why did the disciples follow jesus immediately
Why did the disciples not recognize Jesus when he had resurrected? A stubborn, thick-headed Irishman, Catholic and I thought, nope, that’s as far as I go, in religion and spirituality. Jesus then calls Peter and tells him to follow, promising to make him a fisher of men (Luke 5:9-11). Why did they follow Jesus? In other words here in Matthew, he was not unacquainted with Jesus, although he’s out fishing. I reevaluated every word of that conversation, every hint of his body language,... Our country is in the middle of a battle between abortion activists and the horrors of killing unborn children, and the many people and... I’ve been having a lot of fun lately sharing videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels. That means John and James left their father, Simon and Andrew left their business and all else, to follow Jesus. Jesus didn’t do anything miraculous. He has never heard of Jesus before, it’s his brother who brings him. Philip was from the same hometown as Andrew and Simon: Bethsaida. Answer: Because it had not been granted by the Father that they should come to Jesus. It doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be legitimate for them, but that’s not your calling Peter. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” (John 1:43). Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? When He appeared, she couldn’t believe it was Jesus. His reason is in his question, “can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael was curious. All rights Reserved. Sunday School: “What’s Theology and Why Should I Care About It?”. The second one, they are throwing their nets into the sea, and Jesus walks and says hey guys, how about following me, I’ll make you fishers of men! What Jesus asked these men to do was to “follow Him”. Okay, well, we’ve got something to look forward to next week. So that’s a different time. Nathanael is chillin’ in the shade of a fig tree when Philip tells him that they’ve found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. This is very interesting, Jenn, I think I’ll look into it even more! The 12 Apostles were chosen from among those who had done exactly that. (SA, Have you trusted in the Lord? Send us a message to add or change your paper mail address. I understand why Nathanael went to see Jesus. That’s insanity! Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Posted on October 11, 2006 by John Oakes wrote in General , Resurrection of Jesus , Theology and Doctrinal Questions . Well, Tom, I know you like to fish, so we won’t put that down. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”. There’s no doubt that social media can sometimes be... Are you a morning person, or does your day usually start with the snooze button? He may or may not have seen the Spirit of God descending on Christ at His baptism, but he did hear John say “Behold, the Lamb of God!” as Jesus was walking by. No, three different times, and it’s just a lesson to us. And wow, they can’t contain, the nets are breaking with so many fish. She was born in San Diego, California and raised 2 hours north east in the Inland Empire where she lives with her husband David and their cats. I wonder why Philip followed. Well, supposing I would say, hey, we’re having the Creator of the universe over for dinner. Thanks for writing this Jenn!!! As a result, some of the following is speculation. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” So, obviously, this is the first time Jesus called Peter. So, we have three occasions when Peter was called. After all, they knew the Roman authorities had put Jesus to death, and that His body had been taken down from the cross and sealed in a tomb. We're here to inspire you to know that God created you for a wonderful purpose. And the risen Lord Jesus appeared to them in Acts 1:3. I believe the Lord has given us—one of the tasks that he has given us in our life is to have this radio broadcast. The Israelites knew they were waiting for the Messiah, but they didn’t know exactly what they were looking for. John 1:35-51 gives John’s account of Jesus gathering four of His first disciples – Andrew, Peter, Philip and Nathanael. Jesus is God and he acts as God. “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. The first time is in John’s gospel chapter 1. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:18-19), and what was their reaction? Well, I can’t solve the problem of the kingdom in a minute, but it bears coming back to, but the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, we talked a little bit about that last week, I think. Most likely because its as coming to be time for Pentecost and Jesus had a plan for that too. They heard the call and they responded. Mary Magdalene (not the disciples) is the model for Jesus’ followers. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets … This film is full of laughs and Freaky Friday-esque fun. Over the past week, the news, social... Jenn Arman is a youth pastor, freelance writer and blogger. It really got my attention! A big, gorgeous white dress. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. It says, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith Behold the Lamb of God!” verse 36. From the Gospels, we know that some of John the Baptist’s disciples choose to follow Jesus (John 1:35-42). Yeah, so they left the ship and their father, but they didn’t leave everything, they had not surrendered all. More Stories Like This on Project Inspired: Sunday School: Need a Breakthrough? Could it be because his beard was ripped out or his wounds in general? The problem was that, as with Jews in general up to the present day, their concept of the Messiah was as a victorious deliverer who would free his country from foreign oppression. Let’s look at what really started these men on their journey. Well, here we have the first time that Simon Peter was called. The Berean Call is available by paid subscription . What was it about Jesus that made Philip abandon everything to follow a stranger? That’s sad, Dave, it really is. Following his commissioning of his disciples, Jesus was not struck down, but instead lifted up into heaven. Do you want to pick up some new healthy habits but can't ever seem to find the time? “And the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus.” and so forth. John’s disciples bury him upon his death and remain active in Acts (18:25-26; 19:1-7). He was still working the boats and still living a regular life. https://www.brighteon.com/channels/thebereancall, https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBereanCall/videos. If we start reading at Matthew 1:1, and read until 4:20 and 4:22 when the disciples left their work and followed Jesus, it seems Jesus had never met those four men before. In other words here in Matthew, he was not unacquainted with Jesus, although he’s out fishing. The disciples did not recognize Jesus after his resurrection because Jesus appeared in the form of different people. But why did Jesus ask these men to follow Him? Philip happened to be in Galilee one day, and the Bible says that Jesus found Philip. Dave, I’ve got a comment on that. And then Jesus is on the shore, this is after the resurrection, Jesus is preparing a meal for them, but he does have them catch some fish, right? Jesus’ … But in Luke it says, they then—well, this is a different occasion because they are fishing all night and they caught nothing, and Jesus said, Cast your net on the right, and so forth. Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, [Jesus] saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. God walks on the clouds of heaven. Yet many if not all of his disciples returned. I mean, come on, Nathanael meets Jesus and gets a cool little demonstration of prophetic knowledge. , Every person’s life has deep meaning, purpose an, God loves us and keeps us no matter what. Back in Jesus’ day, however, people didn’t have access to all that information; all they had were the Scriptures of the Old Testament. For example, Mary Magdalene mistook him for a gardener (John 20:11-18), he appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus as a fellow traveler (Luke 24:13-21), and as a stranger on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to the disciples … So verse 23: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Now, we’ve got about a minute left, Dave. In a... During this season, we know that your social media feeds are likely full of negative images and stories, but there is hope out there.... Justin and Hailey Bieber have been increasingly vocal about their faith since they got married in 2018. How (and Why!) He presents them positively. Why? to Be a Christian Who Says “No,” by PI Girl Melanie, 4 Free Workout Apps to Help You Get Healthy From Home, 3 Important Lessons From Switched Every Girl Needs To Hear. Why did many of Jesus’ disciples leave him (according to John 6)? And he brought him to Jesus. We’ve got a quick lesson here [with] what we were talking about earlier, that is absolute surrender, Lord whatever you want. (SAVE me and, I know that God is with me and I have surrendered, Happiness is not a wordly-trait, it is a gift from, He is due all glory because He gives us our very b, Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong, or th, The same God who works in the lives of these women, God shows us how to love one another and how to lo, Realize that fear ultimately holds you back from b, God has a unique kind of love for you. wow this is fascinating Jenn! He had met Jesus previously and had spent time with Him. “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. It says, “One of the two,' that’s verse 40, “which heard John speak and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” So, the Billy Graham Crusade people used to call this Operation Andrew, you remember? Well, it said they dropped their nets in Matthew and they followed Jesus. But it was Peter in John 20, “Peter says: I go a fishing.” The others said, “We also go with thee.”. Mark explains that “ it was late in the day ” even before the large crowd was fed, so that once everyone had eaten, “ Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And of course you know later in John’s gospel chapter 13, and then he’s going to try and do it again. “And the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus.” and so forth. But when Jesus told him to follow, Peter followed completely. O, we’re going to have a prayer meeting and we’re going to communicate with Him, see how many people show up. Jesus wasn’t handsome to look at. (, Worship Him as your source of strength. You have gifts and talents from God that are unique to you, and we're here to guide you along the way. The Berean Call is available by postal mail each month for free. Another reason, I suspect, is because they were overwhelmed with disappointment by Jesus’ arrest. They had good jobs. You never heard Jesus refer to His followers as Christians, but rather, He would call them His disciples, and when He called His disciples, He would often say: “Follow Me.” When Jesus saw“Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. In fact, if the conversation in the Bible is accurate, Jesus was a little socially awkward with Peter. What is the distinction that the scripture makes? John 1:35-51 gives John’s account of Jesus gathering four of His first disciples – Andrew, Peter, Philip and Nathanael. Click here to see our updated Privacy Policy. They did something good. b) The disciples had regarded Jesus as the Messiah (the Christ) Jn 1:49, Jn 6:69, Mt 16:16 [Mk 8:27, Lk 9:20], Jn 11:27, Lk 24:21. Sometimes it takes people a while—well, they start off and the determination or the enthusiasm doesn’t last. Jesus was walking by, He saw Philip, said, “follow me,” and that was it. They had hoped He would overcome the power of the Roman government and establish a new kingdom, and now their hopes of this vanished. That’s when Andrew started following Jesus. The Bible says so. Because Jesus must add to the many truths about his person another truth which will reveal to the disciples his Superiority to every other godly person who came before him. The first reason Jesus had disciples was because He was a rabbi (pronounced ra-bye). And that’s when Peter falls down and says: “Depart from me, Lord, I am a sinful man.” And then of Peter, it says: “Then Peter forsook all, and followed him.” So it took a little bit of time to bring Peter to this point where he saw that he was worthless, he’s not worthy of following the Lord, he’s a sinner and he’s been trying to do it in his own strength. Oh yeah, you may hate the guy, but still that’s the position that he holds. So what do you think, girls? The first one, Andrew, his brother, calls him. You will see greater things than these’ ( John 1:50). However, she did “know his voice” (John 10:4). I remember telling my roommate every detail of my last date. And there’s Jesus, sitting there. And the third time he forsakes everything. "Rabbi" means teacher. You’ve been my friend for a long time. But the lesson we learn is—well, we won’t turn to Luke, but in Luke they are washing their nets, and their partners are mending their nets. This is not the only time in the New Testament, however, that disciples did not immediately recognize the resurrected Jesus, but it is the only one which seems to require a supernatural explanation. In the Upper Room, after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet, For I have given you an example, that you should also do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15). The Synoptics describe the actual calling of these men to follow Jesus. Did the… John records for us that Mary Magdalene was weeping at the grave of Jesus when he appeared and asked her what was wrong (John 20:15). I also understand why Nathanael stayed with Jesus. But still, it’s the most exciting thing I can think of. He pursued them and he finally got them. You see, even in the gospels there is time to look, and discover, to allow the cost of following Jesus to really do its work in our mind and heart. It is really interesting!!! In short, the reason the Apostles dropped what they were doing and followed Christ at the words, "Follow me," is because Jesus surprised them with an opportinity of a lifetime. I love this article. He served. Caught Being Godly: Christian Artist Yancy Uses Her Gift of Music to Help Others! Whatever political party you are, if you had the opportunity: Well, we’re having President Bush over for dinner tomorrow night, would you like to come and join us? Jesus chose his disciples and spent time with them. At this time, the apostle Paul seems to number the disciples to over “five hundred brothers” (1 Cor 15:6). I mean, he probably trusted Andrew, since they were brothers, after all. You can also connect with her on www.facebook.com/JenniferArman.Writer and https://twitter.com/JennArman. And don’t be discouraged, come back to the Lord. O yeah, there’s a struggle in doing, you know, wanting his will more than my will, and so on. When I was a teenager, sharing my faith felt like a never-ending homework assignment, hanging over my head at all times. On this same day, when the disciples came ashore, Jesus had breakfast ready for … When the disciples had walked away, Mary’s love for Jesus kept her weeping, staying close to the tomb, still seeking the one whom she thought was lost forever. And yet today, as we mentioned last week, people are turning to entertainment, or somehow trying to pump up the scriptures to make it more acceptable. That is why they immediately begin to follow Jesus. For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him (Isaiah 53:2). 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From an outsider’s perspective, the Jesus movement looked like a failure. All of them immediately leave behind their family fishing business to follow Jesus. There are quite a few options for keeping in touch with us: Subscribe to our email updates here, and choose if you want daily, weekly, or monthly updates. But you don’t understand the Bible; I’m still struggling to understand the depths of the scriptures after 70 some years. We are willing to send the newsletter to you by regular mail but encourage you to read it online to save printing and mailing costs. Catch the Latest on TikTok and Instagram Reels! Now, in Matthew they are casting their nets, we just read it, they are casting their nets into the sea, so that’s not this occasion, it has to be a subsequent one. Go get your brother and bring him. But it’s his grace and mercy, and he sought you, and you weren’t too willing to come to begin with. “O, Lord, though all forsake you, yet will not I,” and then Peter does forsake him, and denies him. Nathanael asks his famous question, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip tells him to “come and see,” and off they go. The disciples, haven been acquainted with the knowledge of the coming of the Messiah to liberate Israel from the Roman bondage, followed Jesus (God drew them to Him) because they were convinced He was their Messiah. His mentor (John the Baptist) identified Jesus as someone much greater than himself, and I’m sure Andrew trusted and valued the wisdom and knowledge of his mentor. It was not a matter of “abandonment” of family, but rather taking time to follow a spiritual pursuit that would of necessity require time away. “And healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” Why doesn’t that happen today? Following Jesus is more than a relationship; it gives us real work to do in the world. I mean, I’m in my 80’s now, but that’s how long I have been following the Lord. Yes, well, I had the privilege of being raised in a family where my father had family devotions, he called it, reading and prayer, reading and praying, twice a day. Verse 21: “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. We are a community of believers who love God. Click here for copyright permissions. Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army In my opinion (and as mentioned in the question) those whom Jesus called may have been previously aware of Him; or heard about Him (from friends or others) before Jesus called them; or talked with Jesus prior to following Him, such as indicated in John 1:35-50 (although the gospels do not provide … We can read all about the great miracles that Jesus performed, and we have background information given to us by the New Testament about Christ that helps us understand both the person and spirit in whom we believe. In fact, He asked this of all of His disciples. There was nothing special about Philip’s interaction with Jesus. We sing the song, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to thee, you know, take my hands and my feet…” This is the second time that Christ calls Peter. Look, one time they are throwing their nets into the sea, and the other time they are in the boat, another time, Andrew calls Peter. When Jesus told Peter in the fishing boat to “follow Me,” and Peter immediately left his nets and obeyed, Peter was not following a total stranger. Andrew went and grabbed his brother Simon, told him they’d found the Messiah and brought him to Jesus. Keeping this in mind, there are a few things that might have contributed to the disciples not recognizing Jesus immediately when He first appeared to them after His resurrection. Turn to God! Jesus died a criminal’s death and his followers fled. They were also filled with fear for their own future. Jesus' statement that "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" is a call to worship by implication, because only God has that authority, and the proper response to an encounter with God is to offer worship. The same is true for Andrew, James, and John. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). Of course, and Dave, day after day we are getting to know him better; we’re getting to understand what he desires. Beautiful flowers everywhere you... We often talk about spiritual leadership only in the context of men: Husbands, boyfriends, fathers and sons are called to be “spiritual leaders,” and... Wouldn’t it be nice if guys always did what we wished? And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”. . As a little girl, I spent a lot of time dreaming about my wedding day. (Tag, The abundance of life that Jesus is talking about, How to Prepare to Be a Godly and Faithful Wife, How to Encourage Your Boyfriend’s Spiritual Leadership, What a Christian Girl Wants Her Guy to Know, 5 Character Qualities You Need for Marriage, How Overthinking Is Ruining Your Dating Life. That was enough to buy Nathanael. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).” " (Luke 5:8). So Jesus changes Peter’s name, and we move on. He walks on the water. Well-known Christian speaker, author, and reality TV star Sadie Robertson has been sharing encouraging reminders since the coronavirus hit a few months ago. I didn’t know that in Isaiah it describes how he will not be very “traditionally handsome,” very cool! Until this point Peter partially followed Jesus. Today, we have the complete Bible. So Peter decides to follow Jesus again. Right. The Lord will keep after you, that’s another good lesson out of this. This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the gospel of Matthew 4, and we’re going to pick up with verse 19: “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Right. Here’s what I noticed: There wasn’t much logical reason for any of these men to follow Jesus. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Copyright © The Berean Call 2016. I suppose I can understand why Andrew followed Jesus. Jesus taught and led His disciples just like a teacher in a school does with his or her students. I can understand why Peter went to check out Jesus. Jenn desires to bring glory to God and a healthy dose of reality to Christians through both writing and preaching. Following Jesus also involves following his example. That witness of the Baptist alone could have been enough to make Andrew ready to testify to his brother. And I never ceased to be amazed at how excited you get about the Word of God, and you get me excited! The Berean Call is also available in a large-print edition at a nominal cost. That’s it: A stranger walked up to Philip and said “follow me,” so Philip went. In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his disciples. They forsook all—it says in the other gospels—all to follow Him. In fact, many thought the Messiah would be a powerful political and military figure, which Jesus wasn’t. The two consistently talk about their decision... Beloved Christian apologist, author and speaker Ravi Zacharias, 74, went to be with the Lord on May 19.