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Commands of Christ

Follow Me

Where is this command found?

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 4:19

Applying This Command

The command to Follow Me is not an idea or a suggestion. Rather, it is an imperative call that must be followed by choice. This choice must be made by every person, and it will determine the course of his or her life. While the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:19 are a command, they are also an invitation to live the abundant life of Jesus. Christ’s life fills every area of our lives as we fully surrender to His lordship and follow Him wholeheartedly.

In this command, Jesus was calling His disciples to exchange their identity as fishers of fish to become fishers of men. Similarly, when we choose to follow Christ, He replaces our old identity with a new identity in Him. As we live in the reality of this new identity, He empowers us to live the Christian life by His Spirit dwelling in us.

The key to living a fulfilled life in the Lord and walking as fishers of men is first being filled with His Life.  As a result, Christ’s Life within us blesses and ministers to those around us. The more Christ increases in our lives, the more we can invest in the lives of others for eternity, walking as fishers of men.

How Can We Follow Jesus Now That He Is in Heaven?

When the disciples followed Jesus, they were with Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 3 years. They learned how He thought, how He answered questions, how He lived, and how He gave Himself for people.

Jesus is now in heaven; however, He made provisions for us to continue to be with Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of our lives. First of all, He is within every believer, as the Scripture states: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

He also sent His Holy Spirit to live within us and to guide us in His ways. (See John 14:16–18.) Just as the disciples walked with the Lord and did only those things that the Lord directed, so we are to walk in the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

The result of this fellowship is that the Lord can accomplish more through our lives than He accomplished in His earthly ministry. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

The more time we spend with Christ by meditating on His Word, the more we will be able to reflect the light of His truth to others.

Bible Verses for Meditation

In addition to meditation on Matthew 4:19, meditating on the verses below will provide you with further insight and understanding of Christ’s command: Follow Me.

Psalm 63:8

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”

Matthew 19:28–29

“And Jesus said unto them,Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

II Corinthians 4:1–4

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Proverbs 11:30

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Related Episodes

From the Podcast

Dive deeper into the command Follow Me with these episodes from the Commands of Christ podcast!

Study Question

Q: Why did Jesus require His disciples to be with Him to the end of His ministry while Moses and Paul taught their followers by writings that they received through the Holy Spirit?

A: Jesus had power that He wanted to transfer to His disciples, but He knew that they would not obtain it unless they stayed with Him to the end. After His resurrection, He called His disciples and breathed on them and said unto them, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22). He later said, “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). This they did.

As Moses and Paul spent time with God, they reflected His light to others by their writings. Their goal was not to create their own followers, but rather for people to be drawn to Christ and to follow Him.

For Further Study

You can learn more about the command Follow Me in the book Commands of Christ: Series 1.

Other Resources

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