After the Restoration: Step Three, Follow Me

Do You Love Me?

We return to the beach and the charcoal fire where Jesus made breakfast. He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” Peter’s impassioned affirmative responses reset the narrative he had decided to accept for the rest of his life. He knew that fishing was out of the question for him as soon as he heard Jesus call him the second time, “Follow Me.”

The richness of these two words is difficult to comprehend in our modern minds. We tend to understand following as agreement, as if following Jesus amounts to knowing and believing all the correct things about Him. If we understand enough, study enough, and concur enough, then we can be considered followers. The weakness in this interpretation is that it remains primarily intellectual.

Peter’s Call is Our Call

While knowledge, study, and agreement are important, the Greek word translated as “follow me” in the New Testament paints a much more vivid and vibrant picture of what we need to understand about following and discipleship. That word, akoloutheo, means to accompany as a close companion. This is exactly the relationship we enjoy with the Holy Spirit. He abides in us to accompany us and is our close companion. To follow Jesus is to accept His call for action:

Walk behind Me.
Travel the same road with Me.
Attach your direction to My movements.
Obey Me carefully.
Imitate Me accurately.

Following is not just tagging along, it is reshaping our lives in the image of Jesus, the One we follow.

In my theater years, I often practiced an old parlor game called “Mirror.” Two people sit closely together, facing one another. One is the leader; the other is the mirror. The goal is for the mirror to reflect the leader’s every movement and facial expression as accurately as possible. That is what discipleship requires. That is following.

In Peter’s day, the requirements for a rabbi’s intern were more intense than to merely study with and learn from the rabbi. The disciple planned his entire life around him. He went everywhere the rabbi went. He slept where the rabbi slept and ate when and what the rabbi ate. He became a keen observer of the rabbi and endeavored to “mirror” every movement, regardless of how slight. If the reflection was inaccurate, together the two would make necessary adjustments and move on.

Our Commitment

Jesus says to us, “Follow Me,” and we eagerly answer, “Yes Lord!” Our positive reply binds us to Christ in a new and living way. We are committing ourselves to surrendering the direction of our lives to Him. Our family relationships, our friendships, our careers, our pastimes, and our priorities become choices for the Lord to make, and for us to pursue obediently. Our “Yes, Lord” indicates our decision to go beyond merely being informed and taught by Jesus. We are now determined to be re-shaped into His likeness by our proximity to Him.

This is a big deal!

And this is why, when Peter makes his pledge to follow, that Jesus does not ask him if he “gets it” this time around. Jesus does not make inquiry to ascertain if Peter had overcome all his insecurities from his monumental failure. Jesus does not demand a guarantee that there will be no further repetition of this sort of thing in the future.

Jesus sincerely asks, “Do you love me?”

And then Jesus simply says, “Follow me.”

This is precisely how He calls us.

Mike’s Crew

Mike’s crew works on road construction projects. These are the guys you see in the orange vests and hard hats to whom you may drive too closely while travelling at least slightly above the posted safety limit. They work hard, often for long hours and in dangerous conditions. Mike is the boss. He knows how to run a crew and what kind of motivation men often require to carry out their tasks safely, correctly, and in a timely manner. Mike learned his job well and was taught it would be necessary for him to be rough and gruff and sometimes downright mean.

Mike is a valued employee of his company. As a Christian, his heart’s earnest desire is to make Jesus his boss at church, at home, and at work. The more time he spent in the presence of the Lord, the more he could see the inconsistency of his work requirements with the purpose his Master was forming in him. One day, Mike heard the voice of Jesus say clearly, “Follow Me.” Mike answered, “Yes, Lord.”

Faith was present, but so was fear. Mike wanted to begin each day by praying over his crew, but how would that be received? Especially from him? Would the men he was trusted to lead tolerate this sort of thing? Or would they just walk away? What would be said about him when he wasn’t around? How could he be effective if he lost trust and changed his tactics? And what would happen when the top brass found out?

It is a splendid work of grace that God can work with our belief combined with our unbelief because God accepts our honesty. Mike followed Jesus. The morning came when, following the day’s briefing, he told the crew he would like to say a prayer and ask God to keep them safe. Without further prompting, every man removed his hat and bowed his head as their boss prayed to his Master. In days following, and at the insistence of the crew, prayer has become a routine. And what from the top brass? Only encouragement.

Be Prepared

This business of “following,” has one further layer of significance and recognition. “Akoloutheo” obligates us to follow no matter what the cost to us. The price for our redemption and our restoration was paid in full by Jesus Christ on the cross and offered freely to every individual who will respond in faith. We are forever grateful for the opportunity to appear before the final judgement without our sins in tow. However, discipleship comes at a personal price.

King David, in a memorable moment of repentance and faith, declared, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” In our final installment, After the Restoration: The Cost of Following, we will make a thorough examination of that expense.

Important Scripture References

John 21:1-22
Matthew 16:24
Mark 8:24
Luke 9:23
Mark 9:23-24
John 3:16-17
Romans 6:23
Revelation 21:22-27
2 Samuel 24:24
1 Chronicles 21:24