give our all for Him, safely tucked in the palm of His hand with no power able to take us away. The best way to repay Him, especially during the Passover season, is to commit our lives fully to following Him and living as He lived, rededicating ourselves to this fundamental principle of imitating Christ.

The concept of imitating Jesus Christ emerges as a central theme in guiding how we should live our lives. Asking "What did Jesus do?" focuses on the actual principles and actions of His life, providing a clear example of how He conducted Himself. Throughout His human experience, from His birth in Bethlehem to His death on Golgotha, He lived a normal life with relatable challenges, yet faced extraordinary trials, such as fasting for forty days and resisting temptations from satan. His responses in these moments set a foundation for how we should live, emphasizing reliance on God's word and strength. Jesus demonstrated a life of service, tirelessly helping others despite His own physical limitations. His actions, from preaching life-giving words to performing healings and feeding thousands, showcase God's power and compassion. A profound example of His service is seen in the footwashing of His disciples, teaching that we must serve even during the most difficult times. This act reveals that shifting focus from ourselves to others can help us endure personal trials. His life also exemplifies patient suffering and non-retaliation, even in the face of immense physical, mental, and emotional turmoil leading to His crucifixion. In moments of deep anguish, such as in the Garden of Gethsemane and at His death, He showed how to face seemingly insurmountable trials with trust in God's presence and promises. His example offers comfort and guidance, illustrating that we can overcome challenges by living as He did, serving others, and giving of ourselves in all circumstances. Ultimately, imitating Jesus Christ involves following His way of life, embracing the basic principles He lived by, and applying them in our daily actions. His life as a human, filled with frailties yet sinless, provides a direct model for handling situations properly, reinforcing that true religion is to follow God and live His way, just as Jesus did.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth to demonstrate God's way of sacrifice. His sacrifice is both substitutional and representative. First, His substitutional sacrifice is a once-for-all, perfect offering for sin and trespass, opening the door to our relationship with God, allowing God the Father and God the Son to dwell with us and fill us with Their enabling Spirit. Second, His living sacrifices while on earth serve as an example of the daily burnt, grain, and peace offerings we must perform through our own living sacrifices each day. His sacrifice replaced the need for animal sacrifices, but the requirement for ongoing daily work of sacrifice remains, as those animal sacrifices were merely a shadow of what was to come. We are called to be imitators of God, walking in love and sacrifice as Christ has loved and sacrificed for us, offering Himself as a sweet-smelling aroma to God. Through our daily sacrifices—whole burnt offerings of our mind, time, repentance, obedience, prayer, study, and praise—we put to death our carnal nature, allowing God to dwell with us and bring His Spirit, enabling us to perform daily sacrifices in service to others. These grain offerings involve sacrificing our egos and selfish minds to put others first, ultimately creating peace. Only when these sacrifices are done together with the proper attitude can we achieve perfect communion with God and fellow man, as represented by the peace offering. Kindness, as a fruit of God's Spirit, is an outward attribute showing we are like God, enabled through His Holy Spirit. Unlike worldly kindness, which often seeks something in return, true kindness empowered by God's Spirit is given regardless of whether it is deserved, without keeping score or expecting reciprocation. We respond to His unmerited sacrifice by offering spiritual sacrifices of kindness to all, both deserved and undeserved, transforming our selfish carnal mind into a selfless, godly mind. As God's elect, we are called to be a shining light, exhibiting His fruit of kindness through daily personal self-sacrifice, attuning our hearts to the needs of others, and reaching out with acts of kindness whenever the opportunity arises.