JESUS CALLS
When we think what Jesus calls us to do, both to follow Him and to witness to others, we are presented with the decision of how best to do each. Last time we talked about how Andrew as a great example for us to be an active witness. So now we focus on examples of those who us the method and opportunity to follow individuals and groups. We can learn about the lives, motives and character about people. Jesus invites us to follow Him in a far more intimate us way. Following Jesus will require us to change directions, but the journey we take with Him leads us to abundant and eternal life.
Read Mark 1:14-15
Mark’s Gospel is a fast-moving summary of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Mark introduces the ministry of John the Baptist (1:1-8), which leads directly into the baptism of Jesus (vv. 9-11) and then Mark tells a summary of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (vv. 12-13). This sets the stage to move from John to Jesus and Jesus’ ministry of calling people to follow Him.
After John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus began his Galilean ministry, preaching the good news that came from God. The world had waited and hungered for the words of verse 15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel”. “Kingdom of God” means the kingly rule of God. At that time the rule of God was to be internal rather than external, over the hearts of people rather than over the military powers of the day. Somehow, the kingdom was both present (Luke 7:18-23; 10:23-24) and yet to come (Mark 14:25; Luke 11:2). The present and future aspects of the kingdom of God still puzzle us today. But for God to have his way with man is always good news, and Jesus announced that the time had drawn near.
The concept of “the time” also indicated that the coming of the Messiah was all about God’s plan. The coming of the Messiah was happening in accordance with God’s timing, and it occurred according to His will. As Paul later told the believers in Galatia, God acted “when the time came to completion” (Gal, 4:4). The kingdom had “come near” because the Messiah and King of the kingdom had come. In the prologue of his Gospel, John wrote that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God has always been close to His people- even when they rebelled against Him- but now He had become one of them. In His sovereignty, God broke into human history to redeem His people through the incarnation of Jesus the Messiah and His sacrifice at the cross.
The news demanded a response of repentance and belief in the gospel (Mark 1:15). “Believe” is the word of response that answers the question of how to receive the good news. “Believe” means to take Jesus at His word, to have faith in the good news, to exercise trust in the gospel. Christian belief is always more than intellectual understanding. It is head and heart belief. The final element of Jesus’ core message demanded a response to the arrival of the kingdom of God. Jesus added an emphasis on faith. The only way to enter God’s kingdom is to repent of one’s sins and believe in the good news of the kingdom. Repentance requires a complete change of direction- an about-face that moves one toward God rather than away from Him. This marks the starting line for the great adventure Jesus calls us to begin. .
Read Mark 1:16-20
We often assume that Jesus’ disciples were great men of faith from the first time they met Jesus. But they had to grow in their faith just as all believers do (14:48-50, 66-72; John 14:1-9; 20:26-29). This is apparently not the only time Jesus called Peter (Simon), James, and John to follow Him (Luke 5:1-11 and John 1:35-42 for two other times). Although it took time for Jesus’ call and His message to get through, the disciples followed in the same way, we may question and falter, but we must never stop following Jesus.
Fishing was a major industry around the Sea of Galilee. Fishing with nets was the most common method. Jesus called the disciples to fish for people with the same energy they had used to fish for food. The gospel would be like a net, lifting people from the dark waters into the light of day and transforming their lives. How can God use us to fish for people’s souls? How can we train new concepts to find new seas and cast new nets where waters have never been fished before? The gospel makes missionaries of all God’s people. So, Jesus is calling us to “cast our nets”.
There was a lapse of time- but not a lapse of thought- between the incidents recorded in verse 15 and those recorded in verses 16-20. The context of repenting and believing was immediately succeeded by the context of leaving and following. Jesus commanded Simon Peter and Andrew to follow Him (v.17). The brothers had followed Jesus earlier (John 1:35-42), but this call was to continuous discipleship. A disciple is a learner. Later, these disciples would be called apostles and sent on a mission. But before they could become ambassadors for Christ, they needed to become students of Christ.
Since Peter and Andrew were fishing, it was natural for Jesus to express His call in this way: “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men” (v. 17). It was like saying: “You will gather great numbers of people for the kingdom of God”. Jesus promised to enable His disciples to bring others under the kingly reign of God. Immediately, Andrew and Peter followed Jesus.
James and John were mending nets (or possibly folding nets) to get them ready for use (v. 19). They left their nets, their ship, their hired hands, and their father- they left all- to follow Jesus. The words for “follow Him” in Greek text show a once-and-for-all determination to follow Jesus (v. 20). Their dedication was and is the only kind that is fit for the King of Kings.
The two sets of brothers answered Jesus’ challenge with changed hearts. Their change of heart brought them a new loyalty, a new security, and a new occupation. The timeless good news appeared when Jesus entered His public ministry, and now, as then, it demands a verdict from the listener. Answering YES to Jesus calls for a willingness to leave everything and to risk everything. For us today, that requires trust, belief, commitment, obedience, and faith- but it is not likely, for us, to risk everything.
Just as Jesus revealed Himself to His first followers, He reveals Himself to us today through creation and Scriptures. Much has changed since Jesus first started preaching and called the four fishermen beside the Sea of Galilee. But the Messiah is still in the business of calling disciples to Himself. He’s still offering all who will heed His call a spot on what will be the ride of a lifetime- an adventure like no other. Our lives are changed if we take seriously the call to follow Christ today. Our challenge is to determine how we will follow Christ and heed His call. So, Jesus is calling us to follow Him.
