Following Jesus

Jesus invites everyone to be courageous when following Him. And really, only the courageous can truly follow Him. Only people that are willing to deny themselves are willing to face difficult tasks. Jesus wants people who courageously fight against complacency, laziness, sin, and deception. 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

This was Jesus’ message to those who had not yet started following Him. Clear and direct, the Lord provided information about what it meant to become one of His disciples. His message? The halfhearted and cowardly need not apply! Only those who were fully committed to giving up everything for the sake of Christ were acceptable. In this way of thinking, only those people are actual followers of Christ who have gone everywhere with Him, whether through deep valleys or over difficult peaks. To follow Jesus means to share His every predicament. 

There can be no compromise for the Christ-follower. After all, Jesus said: “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33). Jesus requires our full commitment. Anything that might hold us back in our discipleship must be given up. This includes seeking to please people. A disciple of Jesus can be concerned only about pleasing God. This was Jesus’ only concern! Christ becomes the great and worthy example of all of His followers. By following Christ’s example, the disciple reflects the glory of Christ. 

Discipleship is always voluntary. The Lord said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple.” No one is forced to follow. In fact, Jesus never coerced any of His disciples. He respected their free will. Every person was free to consider and evaluate Jesus' invitation, and then to respond with either a “yes” or a “no.” That was true when Jesus was on earth, it is true today, and so it will remain true until He returns as Judge over the living and the dead. 

The purpose of discipleship seems to have changed greatly over the years. Today, a profession of faith or an allegiance to a certain religious denomination is considered synonymous with discipleship. But Christ stands opposed to such thinking because it circumvents the requirements for discipleship. Our Scripture passage speaks of self-denial, of taking up the cross, and of an actual following of Jesus. And, Jesus meant what He said: His followers must walk in His ways.

The Holy Scriptures tell us that Christ left us an example that we are to follow: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:20, 21). From a human perspective, Jesus’ actions continually put Him at a disadvantage. Ultimately, He was rewarded with rejection and even crucifixion. Still, this was the only way that we could all be saved. Jesus died so that we could be reconciled to God.

Christ’s followers are His representatives on earth. We are His foreign servants. Like our Lord many years ago, we live in a world of unrighteousness. However, this world no longer reigns over our hearts. Often, we are regarded as behind the times. Undeterred by what others think of us, however, we live the life of Jesus and reveal His nature to our surroundings. Just like Jesus, we have sacrificed our entire lives, complete with our talents, skills, and strengths, to God. The only concern we have left is to do God’s will. This is our act of worship. Our lives characterize Paul’s words: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

Christ is still calling people today into His discipleship. It is an appeal to begin a new life. Even if a person’s sins are as red as blood, they will be made snowy white. This is why He died, and through His death He also makes it possible for us to follow Him. Would you like to become a true follower of Jesus today?

Gustav Sonnenberg 

(1898 – 1980)