Come After Jesus

In the context of Lk 9:23-26, Jesus had just fed 5,000, Lk 9:14, and they would have made him king, Jn 6:15. So, he left, and the next day they came seeking him, Jn 6:24.  They showed up for more food, Jn 6:26.

Before they showed up the next day, Lk 9:22, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to die and rise again.  In other words, he didn’t come here to be made king; he came here to die for us.  Therefore, people who would come after Jesus had to understand that following Jesus was going to require something of them.

If any man will come after me (the multitude did).  Come after means “follow”, but Jesus already says this in “and follow me”.  It also means to “come to obtain” as to come after a book.  It also means to pursue someone as “when they escaped, the guards came after them”.  It also means to succeed as the successor, Acts 19:4 John said that “they should believe on him that should come after him”.  In other words, what Jesus said to his disciples applies to us as well as them.

If you’re going to Come After Jesus, here are the conditions:

Deny himself.  To deny yourself is to decline the gratification of the appetites or desires.  But it is much more than this.

For example, Peter was determined that Christ would not die; but he also said that he was willing to be imprisoned and even die for him.  Despite this, Jesus told Peter that he would “thrice deny” him, after which he instructed the disciples to get some swords in Lk 22:36-38.  Peter used one of these to defend Jesus in the garden.  The reason is that he wouldn’t accept what the scripture said (Ps 22, Is 53, Sheep scattered, Zech 13:7) and what Jesus came to do.  Therefore, after Jesus healed Malchus’s ear, Peter was angry and ultimately denied Christ.  He did’t see this coming.

If you don’t deny yourself, at some point you will deny Christ. This is usually done before men, Matt 10:33.  But, you might also deny him when the word crosses you, or when God wants you to do something that you don’t want to do.

Take up his cross daily.  At the time, this probably didn’t made any sense to them, any more than v.22 did.  I mean these guys saw the cross and didn’t understand it.  Neither did the princes of this world, 1 Cor 2:7-8.  But taking up the cross made sense after the resurrection and it should make perfect sense to us now.  And Jesus said DAILY.

Jesus helped Peter to understand this principle in Jn 21:19 when he showed Peter “by what death he should glorify God…”.  And then he said, “Follow me”.  Peter understood, 2 Pet 1:13-15.

Paul understood this, Gal 2:20, 5:24, Phil 1:21, 1 Cor 15:51.

Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) understood this.  He wrote, “Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave, and follow Thee; Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shall be; Perish ev’ry fond ambition, All I’ve sought or hoped or known; Yet how rich is my condition: God and heav’n are still my own”!

And follow me.  Paul did, 1 Cor 11:1.  And we’re supposed to Eph 5:1.  How do you follow Jesus when you can’t see him? Follow what he said (his words, Jn 14:22-24).  Follow his Spirit, Rom 8:14.  And Follow men who are following him, Phil 3:17-19.

V.24-25 save life, lose it.  Lose life, save it.  If Jesus had done this he would have lost his life and we would not have eternal life.  But he prayed “not my will, but thine be done”.  He died and is now exalted, Phil 2:8-11. Imagine if Jesus had fallen for the temptation in Lk 4:5-7.  He would have gained the world and lost himself.  The devil is going down and Jesus would have gone down with him, in that case.

Fanny Crosby understood this.  She wrote, “Take the world but give me Jesus; in his cross my trust shall be, till with clearer, brighter vision, face to face my Lord I see”.

Or be cast away, like 1 Cor 9:27.  He doesn’t die or lose himself, but he is cast away.  In essence, his life amounts to nothing.

v.26 ashamed of me and of MY words when he shall come in glory, 2 Thes 1:4-12.  He’s encouraging us to just put up with the reproach, persecutions, and tribulations and always stand for Jesus.  He’s coming, and when he does, he shall be glorified in his saints.  The name of Jesus will be glorified in you, and ye in him.  See Rom 8:17-18

Conclusion: Come after Jesus.  Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow him.  And don’t be ashamed of Jesus and his words.