Wednesday: Follow the Lamb
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 24th of June 2026
Have you ever been asked what you’re most looking forward to in eternity? A child might say, “Riding a tiger,” “Sliding down a giraffe’s neck,” or “Flying to different planets.” If you were to ask a teenager, they might say, “Not having to do any more schoolwork,” or “Exploring heaven with my friends without getting hurt.” And if you were to ask a group of adults, they might say, “Being in a place where there’s no more pain, suffering, or death,” or “Being reunited with loved ones.” All of these responses are good and true, and there is so much to look forward to in the new heaven and the new earth. Eternity burns within our hearts, and, intrinsically, we know there must be something more to life than the here and now.
What other blessings might we look forward to in eternity? Read Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, and Revelation 21:4.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
Surely the greatest blessing of heaven will be to finally see Jesus and to thank Him, in person, for what He has done for us on this fallen earth. We will want to lavish our adoration and worship to Him for saving us, by His own suffering on the cross, from eternal death.
“ ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ ” (Revelation 5:12, NKJV).
John the Baptist introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Two of John’s disciples heard this statement and followed Jesus (John 1:37), and Revelation 14:4 tells us we should do the same. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4, NKJV). However, if we want to follow Him in heaven, we must first follow Him here on earth.
Jesus, the Lamb, is also our Shepherd, guiding our paths as no other can. This is so reassuring for us as we struggle through the hard times that we find ourselves in, but Jesus will never stop leading us, even in heaven. Revelation 7:17 says, “ ‘For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters’ ” (NKJV). As His people, His sheep, we will follow Jesus in heaven, forever wanting to be in His presence. One defining characteristic of God’s people is that “His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4, NKJV). That is, we always will be thinking of Him.
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Listen to the Adventist gospel song “Follow the Lamb” at https://vimeo.com/1067821589 and make the words your personal prayer today. |
What shall we be doing in heaven or on earth, made new day to day? Revelation 14:4 says that the redeemed will be following the Lamb wherever He goes. Does this imply that all we shall be doing in heaven is only following processions led by Jesus? Is this metaphorical or literal? On another note, Prophet Isaiah wrote, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”(Isaiah 65:21). Is this metaphorical or literal? I am kindly inviting anyone to share their thoughts with me.
One aspect that seems clear to me is that at the resurrection we shall have glorified physical bodies, and the new creation (the new earth) will be a real world, not a purely spiritual realm. Then, it appears to me that the redeemed will engage in tangible activities, enjoy the fruits of their hands without sweating, and live in peace. Besides the spiritual aspects (worshipping, praising, singing, adoration, fellowship, celebrating, learning and studying, resting, meeting God face to face, etc), I truly want to have a vineyard. In this life, I am in total love with gardening (farming). I have a big passion for growing stuff. Hopefully, on the new Earth, I will be able to see a replica of the Garden of Eden.
With a bodily resurrection and a renewed creation, God will allow us to experience the perfect life which was lost in the Garden of Eden due to sin. Till then, may we be faithful and obedient to the Lamb of God.
“But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. 14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.” (2 Peter 3: 13- 14, NLT)
Thank you for your thoughts and the question.
It seems to me that to “follow the Lamb” in heaven means something much the same as it does on this planet – to participate in the work of Jesus here. His people are united with Him in love and purpose. So it will be in heaven. And that doesn’t mean that the redeemed won’t be around Him physically.
But there’s the logistical fact: With Jesus confined to a human body and millions of the redeemed, only a relatively small number can be physically in His presence. But we can experience Jesus close to us now through the Holy Spirit, and I’m sure that that closeness will not be removed in heaven.
I really like this statement because the Holy Spirit is always with us… Sometimes we get so distracted and burdened down we forget. His Spirit is here with us now and will be with us in heaven!
I actually don’t think the spiritual and other elements of life need to be separated. For the Jews, they brought God into every element of their life. I think the same will be true on the new earth. Certainly we will have times of focused worship such as on Sabbath. But I actually think we will mostly live life as we were meant to on this earth – enjoying fulfilling purposes as followers of God. You will learn of God as you tend your vineyard. Maybe Jesus will even come visit it one day and spend some time with you. We don’t really know, but it will be wonderful.
There is a famous photo from the invasion of Normandy in 1944. When one looks at it, it shows chaos—soldiers pinned on the beach, smoke rising, bodies in the surf. It looks like defeat. But what cannot be seen in the photo is what happened next—flags raised over Paris and the armistice. The photo shows the cost, not the end. Perhaps many people have bought into the popular idea that faith should be smooth, that if you trust God enough, the hardship will dissappear. But Scripture teaches otherwise. “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Faith does not remove the battle; it enables us to endure it.
Whatever the saints will be in heaven begins on earth. There is no doubt that a perfection of character in the world to come begins by following the Lamb here. Character must be formed here. In the world to come there will not be change, for where the tree falls, there it will lie (Ecclesiastes 11:3). “He that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he which is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11). Following the Lamb must be our singular objective. Following the Lamb is not an intellectual assent to the existence of God or Christ; it is walking with Him daily. Following the Lamb is prayerfully determining where Jesus is leading us and obediently following Him through thick and thin. It is not substituting a system of ethics for a personal relationship.
In the real world, a lamb does not lead. A lamb does not protect. A lamb gets lost—it wanders, it is shorn, it is slaughtered. Every instinct says a lamb cannot shepherd. And yet that is exactly what John wants us to follow: the One who was sacrificed is the One who now leads. The One who was killed is the One who guides. The victim became the Victor, and the victim-turned-Victor is now the Shepherd. “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters” (Revelation 7:17). The Lamb who was slain now reigns, and those who follow Him will share in His victory.
Follow the Lamb means I must Follow Jesus everyday through His word
Often, we think of heaven in terms of things that are unattainable now; no death, no separation, no sickness, no tears of sorrow, and so on. Some of our critics have dubbed our longing as “pie in the sky” or utopian. I don’t have a problem with the hope, but it has to be bedded in the reality of everyday life.
It is useful to think of eternity in terms of what we have now. A relevant question in terms of the metaphors of today’s lesson is: “Do we walk with the lamb now?” If we have that experience now, then we can look forward to extending it in eternity. On the other hand, if we do not have it now, it is not suddenly going to happen when Jesus comes.
I was looking forward to our trip away with our daughter that was supposed to happen right now. It was going to strengthen family ties and give us shared memories. The trip did not happen, but in working through all the issues together, we have had family time, not in the pleasurable anticipated way, but in solving problems and supporting one another. The fact that our son’s health threw a curve-ball into all our plans has made us recognise the importance of family.
My observation is this: We are part of the family of God, and it is in this spiritual family where we walk with the lamb and one another. That is the experience we are going to continue in eternity.
Finally, Carmel and I would like to say thank you to everyone who has expressed their love, concern, and prayers for us during our “setback time”. Sabbath School Net is really part of our spiritual family and it is a great family to belong to. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
AMEN🙏
Thank You Maurice,
We are blessed with your daily contribution and really really miss it when you are away! Is there a way to contact you by e-mail?
Thanks!
Rob
It is sometimes difficult to frame heaven and salvation apart from me/us. Seeing our loved ones again, no more pain, suffering, or death – or even the end of sin. There is nothing wrong with wanting these things. However, a deeper question is why do we want these things? The most obvious answer might be because these things hurt. Yep, the understatement of the century!
It is an understanding of the scope of that “hurt” that is expanded as we mature more fully. Everything gets hurt – including all relationships on the horizontal and vertical planes. Indeed, all creation groans (Romans 8:22) – both animate and inanimate)!
Worship is aways a response to revelation and revelation is the result of knowledge. To worship anything or anyone means I need to know something about the object of my worship. The greater the understanding, the more intense the desire which actuates worship.
“As the deer pants(desires) for the water, so my soul longs after You.”
The end of sin is less important to God than the freedom to know and understand Him. If this were not so, the sin problem could have been dealt with long ago.
So, while the results of Jesus coming back are fantastic beyond description, I’d like to think that when I see Jesus, I won’t collapse in front of Him because He saved me/us, but because of Who He is. We then get the opportunity to bask in that incredible and ever-increasing knowledge/revelation/worship as eternity rolls on.
A deeper dive into how God reveals His character can be found in an article I put together for Adventist Record, Magnificent Theophany.
https://record.adventistchurch.com/2023/08/25/magnificent-theophany/
Randal, thank you for this thoughtful post. I appreciate your emphasis that God’s ultimate goal is not merely the eradication of sin, but the restoration of intelligent, loving beings who freely know, trust, and love Him. The great controversy has demonstrated before the universe the true nature of sin and the true character of God in a way that could not have been accomplished by simply destroying rebellion at its first appearance.
Your observation about our response when we finally see Jesus resonates deeply with me. Certainly we will fall before Him in gratitude for saving us from sin and eternal death, but even more profoundly because of who He is: His beauty of character, self-sacrificing love, holiness, justice, mercy, and grace all perfectly blended together in one glorious Person. The joy of salvation will be inseparable from the joy of knowing Him more fully.
We live in hope knowing that the sufferings of this life cannot be compared to the glories which are to be revealed to us. We don’t give us We continue to believe in spite of all the things including setbacks,because we are looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. What a day that will be when our Jesus we see.
Welcome back Mr. Ashton, We missed your shared insights and tantalizing comments. Thanks for the reminder that whenever plans do not go the way we planned it is not a failure but an opportunity for redirection, growth, and reflection. May God help us to learn the lessons He wants us to learn when we experience perceived setbacks so that our comeback will lead to a closer relationship with Him and others.
The desire to go to heaven and be with Jesus is born of they Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to awaken that desire in us which will in turn keep us grounded in Him while we wait for His appearing.
While we wait for His appearing! I do believe HE will return, however let me tell you all what I’ve recently learned that a relative of mine believes….that Jesus has already come twice; once in His birth, second at His resurrection!!! Those are facts, but I cannot set my faith that that’s what HE meant. He lived here 40 days before going to be with The Father and prepare the many mansions that He’s promised to come back to get us for and to be with Him for all eternity.
May I get some feedback on this please? Seems like there’s always something trying to throw a kink….just when we think we understand a little. I know we’re not to understand it ALL, it’s impossible, we’re not God and HE did not mean for us to understand, He wants us to trust and have faith.
Does anyone see where I’m coming from? This is why my dad gets so upset, hearing so many different opinions….I tell him to study to show himself approved. HELP!
Hello Belinda. In the time between Jesus birth and even after his resurrection, he never left this earth. The only exception was shortly after his resurrection. Remember how he told Mary that he hasn’t yet gone to his Father? (John 20:17) The disciples of Jesus got many things wrong. They didn’t even believe that he was resurrected, even though Jesus told them that he would. If they were in his physical presence and still misunderstood or just missed things that he said, it’s no surprise that we, all these centuries after the fact would likewise.
The context of John 14:1-3 is the “Last Supper” with his disciples. He’s desperately trying to prepare them for what is coming, the crucifixion. After which, 40 days later he would be leaving until he returns to come take his followers to live with him and the Father. They didn’t understand that either, and neither do we totally.
The fact is that Jesus will return literally, bodily, physically. The scriptures are clear on that point even if some of his followers aren’t. He will not leave us abandoned as orphans. (John 14:18) What did the angel say as they watched Jesus ascend into the sky and float away like a released helium balloon? Acts 1:11 gives the answer. “This same Jesus, will return in the same manner in which you saw him leave.”
I’m sure they all thought that he would return shortly, in their lifetimes. It would have crushed them if they knew it wouldn’t happen in their lifetimes. Today, every day brings us closer to his soon return. It will sadden me if he doesn’t return during my lifetime but I will be gladened by the thought that my next conscious thought and awareness will be his Second Coming. (I desire to skip the undertaker and see the “upper-taker!”) The fact remains that “this same Jesus will return the same way he departed.”
I hope that helped to clarify and encourage you in your faith journey.
Thanks Tim. Yes, I knew that Mary was told that, but it was quite disturbing to hear that someone believes his birth and resurrection from the tomb equalled his two comings.
I had just NEVER heard anyone express their belief that way before.
Yes, I truly believe HE WILL come AGAIN!
Thank you once more for your help! And yes, I would also love to see the upper-taker. Have a blessed day.
Even now, as we anticipate the indescribable joy of seeing Jesus face to face, and thanking Him for all that He has done for us, our hearts are filled with gratitude and worship. Yet that joy and appreciation will increase beyond measure as eternity unfolds and we more fully understand what He actually endured to save us. We will come to grasp more clearly the depth of His suffering, the infinite sacrifice He made, and the unimaginable risk He took in leaving heaven and taking upon Himself our fallen humanity. As the magnitude of His love and the cost of our redemption become more fully known, our praise, adoration, and love for Him will only deepen throughout the endless ages of eternity.
The lesson author, Nina Atcheson, included a Vimeo link to the song, “We Will Follow the Lamb”.
Someone posted the lyrics in the comments (I can’t find them elsewhere), and I’m posting them here, formatted to copy and paste, in case you want to learn this song and use it in your Sabbath School:
We Will Follow the Lamb
1.
We will keep the commandments of God
Through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ,
With patience, endurance and faith,
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
We will follow the Lamb wherever He goes,
Walking in the light on this narrow road.
We will give our lives for the cause of Christ.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
2.
We will stand only for the truth
Through the fire and through the flame,
Looking to Jesus, sealed with His name,
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
We will follow the Lamb wherever He goes,
Walking in the light on this narrow road.
We will give our lives for the cause of Christ.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
3.
We will sing around His great throne
The song of Moses and the Lamb,
A song of redemption and victory.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
We will follow the Lamb wherever He goes,
Walking in the light on this narrow road.
We will give our lives for the cause of Christ.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
(Bridge:)
Follow, follow, follow, follow …
Follow Him, Follow Him …
Follow Him wherever He goes …
Follow!
We will follow the Lamb wherever He goes,
Walking in the light on this narrow road.
We will give our lives for the cause of Christ.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
We will follow the Lamb wherever He goes,
Walking in the light on this narrow road.
We will give our lives for the cause of Christ.
We will follow, follow the Lamb.
John 10:30
”I and the Father are one”.
John 17:20-23
”I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one – I in them and You in Me – that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.”
Reading the above quoted Scriptures, I find it important to know what it means to “follow the Lamb”. I understand them to mean that one who follows Jesus Christ is one with Him in Spirit first. According to our Savior’s teaching, as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are in His presence now.
Is our life defined by His and the Father’s presence within us? Does the Holy Spirit reside in us, guiding us to love God and our fellow man? If so, we will be fulfilling the desire of our Lord and Savior to be “perfectly united, so that the world may know that our heavenly Father sent Him, and loves us just us He loved Jesus Christ, His Son.” This is the reason why we follow the Lamb: to be present in the Father’s Love by being present in His Son – Their Love unites us all – John 10:27-28.
Wow Brigitte, Agree 100%. If we present our bodies a living sacrifice every day totally dedicated to His service of love, God the Father will pour his Spirit, from His throne, through Christ as rivers of living water. Jesus cried out in the temple, in John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.”
“Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” Hebrews 3:15
I want to see many things, nature, my father who died when I was 5, and many others that I love here! But most of all, I want to see Jesus because I am sure He has always been with me and understood me better than anyone else in my life! Being in eternity with all my family will be such a blessing, too!
Amen! I long to see his nailed pierced hand. I want to touch him and look at his merciful eyes face to face.
Inge, I loved the song. I went and listened to it. Beautiful scenery! God gave them beautiful voices.
Heaven will not be boring..!! We will be partakers with Christ to travel throughout the universe (2 trillion galaxies, according to the James Webb latest data). Our little world is the lesson book of the universe.