“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Matthew 4:18–22 NIV
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Matthew 4:18-
The call: come follow - the response (they left something behind).
The first call resulted in leaving their means of livelihood.
The second group left their father
Emphasis is on the following and not on what is left behind. , , ,
Come Follow: Two words connected to communicate a point. I don not know Greek but I have tools that explain the Greek meanings. The Greek words are (Dyoo-teh and Op-is -o)
Deute (Dyoo - teh): come hither - come and follow
Opiso (op-is-o): speaking of a direction - includes (after), back - Get behind - follow Strongs Greek
The Sense: To accept and follow the leadership, command, or guidance of; usually literal walking and following were involved as well.
The call to these disciples is unique from you and me in that the physical Jesus was literally standing before them and inviting them to follow Him in this world.
Beginning with Acts we recognize our call to follow is a response to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the power in the mission of the church. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” (, NIV)
Counsellor: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (, NIV)
Guidance: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (, NIV)
, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”” (, NIV)
, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (, NIV)
However, Jesus the perfect man is the human example.
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (, NIV)
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (, NIV)
“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” (, NIV)
I will send:
Sense: To make change - to give certain properties to something
Strong’s Greek: Poieo (poy-eh) abide, agree, appoint, be, bear - there is a lot of ways this word is used.
At once:
Sense: immediately, without delay or hesitation, with no time intervening.
Left:
They did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
They Followed:
Strong’s Greek: Akoloutheo (ak-ol-oo-theh-o) to be in the same way with - to accompany
Sense: to follow (a leader) - to accept and follow the leadership, commands, or guidance of; usually literally walking and following were involved as well.
Matthew 8:22 NIV
But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
