I Will Make You…

I Will Make You…

When we lay down our “nets” (heart, mind, strength and soul) and follow Jesus, He will make us new. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, will make us into whatever is our Christ identity. He will make us a new creature when we are born again and the Holy Spirit falls on us and fills us.

Does anyone believe that Simon could achieve all of what Peter accomplished? What about Saul?

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ~Matthew 4:19 NKJB

The Gospel According to Matthew concludes the fourth chapter with a great multitude following Jesus. That’s curious. There were only 4 people identified, Simon called Peter, Andrew, James and John, all the rest were simply known as “the multitude”. Why is that?

Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. ~Matthew 4:25 NKJB

The “great multitude” did not have an identity as they were only interested in being healed of an affliction, like a sprained ankle. They were not interested in healing, only medicine. They were not interested in hearing the Word of God, only the sermon on Sunday. They have no identity in Christ, as so many in our world today, as they didn’t really believe what the Prophets had written, what the Word of God had promised nor what was actually happening before their eyes. These “great multitudes” could not see nor hear. Just to be clear, Jesus ministered to them just the same.

Jesus has just began His ministry and bringing to all people the Good News of the Messiah’s arrival. Jesus wastes no time in reaching out to the “great multitude” and offer Himself to them as the Son the God.

Jesus, Christ, Emmanuel announces to all God’s people that He has arrived. The Prophecies are fulfilled and the Son of God has been delivered in all the ways the Prophecies describe.

The announcement made by Jesus is one that should have shaken people to their very core. It did not. Jesus arrives at the mount with four followers. These men, five in total, are facing a “great multitude of people” – several hundred, several thousand, we do not know from the Scripture. What’s important to note is not one person, not a single person, followed the Messiah, the Savior of Man, not one.

Jesus delivered the Beatitudes, Salt and Light, explains how He fulfilled the Law, explains actual sin, like murder, adultery and all the rest, how sin begins in the heart not in our hands. Jesus went on to share a vision of the Kingdom of Heaven that is beyond human description. With everything that Jesus lays out for the “multitudes” only four were interested.

How many people, realistically, are still following Jesus Christ on Monday morning from your church? How many are still following Jesus Christ until the next Sunday? The same thing is happening today as it happened approximately 2,000 years ago. Nothing has changed. Multitudes show up on the mountain, while only a handful desire to know more, question more and serve more.

When we begin following Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, He will makes us into what He needs us to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. He promises, I believe.

Either the Gospel is the divine Word of God teaching us how to live and how to be a reflection of Him, or it’s nothing more than a historical account of events.