Following Jesus Christ

Examples of those who followed Jesus Christ

Crowds of people

Matthew 4:25 ESV

And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

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Those who were healed

Matthew 20:34 ESV

And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

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Those who were needy

Matthew 9:27 ESV

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”

The disciples

Matthew 8:23 ESV

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

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Examples of those who obeyed Jesus Christ’s call to follow him

Peter and Andrew

Matthew 4:18–20 ESV

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. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

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James and John

Mark 1:19–20 ESV

And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Matthew

Matthew 9:9 ESV

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Philip

John 1:43–45 ESV

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Examples of those who hesitated when called to follow Jesus Christ

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Wrong motives in following Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 1:11–13 ESV

For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

The cost of following Jesus Christ

Carrying one’s cross

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

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Leaving security behind

Matthew 8:19–20 ESV

And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

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Those who failed to persevere in following Jesus Christ

John 6:66 ESV

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

Those who persevered under suffering in following Jesus Christ

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The blessings of following Jesus Christ

The reward is not on the basis of merit but the free gift promised to those who follow Jesus Christ.

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The limits on following Jesus Christ

John 13:36 ESV

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”