The Light Shines in the DarknessSample

Following Jesus

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” (John 1:35-37)

John the Baptist had a group of disciples. These men did a kind of internship with him, in order to learn from him. That was not uncommon. But when John drew their attention to Jesus, two of his disciples decided to follow Jesus instead of John. They had heard John say amazing things about Him, and now wanted to see and hear for themselves.

It did not stop with these two men, for later ten others joined them. Some were explicitly called by Jesus: “Follow me!” Others were invited by a brother or friend. But all twelve left their daily work to follow Jesus. They invested their time to learn from Him and to watch Him closely for about three years. Some of them gave their eye witness accounts afterwards, which is why we have so much detailed information about Jesus’ words and deeds.

Following Jesus came with a cost. It entailed much travel, disappointments and contempt from people who rejected Him. Jesus even warned some of his followers: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). However, his disciples were determined to follow Him.

Are you also a “disciple of Jesus”? What does that mean to you?