The NT provides examples of individuals who followed Jesus Christ and of the implications of this decision for their lives.
Examples of those who followed Jesus Christ
Crowds of people
Matthew 4:25 See also Matthew 8:1, Matthew 12:15 parallel Mark 3:7; Matthew 14:13 parallels Luke 9:11, John 6:2; Matthew 19:2; Mark 2:15, Mark 5:24; Luke 7:9, Luke 7:11
Large crowds followed Him, having come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Those who were healed
Matthew 20:34 See also Mark 10:52 parallel Luke 18:43
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.
Those who were needy
The disciples
Matthew 8:23 See also Mark 14:51, Mark 15:41; John 18:15
When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
Examples of those who obeyed Jesus Christ's call to follow him
Peter and Andrew
Matthew 4:18–20 parallel Mark 1:16–18 See also Luke 5:11
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
James and John
Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets. Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
Matthew
Matthew 9:9 parallels Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27–28
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
Philip
The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Examples of those who hesitated when called to follow Jesus Christ
See also Matthew 19:21 parallels Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22–23; Luke 9:59–60
Wrong motives in following Jesus Christ
The cost of following Jesus Christ
Carrying one's cross
Matthew 16:24–26 parallels Mark 8:34–37, Luke 9:23–25 See also Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 14:25–33; John 12:23–25
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Leaving security behind
Matthew 8:19–20 parallel Luke 9:57–58 See also Luke 9:61–62
And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
Those who failed to persevere in following Jesus Christ
From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.
Those who persevered under suffering in following Jesus Christ
See also John 13:12–17, John 21:19; Acts 22:4, Acts 24:14; Romans 15:5; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:20–23; Revelation 14:4, Revelation 17:14
The blessings of following Jesus Christ
Matthew 19:27–30 parallels Mark 10:28–31, Luke 18:28–30 The reward is not on the basis of merit but the free gift promised to those who follow Jesus Christ. See also John 8:12, John 12:26
“Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.[’’]
The limits on following Jesus Christ
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.