Why People Followed Jesus

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As Jesus leaves the wilderness, now qualified to be our King and Savior, He travels back to northern Israel and moves His home base from Nazareth to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Why Capernaum? Matthew is the only book to give us a reason (since everything Matthew recorded was to show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy). In Matthew 4:15-16 he quoted Isaiah 9:1-2, explaining that “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

The people of Capernaum saw a great light. Jesus’ presence with them made them responsible to respond to what they witnessed with their own eyes. Jesus’ invitation was always, “Come to Me.” Sadly, Jesus judged Capernaum later for their unwillingness to recognize Him as Messiah.

Next, as Jesus established His ministry, He calls His first four disciples.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” -Matthew 4:18-19

As we get to know these first disciples, we’ll be surprised at how prone to failure they were. How great is it to know Jesus doesn’t call perfect people to follow Him—just willing? Maybe He’ll be able to use people like us!

Jesus said to Peter and Andrew and also to James and John, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” His call to us may not be the same. He may not make you a fisher of men because you’re not in the fishing business. But you are in some other business. He’ll use you and whatever your talent might be if you’d turn it over to Him—that’s the important thing! He won’t have us all doing the same thing, because we all don’t have the same gifts. The Body of Christ has many members, unique and gifted to serve the body.

Together with His disciples, Jesus went all over Galilee, “preaching the gospel of the kingdom,” which is centered in the person of the King whom they are to accept and receive. Jesus also healed thousands of people of all kinds of diseases and those who were demon possessed. When word got out of all Jesus was doing, people came from all over Israel to follow Him.

What’s your story? How far did you come to follow Him?

1. What would you say to the excuse, “I’m not in the ‘fishing’ business. God can’t use me”?

2. What does the type of people Jesus called as disciples tell us about the type of person God uses?

3. What can we learn from Jesus choosing people to be apostles who were prone to failure?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on Matthew 3:10-4:11 and Matthew 4:12-25.