Who Will Follow Jesus?

Charles Maples Sr.

We sometimes sing a song with the above title.  While Jesus was here among men, He often (written some nineteen times) challenged, “Follow Me…”  Some were willing to accept that challenge, but many more rejected Him. Some who promised to follow Him began to walk with Him, but then, “turned back, and walked no longer with Him.” (John 6:66).  Then there was one of His disciples, the apostle Peter, who “Followed Him afar off!”(Matt. 26:58)  IN WHICH OF THESE CATEGORIES WOULD YOU BE?

He continues, through His Inspired Word, to issue that challenge today.  He says, “If ANYONE desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and FOLLOW ME.”(Matthew 16:24).  We hear Him in what is called “the Great Invitation,” saying, “Come unto me ALL you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mat. 11:28), and in Revelation 22:17 [His “Last Invitation”], He invites, “…WHOSOEVER WILL, let him drink of the water of life freely.”  But, as it was when He was on earth, so it is today; while some (“few” – Matthew 7:13f) accept His offer of Salvation, the masses reject; offer empty promise; or start to follow, and “turn back!“  –  WHY?

 THE CHALLENGE IS DEMANDING!

  1. It then required some to leave their jobs! Peter & Andrew were to leave their fishing business; with all of their equipment, etc., in order to follow Him! (Matthew 4:19) Matthew, who was a tax collector, was required to leave his government position, to follow Jesus! (Matt. 9:9)  And so it might be today; if one has a job that would stand in the way of him/her following Jesus, putting Him FIRST in their lives; then they must consider Him and the work that He has for them to be of greater importance than that job.  It wasn’t  wrong for those men to be fishing or collecting taxes for a living, but they must have concluded that following Jesus in the work He had for them to do was more important than those occupations.  However, it might be that the occupation that a person is following is inconsistent with being a Christian (Matthew 5:14, 16).  In that case, the individual must REPENT and seek another form of livelihood in order to follow Jesus!

  2.  It required that some leave family members!  Peter & Andrew had to leave their father, in order to follow Jesus (Matt. 4:22).   Jesus says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37)  And so it is; if even family members would stand between us and a true DEDICATION to the Christ, then HE MUST COME FIRST!  As God said to the Jews, “You shall have no other god before Me.” (Exodus 20:3); just so the Christian must allow NOTHING, nor ANYONE to come between him/her and absolute ALLEGIANCE TO CHRIST!

  3. It requires DENIAL OF SELF! The Savior says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) The Christian BELONGS TO THE CHRIST; body and spirit! The apostle Paul wrote to Christians at Corinth, “…do you not know…you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20) Denying self means that we must often deny our selves things which our fleshly appetites desire!  We are reminded that “The grace of God which brings salvation…teaches us that (we must) denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we must live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.” (Titus 2:11-12)  As an illustration of this, we are cited to the example of Moses in Hebrews 11:24-25, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”

  4. Following Jesus requires WORK! He says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire LABORERS into his vineyard.” (Matt. 20:1) To those who would follow Him, He says, “Do not say, ’there are still four months, and then comes the harvest.’  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are ALREADY white for harvest.” (John 4:35)  We sometimes sing (hopefully from the heart), “There is much to do; there’s work on every hand…Jesus calls for reapers; I MUST ACTIVE BE.  Here am I, O Master, here am I send me!”  Does this last affirmation apply to you/me?

BUT, JUST LOOK AT WHAT HE OFFERS!

The apostle Paul says, of the suffering for the Cause of Christ, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us!” (Romans 8:18)  With the invitation from the Savior, to follow Him, HE OFFERS:

  1. FORGIVENESS OF SINS – “…in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) God says, “The wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23)  Jesus says, “If you die in your sins, where I am, you cannot come!” (John 8:21)  He “…gave Himself for our sins.” (Hebrews 9:26).  He now says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” (Mark 16:16)  Even to many who had crucified Him, Jesus offered “remission of sins.” (Acts 2:36- 38) He offers the same today, to all who will “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…” (ibid)  “Remission of sins” means that all past sins will be “BLOTTED OUT!” (Acts 3:19)  In Jeremiah 31:34, we read that this means that those sins will be “remembered no more forever” by God! Surely, this alone, makes all His “REQUIREMENTS” pale into insignifi- cancel!  But He offers much more!

  2. “EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING” is offered to all who will meet His requirements. (Ephesians 1:3) Among the greatest of these are: (a) The privilege of PRAYER! Although many believe otherwise, God does not “hear” all prayers!  In John 9:31 we read that “God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and DOES HIS WILL, He hears him.”  Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.” (Matthew 7:21)  (b) FELLOWSHIP with God and Christ!  “If we walk in he light, (see Psalm 119:105) as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with Another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sins”  (I John 1:7)

  3. HEAVEN, WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER! The Savior says, “Blessed are those who DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIVE, and ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY.” (Revelation 22:14; and see also Mark 10:30 and Revelation 2:10 & John 14:1- 6) WE REPEAT, “WHO WILL FOLLOW JESUS? WILL YOU?