What Does It Really Mean To Follow Jesus

“Come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

It was a normal morning just like all the rest.
The sun had risen early, and the air was hot and dry. The sound of the water lapping on the shore had such a calming effect, and sheep grazing on the green slopes looked so peaceful. It was just another day of fishing for Peter and his brother Andrew.

They had grown up fishing, and like their friends James and John who were fishing just down the coast, it was a generational business. Grandfather had started it, and each son was trained how to fish at a very young age. Zebedee, James and John’s dad, even had hired other men to help. Their business was very successful.

Fishing was life.

It was all Peter had ever known. He often wondered what it would be like to be a carpenter, and work on wagon wheels, or make tables. Sometimes He would dream about being a shepherd and watching over the sheep like little David did, in the Bible. But since he never had the opportunity to do anything else, and fishing was all he knew, he just accepted his lot and was a fisherman.

Today they were fishing near the shore. They liked to fish near the shore in the morning, and move out to deeper water in the afternoon. Peter was happy about this new net that they had purchased just yesterday, and was excited to try it out. “Here, grab this edge right here, and I’ll grab this.” Peter told Andrew. “When I say ‘cast’, we’ll cast it in the water.”
“Ok, but don’t drag me in this time.” Andrew replied with a chuckle.

Last week, Peter had cast the net in so hard, that Andrew’s hand caught in it, and he fell in the water. Thankfully he didn’t get hurt. “1-2-3, CAST!” Peter cried, and the net sailed gracefully out of the ship and settled in a beautiful semicircle around the boat.

Just then they noticed someone standing on the shore watching them. He had on normal, everyday clothes, and was holding a bottle of drinking water. Peter, being the bold one, said, “Hey, How’s it going?”

Though there was nothing different about this man’s way of dress, there was definitely something different coming from his face. Yes, he looked like a Galilean, but that wasn’t it. It was his eyes. They were so fascinating. He looked as if He could read your every thought, and could tell every intention of your heart, and yet had a deep, deep essence of Love that made one’s heart melt. Time seemed to stand still. Peter’s comment was soon forgotten in the reverie of this man’s look.

The fish, the new net, even the slight rocking of the boat, seemed like a distant memory, due to the intensity of this man’s gaze. Word’s can’t explain it, poem’s can’t feel it, and songs can’t describe it. The look of Jesus softens every heart every time. Only a few words were all that was needed. Peter and Andrew’s hearts were prepared. And Jesus said unto them, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” And right away they forsook their nets, and followed Him.

They didn’t even hesitate.

Yes, it was a brand new net, but that didn’t matter to them. They had heard the call to follow Jesus. Yes, it was all they ever knew, it was how they were raised, but that didn’t matter to them. Yes, their families didn’t understand, and friends no doubt would mock them, but that didn’t matter to them. They had heard the call to follow Jesus. No, they didn’t know where they were going. They didn’t know how food would appear on the table, but that didn’t matter to them. They left their nets and followed Jesus. James and John did the same thing. Jesus called them, and they left their dad and hired men in the boat, and followed Jesus. They heard the call of Jesus, and they followed Him.
Regardless of the cost.

Have you heard the call to follow Jesus? What are you doing right now? are you following Jesus? Maybe you are doing what you were trained to do, because you don’t know any different. Maybe you are doing only what you know to do. Maybe you are in your little comfort zone, because the thought of rejection from family and friends sounds like too much. The thought of not knowing where you are going sounds too scary. The thought of not knowing if there will be bread upon the table, or clothes on you back is too extreme. Are you that tied down to temporal things that you refuse the call to follow Jesus? Jesus said that He will make you to become fishers of Men.

Which are eternal,– “fish” or “men”?

Where does God ask us to lay up our treasures? In Heaven, or on earth? Are fish earthly or heavenly? How about men? Are they earthly or heavenly? Jesus is calling you to leave your comfort zone, and follow Him.

So Peter was able to follow Jesus throughout His entire ministry. He was there at every healing. He saw the miracles. He even did some. He was there in the upper room. He was there when Jesus was accused of things He didn’t do. Yes, he followed Jesus all the way to the cross. Jesus died, and was buried in a tomb, Peter was there. For three amazing years Peter followed Jesus. Yes, Peter followed Jesus all the way to the cross, but as it is when men are in the flesh, Peter began to forget about the call. He was with Jesus when He performed amazing miracles and healings; but when Jesus died, he began to get confused. He knew that Jesus had called him to come and follow Him, and so he did. But now, Jesus is dead. How could he follow a dead man. The ministry of ‘fishing for men’ seemed to be over.

Maybe he was supposed to return to his little boat and take up the fishing trade again. On the other hand, maybe he was supposed to continue this walk of faith and strengthen the converts that Jesus had healed when he was yet alive. Back and forth. Back and forth. He thought about it deeply for a long time, and then one day, when his brother and some of his friends were there; “Peter said unto them, I’m going fishing.” They said unto him, “We’re also going with you. They went forth and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” John 21:3

Before you get too hard on Peter, and his friends, let me ask you, –What would you do? Maybe you know how Peter feels. Maybe you can relate with him a little bit. Have you had the experience of hearing the call of Jesus to come and follow Him? He called you to take up your cross and follow him. He asked you to lose your life for His sake and the gospel’s. He persuaded you to “sell-out” and be a radical Christian living only for the furtherance of His kingdom. You decided that to follow Jesus is more important than all of this world’s goods. You thought that It is more important to be a nobody and follow Jesus, than to have the best of jobs and be unheard of in Heaven. So you committed yourself to some ministry and totally gave yourself over to it, for the glory of God. Your only desire was that souls might be saved, and that Jesus might receive all the praise. Then one day that particular ministry was over. It came to an end. It’s not wrong that it came to an end, it’s just that now you don’t know what to do. You remember how you wanted to live for Jesus only. and that a great job, prestige, money, …none of these things attracted you.

But now…. now you don’t know where to go. You are tempted to just “get a job”. To “Go a fishing” so to speak. To return to what you have always known. To what you were raised to do, and what you were trained for. Well, if that is where you are at, don’t make your decision yet. Let’s hear what Jesus wants to tell Peter. So, there they are out on the water. They went fishing all right. They fished, and fished all night, but didn’t catch one thing. Then in the morning, Jesus called out to them from the shore. (He had risen from the dead). He told them to try fishing on the other side of the boat. They immediately caught 153 fish. Wow! what a miracle. By the time they reached land, Jesus had a little fire going, and then they all ate breakfast together.

That is when Jesus began to speak to Peter. He said, “Peter, do you love me more than these fish?” Peter said, ” of course lord, you know I love you”, and Jesus said, “feed my lambs.” You see all through Jesus’ ministry, many people were converted and needed to be led. Since Jesus was going to be going back to heaven, He wanted Peter to take care of these young believers, and forget about fishing. He asked him two more times if he really truly loved him, or if he just said that he did. Peter responded, emphatically, that of course He loved him. and Jesus kept telling him to “FEED MY SHEEP” Then Jesus began to explain to him that when he was young he learned how to take care of himself, and how to fish, and how to survive; but now he is a Christian, he will be led forth not knowing where he is going, others will take care of his needs, and he will have to depend upon God, rather than experience.

After Jesus got done telling him all these things, what do you think He said? He just simply said, “Follow Me” John 21:19 I encourage you to listen to Jesus. He has the same message to you, today. Maybe you have already returned to the ‘fishing boat’, and you need to repent of that, and follow Jesus. If you are still in a straight betwixt two, I encourage you to not go back to the fish, but to step forward into the new ministry that Jesus has for you. Follow Him. He wants to lead you. He is building His church, and the gates of hell can’t stop him.

Don’t you want to join him in His work? He is calling you to come and follow Him. Maybe this is the first time you have heard the call. Can you follow Peter and his friend’s example, and forsake all, and follow Jesus? Yes, it will cost you. You wont be understood by your family and friends, but you will have the joy of seeing Jesus work in peoples lives. Peter couldn’t have seen Jesus perform miracles, if he would have stayed in the boat. You will see marvelous things if you take this step of faith.

I don’t know what God is calling you to. I don’t know what ministry Jesus has for you. But Peter, Andrew, James, and John didn’t know either.

When they heard the call to follow Jesus, they forsook their nets, and followed Him.

Will you???