40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him,  “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).  43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
— John 1:40-43, ESV

Look at the leaders and followers in this story.  John the Baptist is the leader whom Jesus followed to the Jordan River to be baptized and begin His ministry of leading people to follow Him.  John gladly gave up his mantle of leadership and told his followers to follow Jesus’ lead.  And so, the leading and following of New Covenant Christianity began.

One of John’s followers became one of Jesus’ first followers.  Andrew was a faithful follower who quickly became a leader, leading his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus Christ.  Peter will follow Jesus very closely, and when the Lord’s ministry on earth is over, it is Simon Peter who assumes the  mantle of leadership.  

Leaders and followers, followers and leaders, which one are you?  I hope you are willing to be both.  But before you can be a follower or a leader, you must be a careful listener to two of the most important words Jesus ever spoke.

Listen Carefully

Real Christianity really begins when you really hear Jesus say these two words, “Follow Me,” and you realize He is talking to you.

You may hear Him say it in Holy Scripture, for the exact two-word phrase is found twenty times in the four Gospels, including this text.  You may hear Him say it in a good gospel sermon, and no sermon is good if it does not shed light on the gospel and encourage people to follow Christ.  You may hear him say it through a friend or family member, like this episode where the great Simon Peter is led to follow Christ by his little brother, Andrew.  

During Jesus’ baptism in the previous episode, the Father is quoted as saying, “Listen to Him!”  Then, “Him” speaks two words in this present text.  Who is the “Him” who speaks?  He is named three names in this text, “Jesus,” “Messiah,” and “Christ.”  

“Jesus” is from the Greek I’sous which is from the Hebrew Yeshua.  It literally means, “God saves.”  My hometown Christian radio station was WAFT, from the hymn, “Waft it on the rolling tide, Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”  “Follow Me,” says Jesus, and God will save you from sin and its wages, death (ref. Romans 6:23).  Sound good?

“Messiah” is from a Hebrew word and “Christ” is from a parallel Greek word which both mean “anointed.”  In the Old Covenant prophets were anointed to preach the word of God, priests were anointed to lead worship of God, and kings were anointed to rule over the people of God.  Over time the Israelites came to understand a singular Messiah would come to be the Prophet, the Priest, and the King over God’s people.  He would somehow simultaneously be the son (descendent) of David and the Son of God.  This veiled and promised Messiah of Old (“Messiah” is found only two times in the Old Testament) explodes into the New (“Christ” is found over five hundred times in the New Testament).

Here He comes, says John the Baptist.  I have found Him, says Andrew and Simon Peter.  “Follow Me,” says the Lord Jesus Christ.  Follow Me as Prophet so you can know God.  Follow Me as Priest so you can worship God.  Follow Me as King so you can honor and obey God.  Follow Me as Lord because I am God.  Follow Me as Savior because I can make you right with God.  “Follow Me,” says Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ!  Sound good?

“Follow Me” means, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (ref. Matthew 11:28-30).  Sound good?

Follow Fully

How does one respond to such an offer of grace, mercy, peace, and love?  How does one respond when he or she effectually hears those tremendous two words, “Follow Me!?”  In two words, You follow!

You follow in repentance.  Repentance is a grace gift from God (ref. Acts 11:18).  It gives you a change of mind leading to a change of heart leading to a change of will.  It enables you to willingly turn your life over to Jesus Christ and receive His gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  You repent, because you believe.  

You follow in faith.  Faith is a grace gift from God (ref. Ephesians 2:8-9).  It gives you a mind to understand God, a heart to love God, and a will to trust and obey God.  It is not earned, but freely given to the one who hears and follows.  It is not a work, but it puts you to work for God in following the Lord Jesus Christ.  Faith is a supreme blessing and a serious responsibility.  

You follow in baptism.  Jesus was baptized.  Follow Him!  Baptism puts grace on display.  It is an ordinance to picture your identity with Christ’s death and resurrection, and it is a sacrament that preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who see you baptized.

You follow in church.  I love The Beatles, but contrary to the late John Lennon’s opinion, Jesus has always been more popular than them.  Jesus is also more popular than His church.  He is perfect, the church is decidedly not.  So honor the Lord by joining the best of His churches you can find and strive to make it an even better haven of grace where others can find shelter.  

Along those lines, notice Jesus giving Simon his nickname in this text.  “Cephas” is Aramaic for the Greek “Petros” which we find in English as “Peter.”  It means “The Rock.”  Simon’s and Andrew’s father’s name was John.  So, Simon Peter’s full nickname is “Rock Johnson,” very cool.  Jesus knew this follower would become a great leader.  

Jesus played with his nickname later in their ministry when He said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (ref. Matthew 16:18).  Whether you are a Protestant who thinks Peter exemplar or a Catholic who thinks Peter Pope, the emphasis here is upon Christ’s commitment to “build my church.”  It is a commitment a fully devoted follower must share.  It is also a base from which to lead followers to Christ.

Lead Followers

If you have heard the Lord, and if you are following the Lord, then it is time for you to lead others to the Lord.  The simple fishermen in this text became stellar fishers of men.  We should follow the example of these leaders by leading others to follow Jesus.  

Look to your family and friends.  John told his friend, Andrew, about Jesus.  Andrew told his brother, Simon, about Jesus.  Family to family, friend to friend, along with godly parenting, are the best ways to bring people to Jesus Christ.  It starts with a patriarch.  Will you be the one, the leader who brings family and friends to follow Christ?

Season, don’t sharpen, your witnessing tongue.  We all talk to other people about everything, including politics and religion.  Talk to people about your faith and your church.  Like the old song says, “Accentuate the positive.”  Human nature trends towards the negative, and lost human nature loves to hear bad things about Christians and the church.  Don’t give them fodder.  Urge them to become followers.

Invite people to public worship.  If your church is a true gospel church, rightly preaching the word and observing the sacraments, you have the most powerful witnessing tool in the chest available to you every Lord’s Day.  Be spiritual, prayerful, and persistent in your invitations.  Be practical, use bribes if necessary by taking them to lunch or promising to mow their yard!?

God has commanded us to follow the Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ.  God has commissioned us to lead people to follow Christ.  So hear God’s word, hold Jesus close, and help others follow him by sharing the gospel and inviting them to church.  For two thousand years, people have followed, and will follow, until the Leader returns.