Follow Me

Matt 4:12-22

Jesus calls men to “immediately and literally” drop what they are doing and follow him. We argue about what it means to be a “good person” or even a “good Christian.” Those words can mean whatever you twist them to mean. Disciple is clearer: are you walking behind Jesus, doing what you see Him doing? Drop what you’re doing and follow him.

Follow Me

Next, I’m going to have you all follow me in a parade around the lake! Let’s go!

No? Maybe some of you?

What if I told you there was ice cream on the other side? A few more?

One more: I will make everyone who follows me a millionaire!

Sound good? How many are going to follow then?

Probably depends a lot on how much you trust me too, right? Nope, Dusty’s a liar. Not going to go.

Out of temptation...

Jesus begins his ministry.

Matthew 4:12–13 ESV

12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

Now Capernaum is a city at the very north (slightly west) end of the Sea of Galilee. Right up against the lake… just like we are now. Except the Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. So… a bit bigger. Lowest freshwater lake in the world, so that’s fun.

A fishing center, a tax collection center for Rome.

John the Baptist’s VERY short ministry has ended… and Jesus is going to start. He has been baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He has been tempted and stayed true: fully human in his resistance to temptation, fully committed to the Way of love, the Way of the cross.

And like so many of Jesus’ movements, this move fulfills ancient prophesy, this one from the prophet Isaiah 900 years earlier:

Matthew 4:14–16 ESV

14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

And he begins his great message. This is a statement we will turn to again and again. It is the thesis statement of Jesus’ preaching, it is the summary statement of all that he will teach in his coming Sermon on the Mount… so we are barely going to touch it today.

Matthew 4:17 ESV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent means “turn around...”

The “kingdom of heaven” is, very briefly, the “domain of the king”… that is the place where God, the King’s will is accomplished. Where His Word is law. His “domain.” And “heaven” is where God is.

When Jesus says “it is at hand” he doesn’t just mean “it is coming soon.” It’s like if I was showing you this park and I said “here is the lake on your left… it’s “at hand.”

WAY more to unpack there. For now, we move on.

There’s an encounter here that I love so much, directly relevant to where we are today.

Jesus calls his first disciples

Matthew 4:18 ESV

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

Capernaum is a fishing village. They were fishermen, living there. He’s walking along, sees fishermen fishing. Makes sense. What he says next… doesn’t make sense.

Matthew 4:19 ESV

19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Cute play on words. “Fishermen -> Fishers of men.”

Learning how to fly fish. This is how you become a “fisher of men.” Cast without looking behind you, lodge the hook in someone’s face, then PULLLLL!!!

But… do they want to be fishers of men?

It sounds creepy. On the one hand, like “follow me, we will catch and eat men instead of fish.”

That’s weird.

Or… we use “fishing” to mean something manipulative or sneaky. Like “catfishing,” right? This isn’t that.

I don’t expect they fully understood what Jesus was inviting them to. But he’s inviting them to a profession far more meaningful than pulling in dinner, or a few more coins. He is inviting them to change hearts and minds, to save souls, to quite literally transform the world.

Who is this guy?

They Knew Something of Jesus

Now, we learn in John that they knew something of Jesus. Andrew was a disciple of John and John points at Jesus and says “Behold the Lamb of God...” and started following Jesus then. He found his brother Simon and says “we have found the Messiah” and brings Simon to Jesus and Jesus says “you shall be called Cephas.”

All that had to have happened before this moment… because this moment happens after John is arrested.

So… they knew something about Jesus.

But they weren’t following Jesus. How do we know that? Because Jesus was walking around the shore… and they were fishing. Going about their business.

And Jesus gives a bizarre invitation. “Follow me… and I will make you fishers of men.”

It says they:

Matthew 4:20 ESV

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

He gives the same pitch to their friends:

Matthew 4:21 ESV

21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.

They are doing stuff. But Jesus calls, and “immediately, they left… and followed him.”

Now, how long did they follow that time? They are going to go back to their nets again.

Luke tells a parallel story of how these guys were first called. Could be the same moment told from a different perspective.

I’m not sure. I like to think it took them a few tries to understand what Jesus really meant by “follow me.”

Luke tells us, that Jesus had been in Peter’s home, actually. Jesus healed his Mother in Law of a fever.

(Not sure if Peter was happy about that or not!!!)

I think this is a different time because the circumstances are different. This time Jesus is surrounded by a crowd and he’s teaching:

Luke 5:1–2 ESV

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

All done fishing for the day.

Luke 5:3–5 ESV

3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

He calls him “Master”… and then argues with him. That’s not what “Master” means, by the way.

He knows something about Jesus… but he’s all kind of confused.

But he’s going to do it anyway.

Luke 5:6–7 ESV

6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

SO MANY FISH!!!!

That’s cash money. So Peter’s so grateful, falls to his feet:

Luke 5:8–10 ESV

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Same 4 dudes.

And Jesus answers the same way. “from now on you will be catching men.”

Same as “I will make you fishers of men.”

I don’t guess they knew what that meant. Or maybe even wanted to do that.

But they knew a little bit more about who Jesus was. This is a man who can give me what I thought I wanted, more than what I wanted… and then show me what life is really about.

As Peter would later say: “Master, you have the words of life!”

And they responded the only way possible. I love the way Luke says this:

Luke 5:11 ESV

11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

They left… everything.

What do you know about Jesus?

How many times have you encountered him?

What’s the response? Leave everything and follow him.

It’s going to take some work to figure out what that means. Sure.

I don’t mean “church stuff.” That may come… but first and foremost, I mean Jesus.

Find where He is. And take a step towards him.

I don’t know how many times Jesus has called you.

Maybe, like Andrew, you have had a friend tell you about Jesus. Point him out to you. Call him “the Savior of the world.”

Listen to your friend. He is! Follow.

Maybe you’ve seen Jesus at work in your life. The healing of a loved one… or not so loved one. Maybe you’ve seen things you can’t explain, God at work, miracles in your life. Jesus is showing out… and calling you. Follow him.

Maybe Jesus has

But this I know for sure. He is calling you today. Calling you to follow. Whether you have been his disciple for years or starting today: this is all discipleship is:

Where’s Jesus? There he is. Take a next step towards Jesus.

That’s why we call our church “Next Step.” Where’s Jesus? There he is. I’m going to follow him.

What’s the most important step a man can take? The next step in following Jesus.

That’s a step into life, now, and life for eternity. That’s a step into healing, into forgiveness, into wholeness, into righteousness and right living and right relationship.

Jesus is calling. Drop everything and follow him.

It starts like this. A simple prayer.

Peter said this:

“Depart from me; I am a sinful man.”

But he (and we) learned since. The only place for a sinful person is at the feet of Jesus. And he lifts us up. And makes us clean, makes us whole, makes us pure, makes us worthy, makes us beautiful.

and so we pray:

“Jesus, I know you are calling me. I choose, today, to follow you. I may not know everything… help me to know. I may not understand… help me understand.

Lead me in the right direction. Save me, Savior. Lead me, Lord. Where you go and where you lead, I will follow.”