Following Jesus

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 NIV)

“The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” (Acts 5:12-16 NIV)

Last week, I wrote about the fact that Jesus uses sinners and that our unworthiness before Him does not lessen His grace and His desire to use us, just as He did the 12 disciples.  This morning I want to further that thought.

These passages in Acts reflect the transformation Jesus promised the disciples when He first called them (Matthew 4:19) These men were no longer who they once were. They no longer feared the religious leaders. They were continuing the work of healing the Lord had begun. And people were taking notice.  

Following Jesus has that effect on people.  If one is truly following Jesus, his or her life will be changed and people will notice. Many, like the religious leaders of the 1st Century, will be troubled by what they see and try to persuade the believer to back away from Him or reject him or her outright.  Others, however, will be drawn to His light shining brightly through the Holy Spirit and put their faith in Him as well. Either way, the change is inevitable once one responds willingly to His command, “Follow me.”

Many believe that Jesus came to save us, which is true. But He came to do even more. He came to transform us into the men and women He created us to be. Like the disciples, we are sinners, unworthy of Him, but His command is the same to us as it was to them—“Follow me.” And if we do, not only will He save us, but, as with the 12 sinful and unschooled men, He will transform us in ways we can hardly believe and use us in ways that are now unimaginable.

Today, regardless of how you view yourself, Jesus is saying to you, “Follow me.” And if you do, He won’t just save you; He will transform you and use you in ways far beyond what you can imagine now.  He did it for the disciples and He will do it for you.

© Jim Musser 2017