Promises for Those Who Follow JesusSýnishorn

Jesus promises rewards

Following Jesus requires sacrifice. There are times when the immediate benefit of going our own way may appear to outweigh the potential gains of obedience. Jesus wants us to know that our sacrifices aren’t in vain, and there’s nothing we can surrender that exceeds what He offers.

In order to motivate us, He describes a number of sacrifices He rewards.

Our faithfulness: In the sixth chapter of John, Jesus calls Himself the “bread of life.” He uses this metaphor to communicate that when we come to Him, we will never be in want. He then promises twice to raise up on the last day everyone who believes and follows Him.

Our prayers: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that prayers shouldn’t be motivated by our desire to have others hear us and think we’re pious. Instead, we should see prayer as an intimate act between us and our Father, and when we do that, we will be rewarded (Matthew 6:18).

Our generosity: When it comes to our resources, Jesus tells us not to invest in earthly things that will perish, but to invest our resources in heavenly things (Matthew 6:19–21). How do we do this? By practicing hospitality. When we show kindness and generosity to people who can’t pay us back, Jesus promises to repay us (Luke 14:12–14).

Our love for enemies: Jesus wants to demonstrate His love through us. This means that we’re called to love those who hate us as well as those who love us, but loving our enemies isn’t easy, and Jesus promises to greatly reward us (Luke 6:35).

Our Lord encourages us to do good and promises to make it worth our while. So when you read Scripture, pay attention to behaviors Jesus promises to reward; they represent the attitudes He really cares about.