March to the Cross - Jesus: The King's Disciples
Tuesday, March 16
Jesus: The King’s Disciples
Focus: Jesus invites 12 men to become His disciples and they choose to follow Him.
Today’s verses:
Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.
Matthew 16:14-16 And the (disciples) said, “Some say (You are) John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ; the Son of the living God.”
John 8:31-32 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
As we just read in Mark 4:19, Jesus spoke the simple words, “Follow me” when he called his first disciples. If Jesus would have come to me with that invitation to be one of his original disciples or “fishers of men”, I would have had mixed emotions of fear and excitement. I would have feared that I could not live up to his expectations. I would have questioned my ability to comprehend and articulate his message, have the energy to cover the miles and engage with the people along the way. I would have wondered if I would truly represent him well because of my sins and bad habits. “Really, Jesus, you want me?” My heart would be pounding out of my chest. The thought of getting to follow Jesus, hear his stories, and learn from him would have excited me. I would have been awe struck and considered it a huge honor.
What about you? If Jesus had asked you to be one of His first disciples, what would’ve been your greatest fear? What would you have been the most excited about?
For further reading: John 1:37-51
Lord, we praise you for equipping the called. Thank you for the 12 disciples that led the way to listening, learning, and obeying you. May we all follow their lead and be disciples you call us to be. Amen.
