Consider this: If someone was “following” you (in a good way, not like a stalker or anything like that), how would you feel if they later decided to follow someone else?
- Maybe this is a close friend who drew closer to someone else over time.
- Maybe this is a child who grew up and began to make his or her own decisions. (I guess that this is, in fact, the role of parents: to lead their children to successful independence.)
- Maybe this is someone you trained at work (or even someone who you brought up in the faith), but now they’ve become independent, with their own sources of help and support, and they no longer seem to need you as much as they used to.
- Maybe you know people who went to your church, but now attend somewhere else.
- Or, maybe you’re an online influencer, and your followers are now spending more time watching someone else’s channel.
John 1:32-34 recounts John the Baptist’s testimony that Jesus was the One for whom John was called to prepare the way. In verses 35-36, John the Baptist announces who Jesus is (at least, in part), while two of John’s disciples were present.
Let’s read what comes next in that chapter:
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
John 1:40-42 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.1.40-42.NIV
So, just so that we’re clear here, Andrew here was one of John’s disciples, but when John made a pronouncement about Jesus, Andrew and one other disciple asked Jesus where He was staying, and spent some time with Him (see John 1:37-39).
Instead of this being a problem for John the Baptist, though, it’s a good thing. John’s entire purpose isn’t to collect followers, but to lead people to Jesus. This idea of “losing” followers to Jesus isn’t even a thing: John’s role is literally to prepare the way for Jesus, and John having anyone who gathered around him to listen to his teachings (i.e., becoming John’s followers) is only meaningful if they made the transition to following Jesus, once Jesus arrived on the scene. (See John 3:27-36 for a testimony from John about his role.)
We can expect that John the Baptist didn’t hide this fact during his ministry. His followers shouldn’t have had to ask whether or not they should follow Jesus, once John pointed Him out.
In the same way, for those who follow Jesus today, we must be careful when we lead people to Jesus that we don’t make it about us. Yes, it’s wonderful when God uses us as part of the process by which He brings lost souls to Himself, but even then, we’re still only fulfilling our role in His plan (see Luke 17:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:5, for instance).
By double-checking our motivations and our message about Jesus and ensuring that we limit our part in the story to things like testifying about the blessings that God has provided us and the joy of having Jesus in our lives, we reduce the risk of someone following a false gospel. After all, anyone who follows a Christian, rather than the Christ, is going to be disappointed when we sin, fall short, and let others down. On the other hand, those who look only to Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of hope will always be satisfied.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 4, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, February 4, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – John, by Beauford H. Bryant and Mark S. Krause. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 