COME AND FOLLOW THE KING

(5-minute read)

When we read of how Jesus walked along the shores of the Sea of Gallilee, called out to a few fishermen who were preparing their fishing nets, “Come, follow Me!” and how they abruptly dropped their nets and followed Him, it is easy to conclude that Jesus was always calling perfect strangers to join His ministry.  

Well, that was not what happened. Biblical records suggest that He already knew the first disciples - two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John – when He called them. (John 1:40-42). In fact, they had been disciples of John the Baptist, first. And they had personally interacted with Jesus, heard His teachings, witnessed His miracles, and established some level of trust in Him before they left everything to follow Him. In other words, they were not strangers to the Lord.

So Jesus essentially invited people He already knew to be His followers. It’s like He told His friends, “I want you to be My disciples and make your life count”. These men knew that their lives had changed from the time they met Jesus, and so they eagerly waited for His ministry to kick off. This reminds us that no one who has met Jesus, known Him as their Lord and Saviour, spent time with Him, and walked with the One who mmmis the Way, the Truth and the Life could continue to live the same life as before. When the early followers saw that their destinies were not what they did for a living (as fishermen), but who they had become as disciples of Jesus Christ, they were ready to drop their nets, relinquish all habits of existential living and follow Him. 

 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He knew it was time to launch His ministry. Everything Jesus did was aligned with prophecy in order to fulfil them. For it was written that ‘the people living in darkness have seen a great light, And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” (Matthew 4:12-16, Isaiah 9:2). He stayed on course even when it was full of risks. So He left for Capernaum (beside the Sea of Galilee) - not out of fear or to escape persecution – but so His ministry could reach the Gentiles there. 

It is time for us to know what it means to be followers of the King of kings and Lord or lords (Revelation 17:14).

TO FOLLOW THE KING IS To Be The Light Of The World

Jesus lived to fulfill His purpose as the Light of humanity (John 8:12). John 1:4-5 describes it this way: “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Indeed, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Yet, those living in darkness often show a resistance towards the Light because they are more comfortable existing in relative darkness where they – not God – are in control of their life narratives. Habituated to living in spiritual darkness, they are oblivious to the Truth that sets them free from bondage, and comfortable with their inability to see things clearly. They are therefore eager to embrace any interpretations of their lived experiences that makes sense to them. 

On the other hand, all followers of the King – including us - are called the Light of the world because Jesus had passed the baton to us (Matthew 5:14-16). As God’s Light, our faith is to be visible and detectable to people living in relative darkness. It is not normal to hide our relationship with Jesus. But first, we must deal with our own hesitations and discomfort about being seen by God’s light as we are - without any filter or shadow. People can tell if we are still fumbling in darkness while pretending to walk in the Light of Christ. Indeed, in God’s Presence, there is no shame but only safety. So not only is it important to stay on the path of God’s Light, we must also actively be His light to the world. 

Let’s face it: it is far easier to impress complete strangers with our knowledge about Jesus than it is to share about Jesus with the people in our lives who have a shared history with us. Think of your parents, your siblings, your old school friends, old and new neighbours, past and existing colleagues, and service people whom you interact regularly with. In addition, think of the family members we have grown up with. Have you never mentioned a sad thing in your life, or a regret, or about the prayers you actually pray to God about in your conversations? 

We must not be selfish with the Light of Christ in our lives. Go nearer and go deeper with the people in your community to share your light with them. We must not distance ourselves from people who are in darkness because we are afraid to offend anyone. Yet, we hardly consider if we are offending God by withholding the Light that He has gifted us for humanity.

If you really know Jesus you will know….HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY

John 1:41 tells us, “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him…”. Do you know what Andrew did next? He brought his brother Simon to Jesus. 

Followers are disciple makers who demonstrate Jesus’ kingly authority in their response to life. Disciple makers mature not by silent meditation away from people, but by actively helping people grow in their faith. We may be concerned about saying the wrong things, or making mistakes but as long as we are never doing anything to impress people, we will more likely inspire them and help them see Jesus in our own lives! Think about the people in your life who were instrumental in leading you to reach milestones in your walk with God. Did they offend you by doing so?

Jesus, on the other hand, seemed concerned with very little things except to let people experience the Way, the Truth and the Life through Him. If He were asked how He would ‘do church’ today, He might just do away with many things that trap us into rituals without real relationships, programmes without real progress, and expansion without real engagement. Yet, if we would just follow Jesus, nothing can remain the same. 

Come, let us be in active preparation to follow Jesus - the absolute king of our lives!

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 1 March 2025.