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The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:7-8 [NASB]) 

Peter, the apostle of Jesus, wrote his epistle of 1 Peter to the Christians in Asia minor. He told them how to live as believers in a sinful world that worshipped manmade idols and success. Peter encouraged these Christians to stand strong in their faith while their friends and neighbors continued to live for their own desires. He reminded them Jesus suffered, too, for staying moral and true to God’s purposes. They would experience trials and tribulations as He did.

In 1 Peter 4:7-8, Peter concisely repeated what he wrote in verses one through six. He reminded them the end of the world was coming soon. For the Jews, it was imminent. The Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. For Christians, when Jesus began His ministry on earth, He heralded the beginning of the end. With His first coming and later ascent into heaven, His return to earth could occur at any time or day. The Christians could know the first part of God’s kingdom coming on earth was imminent.

How did Peter tell the Christians of Asia Minor to live as they waited for Jesus’ return to earth? In verse seven, he wrote, “Be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.” To the casual reader, Peter may have sounded like he told them to keep on praying. Yet, when considering the Greek words Peter wrote, we realize he taught these Christians, “Because Jesus was to return imminently, be clear of mind, heart, body, and spirit and have God’s perspective of the world. Understand the truth on both sides of a situation and gain God’s understanding from how He sees it. Then, with God’s perspective and giving all oneself to Him, dedicate yourselves to pray God’s will through His Spirit within you, forsaking your own earthly opinion. Offer your whole being: heart, mind, body, and spirit, as a sacrifice of self-desire and self-will for God’s will according to His wise and knowing perspective.”

Peter understood prayer is more than a “gimme list.” He realized prayer is meant to be a believer’s joining with the God to be in a closer relationship and likeness with Him. Prayer is about relationship with God.

When a parent first introduces prayer to a child, it would be at a meal and/or at bedtime. After that, the next time a person encounters the idea of prayer would be at church as part of worship or in Sunday School where the child hears about Jesus praying or the Jews of the Old Testament communing with God. Still, at each of the learning points, the child or teen may not have learned prayer is about having a relationship with God. The child/teen would have learned what prayer to say at which event or what is expected to be said in a prayer. Yet, that child/teen/young adult may not realize times of prayer are to be about seeking God, His perspective, His will, and growing to be closer to and more like Him.

Peter made this last point clean when he wrote in verse eight, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” What was most important? Show deep love for each other. Our human idea of love is flawed. It often is self-serving. We love so that someone will return our love. We love because we are grateful for someone or something they did. Our love is connected to what we have experienced. It comes from our own needs and from our limited supplies. This love is not about what Peter wrote. He wrote about agape love, not philia love. He wrote about the love that comes from the source of all love, God. Just as God is the source of faith, joy, hope, salvation, etc., He is the source of true love. The love people give each other-philia or eros-is mixed with self-serving motives. Agape is pure love that does not depend on how a person feels. God loves. In 1 John 4:10, the apostle John wrote, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to as a sacrifice to take away our sins. God’s love is a one-way covenant with us. He loves us even when we don’t love Him. He loves us when we sin, and He wants us to return to a relationship with Him. When Peter wrote 1 Peter 4:8, he meant, “Continue to love each believer like God loves so that the person’s sins against you do not keep you from loving the other believer with a tainted love.”

Having this form of love, agape love, God’s love, requires a person to have a close and growing relationship with God through Jesus. How does a person have a close relationship with God? Believe in Jesus, God’s Son, as the Savior who died to take your death judgment for your sins so you would not die and be eternally separated from God. Believe and live. Believe and experience pure love. Experience agape love that requires nothing from you except to receive it and be with God. Join God in prayer and Bible study growing in a closer relationship with Him and become more and more like Him. Be like Jesus, who though He was persecuted, hated, and hurt, still loved us, and died for us. Prayer becomes more than a recitation of thanks over a meal or a bedtime blessing over our sleep. Prayer becomes our connection with God, who loves us without end. It becomes so much a part of our relationship with God that it no longer feels like a discipline, but a sacred honor and blessing to be with Him. We then want to embrace any opportunity we have for prayer. Unable to get enough with the twice daily times of prayer we learned as children, we find ourselves breathing in and out, our hearts and minds joining with God, so when people see us, they see the heavenly Father. They marvel at the presence of the One with whom you have a genuine likeness.

Get out of meagerly praying for people based on your self-interest. Pray selflessly and with God’s will in mind. Grow in your relationship with Him. Become the shining beacon of His love to the world around you.

Pray because it is a privilege to join with God.

Pray with each breath.

Pray and thank the Lord for this blessing.

Always be thankful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 [NLT])

Amazed

 

Introduction

So far, in this series on the Gospel of Mark, we learned about the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark explained Jesus is the Son of God and set forth to show this truth by His actions and words. Mark explained by retelling Peter’s teaching and preaching. He made people know about Jesus’ power and authority because He is the Son of God. This Jesus, Mark said, is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi. Mark explained the messenger, who was to come before the Messiah to prepare the way of the Lord, had come and that man was John the Baptist.

With this introduction of John the Baptist, Mark taught about him. He was the cousin of Jesus. John the Baptist preached baptism for repentance and pointed to Jesus as the Son of God. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and, from then, as he said, his ministry decreased while Jesus’ increased. Mark told more about John the Baptist to introduce him to his readers/hearers. At Jesus’ baptism, the people surrounding the river heard the Father’s voice. They saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove. Both confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, as did Jesus’ opening heaven for the dove to descend upon Himself. This opening of the heavens was the first time it had ever happened. It will not occur again until Jesus returns from heaven in the last days.

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. While there, Satan tempted Him three times during His forty days stay in the wilderness. Jesus prevailed over Satan by not sinning. He proved He had power greater than the prince of darkness. This power He gives to each person who believes in Him. When His time was complete in the wilderness, Jesus traveled to Galilee. The time of His arrival in Galilee was after Herod imprisoned John the Baptist for speaking against his marriage to his brother’s wife and divorcing his own wife to do it. While in Galilee, Jesus walked around the sea and called four fishermen to come and follow Him. He told them He would make them fishers of people.

In each part of Mark 1:1-20, God’s hand was clear in the circumstances. He had said when the time was right, He would send a Savior. The right time came, and Jesus entered humanity’s timeline. He came to earth to live as a man, be tempted, stay sinless, and die a sinner’s death. He was the perfect sacrifice for humanity when they trusted in Him as their Savior. When they believed, they would receive salvation from their sins and from eternal separation from God. In God’s timing, all things are manifested and done. Jesus fulfilled the plan God made from before the world’s foundation. With His entrance as a man, He brought God’s gospel (good news) that the Savior had come. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies then and would fulfill them completely/perfectly when He returns to earth the second time. This “now and not yet” scenario of salvation occurs many times in the Bible. Let’s continue our study to see even more how Jesus is God’s Son through His authority and power.

Amazed

They went into Capernaum; and immediately, on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:21-22 [NASB]

Teaching

When Jesus returned to Galilee after His wilderness experience, He began His ministry. He did this in two ways. The first part of His ministry began with calling men to follow Him. Mark said Jesus and the four fishermen then walked to Capernaum. Added to His authority to call men to be His disciples, Jesus would show His divine authority to more people.

Mark 1:21 tells the readers/hearers, Jesus immediately entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. When the Sabbath began, He walked to the synagogue as all devout Jews would. Notice Mark used one of His favorite adverbs again. With no delay, Jesus walked to where most Jews would be. He hastily trod to the synagogue to tell them the prophecies are fulfilled. Mark said this when he wrote Jesus began to teach.

Why was it important for Jesus to go to Capernaum? Let’s understand what Capernaum was. It was a town/village on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum had good soil for agriculture and the large sea for fishing. That made them economically secure. A well-traveled highway connected Damascus and Galilee. Because of this, many cultures influenced the people of Capernaum. A lot of Gentiles lived within the town/village. Capernaum housed the Roman client-king, Herod, and the customs house. Several scholars believe it contained a Roman garrison for the soldiers. Capernaum became a second home for Jesus, his home-away-from-home. Within this town/village, people worshiped various gods/idols. This influenced the Jews to appease idols instead of Yahweh.

To these Jews, Jesus immediately traveled to tell them the prophecies foretold about the Messiah are fulfilled. He told them the good news of God’s gift of salvation given through the Messiah. Did Jesus wait for the scribes of that synagogue to nod to Him to tell Him it was His turn to speak? Did they even know Jesus? Only the people at the time know. Mark did not record this. What he recorded was “Jesus began to teach.” This sentence is past continuous tense, a past action that has no definite ending. That exactly illustrates the “now and not yet” scenario. Jesus came then but did not die. He still lives and still fulfills the prophecies about Him, providing salvation for all people who believe in Him. The necessity for salvation remains until God sets up the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem after Jesus resurrects His believers. Jesus taught, and the people responded.

Mark wrote that the people “were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (vs. 22). The Greek word Mark used we translate as amazed means to be astonished, dumbfounded, and gladly amazed with wonder. Jesus’ teaching, coming from one who had not been trained in religious laws and traditions beyond what every male Jew received, came with clarity and power. He did not teach as the scribes did, who copied the books of Moses, the traditions, and laws repeatedly. These same scribes also taught the people in the synagogues what rabbis had taught. Their knowledge came from a man. These scribes merely passed down tradition. Jesus, on the other hand, spoke with power, authority, and conviction because He is the Son of God. At this, the people in the synagogue were amazed. Jesus, a Nazarene from a carpenter’s family, told them profound things about and from God. Their spirits quickened when they recognized this man to whom they were listening and caused them to act upon what He said. From His divine being, He gave power to the Scriptures. His teaching differed from the rabbis and scribes. His teaching did not depend on any other teaching. He taught them with authority-power and influence.

Casting out Demons

Just then, there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “what business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are: the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23-24 (NASB)

Notice Mark began this next section with “just then.” He used another phrase that meant “immediately.” After Jesus taught with authority and power, a man in the synagogue confronted Him. An unclean spirit, a demon, cried out (screamed) from this man. It recognized Jesus as everyone else did, Jesus of Nazareth. With greater understanding and acknowledgement, the demon proclaimed about Jesus. It confirmed Jesus is the Son of God. Even spirits know who Jesus is and this one proclaimed it aloud. This voice crying out to Jesus from the man spoke for many demons living in him. Mark used a second person plural tense pronoun in his sentence, “Have you come to destroy us?” These demons recognized Jesus as coming from Nazareth; He was a man. They recognized Jesus is the Holy One of God, too. These evil spirits disclosed Jesus as more than a carpenter’s son. They acknowledged and proclaimed He is the One God promised. They were the second to tell people about the Son of God. Recognizing Jesus is divine, the demons asked Him why He was disturbing them. The demons felt threatened, though Jesus had not spoken to them first. Light threatens and casts out darkness. The demons feared they must find another home. Yet, He came to release the captives. This man was captive to these demons. Jesus came to release all people from captivity—to sins, to evil beings, etc. These demons realized what would happen.

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of Him!” After throwing him into convulsions and crying out with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him. And they were all amazed, so they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:25-28 (NASB)

What was Jesus’ reaction to the demons? As he continued recording, Mark wrote Jesus rebuked them. Jesus commanded them, “Be quiet and come out of him!” These demons feared Jesus and recognized His authority and power. Jesus exhorted them not to speak about Him to people. Remember, God had said in the right time He would send a Savior (Isaiah 49:8 & Romans 5:6). Jesus said in the synagogue, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He had not yet announced He is the Son of God. In the right time (at just the right time), Jesus would tell He is God’s Son, the One who came to save humanity from their sins. That time was not then in the synagogue.

Next, Jesus commanded the demons, “Come out of him!” The demons recognized who He was addressing. With no surprise, they expected this to happen. Did the demons remove themselves peacefully from the man? Would you obey Jesus’ commands without an excuse for not doing as He says? These demons threw the man down on the ground in convulsions and shrieked loudly. People realized this man was demon-possessed before this day. They had not yet experienced the control and power these demons exerted over him. When Jesus commanded them to leave the man, they loudly and visually left. They recognized, if they did not leave, Jesus would use His great power to expel them. These demons recognized without being told how powerful Jesus is. Jesus did not have to expel them by force. The demons recognized Jesus’ authority and vacated, but they exited like a child’s tantrum.

The demons recognized Jesus’ authority and power. People heard Jesus teach and recognized His authority and power. With the demons’ expulsion, Mark recorded the people “were all amazed.” The people wondered who Jesus was since He could expel demons and teach with authority and power. Questioningly, the people asked among themselves, “Who is this? A new teacher with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits to obey Him” (vs. 27). Jesus captured the people’s attention. The people who took note of Him were Jews-rabbis and scribes. How would you react if you saw someone cast out a demon? This occurrence was spectacular. People took note, but no one recognized Jesus as the Son of God. The time was not right. But it soon would be.

In verse twenty-eight, Mark wrote, “Immediately the news about Him (Jesus) spread everywhere into all the surrounding region of Galilee.” Amazed and astonished, the people immediately began telling others about Jesus. Jesus’ fame spread from there. Soon He would fill houses and mountainsides with people.

Application and Conclusion

The four men were commanded to come and follow Jesus. Amazing in itself. To the people, Jesus was known as a carpenter’s son. But they heard Him teach with authority in the synagogue on the Sabbath. They knew Jesus had not been trained to be a priest. He did not tell what another person taught. Jesus knew what God said and meant for Himself because He is part of the Triune Godhead of Father, Son, and Spirit. The demons recognized Jesus and His power and authority. In three ways, Jesus showed His authority — calling disciples, teaching, and casting out demons.

Mark does not tell of immediate believers in Jesus as the Son of God. As Jesus ministers, people followed Jesus. One day, though, Peter declared He is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16.) People did eventually believe. Even Jewish leaders like Nicodemus trusted in Jesus. The disciples believed in Jesus. With great trust, both the blind man, who received his sight, and the Roman centurion, whose daughter laid deathly ill, believed in Jesus because He healed. him and the Roman’s daughter. Many people trusted in Jesus for their salvation. Many millions did not and have not believed in Him, too.

What will it take to convince you of Jesus’ authority? Would you recognize Him if He commanded you to come and follow Him? What if you saw Jesus casting out a demon? What would it take for you to be amazed at Jesus and believe in Him as your Savior? What would you do to follow Jesus? Would you leave everything? Would you help the leper or blind man? Would you feed the beggar or let him bathe at your home? Once we trust in Jesus as the Son of God and as our Savior, our faith must grow and cause a change in our lives. Being a disciple of Jesus costs. Mark wrote about this in his gospel, too. Are you willing to pay the cost to be Jesus’ disciple? Jesus gives us that example. He gave up everything to be born as a human and die on the cross. His death separated Him from the Father momentarily, but it provided a way for believers to be cleansed from their sins and have victory over death.

Will you continue to turn away from Jesus?

He gave His all for us. 

Accept His gift of salvation and be willing to give your all for Him. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Romans 6:23, [NASB])

For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8 [NASB])

Follow

 

Introduction

In the first three Bible studies in this series on the Gospel of Mark, you learned about “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). After this grand opening, Mark told the Roman Christians about the prophecies from God. God told Isaiah and Malachi to tell the Israelites these prophecies. The prophecies foretold the Messiah coming to the world. They spoke of “the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’” (Mark 1:2). Next, Mark told of Jesus’ baptism and God’s confirming and consecrating Him as His Son (Mark 1:9-11). Immediately after His baptism, Jesus walked into the wilderness with the Spirit. While there, He endured and overcame the temptations Satan put before Him (Mark 1:12-13). Each of these activities was a prelude to Jesus revealing the truth about Himself. He is the Son of God, the Messiah promised from the foundation of the world.

Mark immediately began telling of Jesus’ ministry. He relayed Jesus’ revelation of His authority and power. No one before Jesus ever had His authority and power. In rapid succession, Mark recorded for all readers/hearers about the definitive proof Jesus truly is the Son of God. After the Father’s proclamation, which was proof Jesus is His Son, other proof occurred in the early stages of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. These were the retelling of twelve encounters Jesus had with people. He healed people, cast out demons, taught, preached, prayed, called people to follow Him, and challenged the manmade religious laws of the time. Let’s study and understand what Mark tells people about Jesus through his gospel in Mark 1:14-20. Consider what Jesus’ command, “Follow Me,” means for you and the way you live.

Follow

Now, after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (1:14-15 [NASB])

Background

People may read Mark 1:14-20, then later just skim over these verses. They might tell themselves, “Oh, I know Jesus called people to follow Him, but I want to get to the meat of what Jesus did.” Before you can really grasp the things Jesus said and did, you must understand the background for His work. The opening sentence of Mark 1:14-20 says, “After John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God.” (NASB)

When did Jesus begin His ministry in Galilee? Mark tells us it started after John the Baptist was put in prison by Herod. Herod’s seduced his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Herod and Herodias both divorced their spouses so they could marry each other. When John said this marriage was adultery, Herod had him put in prison.

Where did Jesus go? Jesus walked from southern Judea to Galilee. Galilee was in the northern part of Israel. Jesus had been in the wilderness in the south. He had faced and defeated Satan and his temptations. Jesus had walked for days to get to Galilee. The region of Galilee was more heavily influenced by Greek and Roman culture than Judea. Herod was king their king. The Galilean economy was better than Judea’s. They had good agricultural land and a fishing industry. The Galileans were a wealthy, multi-god-loving, Roman and Greek-influenced, adulterous, and racially impure part of Israel. Jesus took the good news of God to them.

What did Jesus preach? Mark finished verse fourteen by writing, “Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God.” From earlier study, we know the gospel is the good news. Good news of what? The good news of God, which He prepared from the foundation of the world, was that He sent a Savior. This Savior would die for the judgment people deserved for their sins. He would give believers in Him an eternal relationship with God in His kingdom. The gospel is the point of the whole Bible. People need a Savior to be in a close, personal relationship with God and glorify Him in their lives.

Good News

Mark said in verses fourteen through fifteen, “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Jesus told the people who heard Him what had happened. He gave them two commands to make what He offered to them part of their lives.

When Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled,” He meant a passage of time had passed and a specific time about which Old Testament prophets foretold was occurring right then. For most people, they would wonder about what this fulfillment of time was and what the kingdom of God is. The time of waiting for the Messiah had ended. Why? Because that prophecy God gave the prophets had occurred. Jesus used a present continuous verb when He said, “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is come.” That time the, Jesus said, is now and will continue. The time of the Messiah would be forevermore from the time Jesus spoke to people. Only the Messiah, the Son of God, could completely and perfectly fulfill and keep fulfilling the prophecies about the Messiah. These prophecies spoke about one who would come to take the judgment and stains of their sins away. No mortal person could do that. Only the triune God could remove sins written against each person and fulfill the judgment due to them because of their sins. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies about a Messiah, the Savior for each person who professes faith in Him.

When Jesus said, “kingdom of God is at hand,” He referred to a prophecy by Daniel. In Daniel 7:13 and 2:44, Daniel spoke of the Son’s everlasting dominion, glory, and kingdom. Daniel said it would come at a moment in time and continue forevermore. It would not pass away or be destroyed like idols that people create for themselves. This kingdom of God coming, which came at the revelation and ministry of Jesus, is another example of the “now and not yet” scenario that flows through the Christian faith. Just as we are saved now, but will only be perfected (totally sanctified) by Jesus when we enter His kingdom, so God’s kingdom came to earth when Jesus began His ministry on earth, but it will not be perfectly fulfilled until the day Jesus returns and creates a new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-5, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Isaiah 65:17-19 & 66:22). The time the prophecies foretold is fulfilled, Jesus said, and the kingdom of God is now. The Messiah has come, bringing the world into a new epoch of ushering in God’s kingdom and the Messiah.

With this statement about the kingdom of God, Jesus gave two commands. Without the explanation of what and why, the people were unlikely to understand the reason Jesus instructed them to repent and believe in the gospel. Jesus told the people who listened to Him to change their minds about how to live. Instead, live life differently and in obedience to the Spirit’s leading. The word “repent” includes confessing to God of old sinful ways. If Jesus did not teach about salvation from sins and death, His preaching would have been the same as John the Baptist’s. John preached baptism for repentance. Jesus, though, had the good news about something God had never done before, but had always planned to do at the right time. Jesus told them to repent and believe in the gospel of God. His instruction to “believe” made what He preached different from what God’s other messengers had preached. “Believe” in the Greek language of the New Testament means to be persuaded within oneself and by the Lord about Jesus being the Son of God and receiving the salvation He offers through His death that He died for each sinner. Belief. How hard can it be? For people of the world who spent their lives appeasing vengeful gods or seeking fulfillment for themselves, trusting in Jesus was/is hard. Still, for every person who seeks God, He said He would be found if people seek Him with their heart (Jeremiah 29:13, 2 Chronicles 15:2b, Psalm 9:10). The writer of Hebrews 11:6 summed up belief. He said, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him (God), for the one who comes to God must recognize He exists, and that He proves to be the One who rewards those who seek Him.” The time has come. The prophecies are fulfilled. God’s kingdom is at hand. Jump at this opportunity to be forgiven, change the way you live, and profess faith in Jesus for salvation from the judgment of eternal punishment and separation from God. Repent and believe.

Calling

Jesus preached with authority about what only God could speak. He preached about eternal forgiveness and life with God. Jesus caught the attention of people with the power and authority of what He proclaimed. People would respond to His authority, a few would do so decisively, in Mark 1:16-20. These people who had never met Jesus before would instantly leave what they did, who they loved, and where they lived, forsaking everything, to respond to Jesus’ command.

Four fishermen, a lucrative trade in Galilee, a place where Judaism did not dominate the religious culture, saw and heard Jesus. First, though, Jesus saw them. As He walked around the Sea of Galilee, the body of water that fed many people and provided jobs, He saw fishermen. To Simon and Andrew, Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people” (Mark 1:17). Jesus’ play on words changing fishermen to fishers of men/people probably caught their attention. His instruction to follow was an imperative/command and part of a conditional statement. He said, if you do this, I will do that. In the Greek Bible, the words of Jesus are, “Come! Follow Me.” Jesus called them to come to Him, be His disciples, and learn from Him. Mark said nothing about why the men readily put down their nets, got out of their boats, and followed Jesus. We could presume the authority with which Jesus preached in Galilee made people want to follow Him and see what happened. Another presumption could include the men left everything they owned and the people they loved because Jesus’ command to “come” was powerfully authoritative and they could not shrug off His command. The Greek word for “follow” includes this possibility. It means to be more than curious. Instead, heed your desire to follow Him, learn from Him, and come to trust in what He says. Come be Jesus’ disciples and learn from Him, so you will have faith in Him.

Jesus said more than just a three-word command. His command was a conditional clause. People might consider that trusting in Jesus and receiving salvation from sins was the “then” side of the clause. Many people live this way. They profess faith in Jesus, get baptized, then go about their merry way, living life no differently or minimally different from before they accepted Jesus as their Savior. But Jesus did not end His command with “come follow.” To be a disciple of Jesus, you will pay a cost. To be an active, submissive disciple of Jesus (a child of God), you will follow His leading and teaching, then go tell other people about Him. Jesus said this in His conditional clause. He said, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” Pay attention. Who will make them fishers of people? Jesus. People who have not repented, accepted Jesus as their Savior, and been trained by Him are unable to share the gospel. The training you receive from Jesus can come in various ways: sermons, Bible study, Sunday School, Bible college, and seminary. Each believer’s diligent learning from Jesus makes him/her able to obey Jesus’ Great Commission. He said in Matthew 28:18-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus makes believers fishers of people. His disciples’ co-mission with Him by telling people about the gospel of God.

Notice in verse eighteen, Simeon and Andrew did not delay their following Jesus. Mark used his favorite adverb, immediately, here. He said, “Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him.” These men recognized the authoritative command and draw of Jesus. He called to their hearts, and they chose to follow Him. These fishermen did not delay in doing what Jesus commanded. Mark testified to this. These men immediately left their nets. They did not give reasons for delaying. These men did not say they had to support their families. They did not say they needed to pay off the loan on their boats, or they had to take care of their aging parents. Mark does not record any excuses, but says they immediately answered Jesus’ command to come and follow Him.

Jesus said this one more time that day. In verse nineteen, Mark wrote, “And going on a little farther, He (Jesus) saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother, John, who were also in the boat mending their nets.” Jesus saw four fishermen that day who would accept He is the Messiah and would follow Him to be trained and tell other people. Did Jesus save them because He saw their potential? No, Jesus does not call the trained only. He calls all sinners to come to Him, repent, and be saved. Are only strong Christians trained and called to make disciples? No, Jesus’ command to all believers is to go out to all the nations, tell the people about Him, make disciples, and baptize them. Mark records in verse twenty, James and John, like Simon and Andrew, “immediately” left their father, the boat, the hired men, and followed Him.

Application and Conclusion

Consider for a moment what might have occurred if Simeon, Andrew, James, and John had stayed in Galilee to fish. They might have been convinced following an unknown man would be irrational. These men might have seen a large haul of fish and been enticed by the potential of wealth in being fishermen. They might have gotten hurt. Satan will try anything to keep someone from professing faith in Jesus. In each of these scenarios, the worst-case scenario would be that these followers of Jesus would not know Him, the Son of God, personally, and they would have become lukewarm believers. Jesus compared lukewarm believers to sitting on a fence between two possibilities: God or self. He said when He returned and judgment occurred, God would separate the sheep from the goats. Anyone who is not a believer in actual living, is not truly a believer and will be counted as a goat, not one of the sheep of the Great Shepherd.

Jesus calls all people to come to Him. In John 6:37 & 40, He said,

“Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me, I certainly will not cast out. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

God sought from the foundation of the world each person to be in a personal relationship with Him. He provided the way to make that possible. God provided salvation through Jesus, His Son, by His death and resurrection. He wants everyone to be saved from eternal judgment and death. God desires each person to live with Him in His kingdom when Jesus returns to earth from heaven. The questions for us to consider are:

1.     Will you recognize Jesus as the Son of God, the One sent to die for your sins so you can live with Him forever?

2.     Will you hear the call He makes to you follow Him?

3.     Will you, instead, choose not to do anything after your profession of faith in Jesus?

4.     Will you immediately follow Jesus or make excuses for why you cannot?

5.     Consider what might prevent you from obeying Jesus’ calling you. Do you consider He is unaware of those things? Let Jesus care for them. Instead, follow Him.

6.     What might occur if you stay where you are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Would you have been convinced Jesus is just a construct of people’s minds? Satan will try anything to make you consider not to follow Jesus.

These and more are the costs of discipleship. What do you willingly give to God to be a follower, a disciple, of Jesus? God asks you to be willing to give them to Him. He may not require you to give them up to follow Him, but He asks you to be willing. Those are the costs of discipleship.

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 [NASB])