Follow Jesus

Follow Jesus: Historical Context
Three years prior to his execution Jesus went in search of twelve men. Those he chose were your average working class men. Some were fisherman. One was a tax collector and another was a physician. None of them would stand out in a crowd.

One by one he gave each of them the same invitation. Leave behind what you are doing and come follow me. Each saw something in Jesus that caused him to leave his former life behind in order to follow him. What they saw in Jesus was so profound that it outweighed all their other options.

Following Jesus became these twelve men’s lives as they walked by his side for the last three years of his life here on Earth. Jesus called these 12 men his disciples. Little did they know what the decision to follow Jesus would cost them. Yet neither could any of them have imagined just how their decision would transform and benefit their lives. Except for the one that betrayed him, it seems certain that at the end of their lives none of them would have changed their decision to have followed Jesus despite the costs.

Follow Jesus: What does it mean to follow Jesus?
Following Jesus started out easy enough. The disciples simply followed Jesus around and watched, listened and learned. It was a process of discovering Jesus’ motivations, his attitudes and approaches to life. They learned through Jesus' teachings just how differently God thinks about life, people and things than we do. It was a process of training them to think the way God thinks. They learned that the limitations of man don’t apply to God. And, when their lives lined up with what God wanted to do on the Earth, the impossible became possible.

Yet, the purpose of following Jesus was about much more than simply observing and learning to think like Jesus thinks. Indeed, following Jesus was not a means unto itself. Rather, this was simply their training program designed to prepare them to make a shift. There came a point at which the disciples’ role shifted from watching and learning to that of doing. In Luke 9:1-6, we see this shift first happen among his 12 disciples. Then, in Luke 10:1-24, Jesus sends out a large group of 72 disciples to say and do what he said and did. Finally, in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells all his followers to go out and do these same things.

Following Jesus begins with a process of learning to think like him. But the goal of following Jesus is to become like him in motivation and behavior. It was all part of his plan to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

Follow Jesus: What are the costs to follow Jesus? Following Jesus comes with a price. Jesus was very clear about this fact. In Luke 14: 25-35, Jesus spells out those costs. He says that his followers must be willing to carry his cross. This is a reference to the type of death Jesus would eventually die (crucifixion on a Roman cross). Obviously, Jesus didn’t mean that his followers would have to literally be crucified like him. Rather, he meant that we must be willing to give up our desires to live our lives for our own comforts, pleasures and agendas in order to live our lives in alignment with God’s purposes (loving and serving the needs of others).

In practical terms those costs may mean that we are misunderstood by others because we believe differently than them and we behave differently too. It may mean we choose to love others even when they are difficult to love. It may mean we choose to serve the needs of hurting people even when it’s inconvenient and we don’t feel like doing it. It’s also likely to mean that we choose to do what is right even when that decision is costly to us personally. It all comes down to living our lives with the same value system by which Jesus lived his life.

Follow Jesus: What are the benefits of following Jesus?
If following Jesus comes at such high costs, is it worth doing? Naturally, this comes down to a matter of personal decision. Yet, most people who make the decision to follow Jesus find that the benefits far outweigh the costs. So, what are the benefits?

Following Jesus is a journey of discovering the person and nature of God. That discovery isn’t simply head knowledge of learning about him. Rather, it is equally experiential in nature. It is about knowing him. To follow Jesus is to build a personal, meaningful relationship with him (a relationship that begins here and now in this life and continues forever throughout eternity with him in heaven). Since he is God and God is the source of life, it is like plugging into the source of life. Once you develop a relationship with him, you’ll be ruined for anything less.

Follow Jesus: What is the first step in following Jesus?
If you are asking questions about following Jesus in your own life then this article may bring up more questions for you. Jesus said the first step in following him is to make a decision. Just as he invited the 12 disciples to follow him he also invites me and you - all of us to share in his teachings then live and love as he demonstrated.

The first step in following Jesus is to choose. To learn more about this step, we suggest you visit the Alpha Course. We have a wide assortment of resources on our site designed to help you along your journey of discovering the person of Jesus Christ. You might consider choosing one of the links below as a next step in your journey of exploration into following Jesus.

Follow Jesus: Key References to Explore

1. Luke 14:25-35 – Jesus discusses the cost of being his disciple
2. Luke 9:23-27 – Jesus tells Peter what’s required to be his disciple
3. Luke 9:57-62 – Jesus gives more insights into the costs of being his disciple
4. John 8:12 – Jesus says his followers will never walk in darkness