Followers Not Groupies
Most of the followers of Jesus mentioned in scripture followed not because of promises of victory. Not because of promises of overcoming circumstances, and not because of promises of health and wealth. There was something else that created real followers of Jesus Christ.
Those crowds of groupies had left him long before they had to make a commitment to follow. Those groupies are not useful to build his body on earth. Once they experienced or heard something hard they stopped following him, they took their blessing and went home. Jesus needs disciples, not groupies, to build his house on earth, he needs those who will respond to the command “follow me”. He needs those empty vessels cleaned out by death and repentance through the ministry of John the Baptist.
The disciples of Christ followed after Jesus because they got a glimpse of him, not of his goodie bag. These real followers of Jesus were not scared away by trouble. The trouble that Jesus sometimes pulled out of his bag was not a major issue in comparison to the magnitude of him.
They saw Jesus Christ in a spiritual way, they saw God in him. They beheld the extreme brightness of his glory, the glory of God himself. They later got to see him again, alive in themselves and in other people after he became a life-giving spirit. They realized he is the new creation they were hoping for, they knew he himself is the resurrection they look forward to. That alone secured their devotion and commitment and love forever. In good and bad, in sickness and health, in persecution and comfort whether confused by him or understanding everything.
IF we can see him
Today it seems most ministries assume the crowds are self-centered and just wanting ease and blessings. Relying on that is the foundation of what it is they build. They offer a lifetime of self-help tips in the form of ‘sermons’. But I think this generation is really no different from past generations. We like every just need to see him as he really is, the future. It is in our DNA to respond to him IF (and that is a massive life-changing IF) we see him as he really is. The death of sinful humanity in Adam and the new creation spreading over the earth and the cosmos.
If we can get a glimpse of the magnitude of the immensity of Jesus Christ and the future that he has. The eternal; and infinitely growing universe that is his kingdom. If we can get that glimpse of him and if others could just get that beautiful view of him within us. Then the generations would not abandon him anymore, they would flock. They would run to him in tears, regardless of the trouble following him brought to them. They would not be self-centered by default anymore, seeing no alternative. They would become real followers of Jesus Christ after seeing his glory.
