Having reached the letter F in our alphabet series ‘The A-Z of Christian Faith’, tonight we looked at the subject ‘F is For Follow.’
In Jn 1:35-43, Matt 4:18-22 and Matt 9:9, we see Jesus calling people to follow Him. What was so special about Jesus that fishermen left their nets to follow Him or that a tax-collector would leave his lucrative job to become a nomadic disciple? Ultimately, people followed Jesus because of who He was: the Messiah, Son of the Living God. (Matt 16:16). People saw in Him authority and power: to heal diseases, forgive sins and raise the dead (see Mk 1:22, Mk 2:10, Matt 11:4-5). They recognised in Him a personal authority and relationship with God that drew them to follow.
The Cost of Following Jesus
What makes it even more surprising that so many followed Jesus is that He never made it easy for people, urging them to count the cost. In passages such as Mk 8:34-39 and Luke 14:25-35, He made it clear that to be a follower means self-denial and a taking up of the cross:
Family ties and other considerations must be secondary to following Jesus (see Luke 9:62, Luke 14:26); on occasions, Jesus challenged people to sell all they had to follow Him. (Luke 14:22) We must make the cost of discipleship clear to all, for following Jesus is not a pathway to leisure and easy living; it’s a way that will lead to opposition and persecution (Jn 16:33, 2 Tim 3:12).
The Benefits of Following Jesus
Having counted up the cost (see ‘The Cost’, Rend Collective), we discover, however, that the benefits of following Jesus far outweigh the difficulties. Following Jesus brings us faith (a gift from God, see Eph 2:8-9) and forgiveness (see Col 1:13-14, Luke 1:77). We find freedom from the weight of sin (see Rom 6:12-14), being given the power to live as God wants us to live. Finally, we also receive fellowship, being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Christ (2 Cor 5:21, 1 Cor 1:9) and being brought into fellowship with other believers. (1 Jn 1:3, 6-7).
‘I will follow you
I will follow you
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back
This is my heart cry
Though none go with me
The cross before me
The world behind me.
This is my anthem
My life for your fame
My every move bring
Glory to your name.
The cross before me
The world behind me
I will follow
I will follow.’ (‘No Turning Back’, Passion)