Why would You Follow Someone?

John 6:1-2

“After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”

After reading this Scripture this thought came into my mind; why do we follow some people?  If you are a user of the I-Phone, then you are more than likely a follower of Steve Jobs, who began Development of the iPhone in 2005 as Apple’s CEO.  In January 9, 2007, the first iphone was unveiled, and the following has grown over many generations of development, and they are now to the 5^th generation iphone 4S released on October 14, 2011.  The 4S already broke records for previous iPhone sales, in the first 24 hours Apple processed more than one million orders and since 2007 they have sold in the neighborhood of 51.5 million iPhones.

Could it be true that many of the people we follow bring something of value to our life, or at lease we perceive some value from them.  It could surely be stated that the millions who ordered the iphone 4S before seeing it, had some expectation of increased value.  And what about this very large group of people who follow Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee?  The answer is very clear in verse two,  “And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”  If you talk with one of the proud owners of an iPhone with all it app’s and features, even they will agree it cannot heal the sick.  So we have an understanding of why they followed Jesus but why do you follow Him, or better yet, why do I follow Him?

Let me share this analogy, I’ve seen the iPhone, I know many who own an iPhone, but I to date have not put down the cash for an iPhone, so I even thought I’ve got a good understanding of what it can do, I’ve yet to experience it, or the value it can bring to my life.  For the first 27 years of my life, I could make that same statement about Jesus Christ.  I was from birth around people who knew Jesus, they professed to have Him living inside of them, I read all about Him, I believed He was God’s Son, that He was born of a virgin named Mary, that He was in submission to His parents and to God His Father and about the age of thirty, He began doing miracles.  I also believe that He died on a cross for the sins of men, that the grave could not hold Him and that He now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  I believed, but I did not bow my knee to His authority in my life, I had no experience of His personal value to my life.

At the age of 27 years in a hotel room, I bowed down to the one I was informed about, by faith I move from knowledge about Him to a personal relationship.  In that room I came to grips with this truth, I had not one thing God needed, but on the other hand He was offering me, forgiveness of my sins.  His offer was life, full life, now and for eternity.  As I read these verses in that hotel Bible, Romans 10:9-10, “Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  That night I acted on what God’s word said and Jesus changed my life.  And that is why I am His follower!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice