Revelation 14:1-5: a reflection

1I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. 2I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. 4These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.

In the vision of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with his redeemed, one mark of those who belong to him stands out: they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, the vision says. The redeemed, marked with the Lamb's name on their foreheads, singing a new song, are known by this: they follow the Lamb wherever he goes, not partway, not on their own terms, but wherever he leads. Their whole life is a following of Christ, going where he goes, belonging wholly to him. This shows the mark of the redeemed: following the Lamb wherever he goes. Follow the Lamb wherever he goes, not partway or on your own terms. The redeemed belong wholly to Christ and follow him. To belong to Christ is to follow him wherever he leads. Let your whole life be a following of the Lamb.

Notice how the redeemed are described: they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. This is the mark of those who belong to Christ, who bear his name, who are redeemed by him. Their following is not partial, not on their own terms, not only where it is easy or convenient; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes, wherever he leads, holding nothing back. Their whole life is a following of Christ, going where he goes, belonging wholly to him. This sets before us what it means to belong to Christ. To be his is not merely to admire him, or to follow him partway, or on our own terms, following where it suits us and holding back where it does not. To be his is to follow the Lamb wherever he goes: to go where he leads, even when the way is hard, even when it costs us, even when it is not where we would have chosen; to belong wholly to him and follow him without reserve. This is a high calling and a glad one, for the one we follow is the Lamb who redeemed us, and to follow him wherever he goes is to be where he is. We do well to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, holding nothing back, letting our whole life be a following of him. Follow the Lamb wherever he goes, holding nothing back. Do not follow Christ only partway or on your own terms. To belong to Christ is to go where he leads. Let your whole life be a following of the Lamb who redeemed you.

That is worth taking to heart, for the mark of the redeemed is that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes, and we do well to follow him without reserve, as those who belong wholly to him. We can follow Christ only partway, on our own terms, where it suits us; but the redeemed follow the Lamb wherever he goes, holding nothing back. Follow him wholly. Do not follow Christ only where it is easy or convenient; follow the Lamb wherever he goes, even when the way is hard, letting your whole life be a following of him. Follow the Lamb wherever he goes, holding nothing back and letting your whole life be a following of him who redeemed you, as in the vision of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with his redeemed one mark of those who belong to him stands out, that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; for the redeemed, marked with the Lamb's name on their foreheads and singing a new song, are known by this, that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes, not partway, not on their own terms, but wherever he leads, their whole life a following of Christ, going where he goes and belonging wholly to him, which sets before us what it means to belong to Christ, since to be his is not merely to admire him or follow him partway or on our own terms, following where it suits us and holding back where it does not, but to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to go where he leads even when the way is hard, even when it costs us, even when it is not where we would have chosen, belonging wholly to him and following without reserve, which is a high calling and a glad one, for the one we follow is the Lamb who redeemed us, and to follow him wherever he goes is to be where he is, so that we do well to follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

Lord Jesus, in the vision of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with his redeemed, one mark of those who belong to you stands out: they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, the vision says. The redeemed, marked with your name on their foreheads, singing a new song, are known by this: they follow you wherever you go, not partway, not on their own terms, but wherever you lead. Their whole life is a following of you, going where you go, belonging wholly to you. Show me how the redeemed are described: they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. This is the mark of those who belong to you, who bear your name, who are redeemed by you. Their following is not partial, not on their own terms, not only where it is easy or convenient; they follow you wherever you go, holding nothing back. This sets before me what it means to belong to you. To be yours is not merely to admire you, or to follow you partway, or on my own terms, following where it suits me and holding back where it does not. To be yours is to follow you wherever you go: to go where you lead, even when the way is hard, even when it costs me, even when it is not where I would have chosen; to belong wholly to you and follow you without reserve. This is a high calling and a glad one, for the one I follow is the Lamb who redeemed me, and to follow you wherever you go is to be where you are. Take that to my heart. Keep me from following you only partway or on my own terms, only where it is easy; help me follow you wherever you go, Lord, even when the way is hard, holding nothing back and letting my whole life be a following of you who redeemed me, that I may be where you are.