Why Are You Following Jesus?

            “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” (Jn. 6:2)

Why do you follow Christ? In the beginning of chapter 6, we see these followed him because of the miracles of healing he had done. Just a bit further on in the chapter, we find those who followed him because of the miracle of the loaves and fishes which fed the hungry. Does the reason one follows Christ matter, as long as one IS following him? What does it really matter? Read on in chapter 6; we see in verse 26-27 that Jesus rebuked them for their motive for following him. So it must matter. But why? Continue reading John’s account: as Jesus spoke, those who followed for the afore mentioned motives “went back, and walked no more with him.” Apparently, those motives were not strong enough to carry one through in following the Lord.

But, beginning in verse 67, when Christ asks his disciples if they would “go away also”, we see a proper motive for following Christ. Peter’s reply shows a different motive, a different focus in his following: “To whom would we go?” Art not thou the all in all? Is there any beside thee? “Thou hast the words of eternal life” and naught else can satisfy our hearts created for eternity. “We believe and art sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”, the Lamb of God that cleanseth away our sins and maketh our sick souls well.

Christ himself is the only sure motive for following Christ; a knowledge that he is all in all, a longing for his words of eternal life, a belief in him as the Son of God. The motive must be hunger after himself alone, not merely a desire for what he can do for you.

So, why do you follow Christ?