49. Following Christ

Everyone who heard about Jesus knew that he was a great man with special powers. But Jesus wanted them to know that he was Christ, Savior of the world.

"Who do the people think I am?" Jesus asked his disciples one day.

"Well, some of them think that you are John the Baptist come back from the dead," they said. "Also, they say you could be the prophet Elijah, or another of the prophets."

"But who do you think I am?" Jesus asked them.

Peter spoke up immediately. "You are Christ, the Son of God!"

Jesus was glad that his disciples knew who he really was. He told them not to tell everyone else though.

"There are many things I must do before I leave this world," he said. "I will suffer many things, and when I am killed, I will come back to life after three days. That is the way God has planned it."

As Peter listened to Jesus talk about leaving them, he became very upset. "We don't want you to be killed," he said. "Please do not tell us such terrible things."

"You are talking like Satan," Jesus said. "That's the kind of thing he would say to keep me from doing God's will."

Jesus called the crowd to come closer, so they could hear what be had to say.

"If you want to follow me, you must give up the way of life you're living now," he said. "Anyone who wants to go his own way will not see the kingdom of heaven. But those who leave their life behind to follow me will be rewarded with a place in heaven."

"If you are ashamed to follow me in this life, I will be ashamed of you when you come to the gates of heaven," Jesus continued. "Don't think too much about this world. It is better to leave the ways of the world behind and save your soul than lose your soul to the sins of the world."

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