What Will It Really Cost You to Follow Jesus?
Matthew 8:18-22
Continuing the section Ch 8&9 Jesus showing His Authority
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the
law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds
have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and
bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
THE COST IN 30-33 AD
When the world was different, more control by who had the power, paganism-everyone was religious – brutal
(crucifixion) – women had no value – Jews were counter to all cultures, considered backward and weird.
1) What did it cost a disciple to follow Jesus considering the entire world system of paganism (worship of many gods)?
It was at a minimum, a nuisance, and more so dangerous to have this group of people that believed in one God, when the
whole world was pagan, believed in many gods. And those gods “toyed” with people and everyone tried to not make the
gods mad. And here these people were thumbing their nose at an entire world system and making the gods mad.
2) What did it cost a disciple to follow Jesus, regarding the Roman government?
Caesar was considered a deity to be worshipped. So, it was illegal to say some else was The God over all. But, the
Romans let the Jews worship their God as a means of keeping the peace in this land they had conquered and occupied.
3) What did it cost a disciple to follow Jesus, regarding the Jewish religion?
Jesus was new on the scene, but was considered a radical, a heretic, a false prophet, a fake messiah and was therefore an
enemy and a threat to the Jewish religious leaders, who still had a lot of control in Israel.
4) V21-22 What might it have cost a disciple that followed Jesus, regarding their relationship with their family?
Assuming they came from a normal Jewish family, they could be looked at with “concern” or completely ostracized
(kicked out of the family?)
5) What might it have cost a disciple that followed Jesus, regarding their relationship with their friends?
Ostracized or viewed with suspicion. Or “he’s gone crazy!” (Jesus’ own family said that about him)
6) What might it have cost a disciple that followed Jesus, regarding making a living?
A person could be ostracized and Jews may not buy their product. They could lose everything.
7) V19 What might it cost a disciple that followed Jesus, who had status, a good position?
This was both a government and religious position
8) V20 What might it have cost a disciple that followed Jesus, regarding being at home?
He expected a person that wanted to be his disciple to follow him around. And he moved around a lot and chose not to
have a home with his family.
TABLE QUESTION: If you had heard Jesus teaching, which was “like nothing you’d heard before,” you realized he
“spoke with authority,” and you’d seen with your own eyes the Jesus performed “many miracles” – AND – you’d
weighed the costs, would you have become more than a disciple (a student), a true believer that Jesus was the long waited
Messiah? Why?
The costs could be huge, you literally ran the risk of forsaking everything – everything. But what you had seen and heard
was amazing.
SON OF MAN
9) V20 What did Jesus mean when he called himself the Son of Man?
Expression occurs 81 times in the NT (79 times by Jesus)
– Jesus primarily means it as the “representative man.” I’m here as one of you.
– But – Daniel 7: 13-14 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like the son of man coming with the clouds of
heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and
sovereignty ovel all nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His
rule is eternal – it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
– Some knew this scripture and what Jesus was saying by using it, some didn’t. Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah.
– He was the Messiah King and Suffering Servant.
– So, some understood his claim and others thought he was just referring to himself in a humble way. It was both.
Why did he use this term? Like his parable, the title came as a bit of an enigma, challenging the hearer to think new
thoughts rather than to slot Jesus into a ready-made pigeon hole.
QUESTION: Where do you place Jesus? Do you pigeon hole him? Have you looked at him as a vending machine,
accessing him when you need help? He saved me when I was 10 – now I’m just living life.
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS TODAY IN HOT SPRINGS
Famous quote today? Follower or fan? If you’re a fan there’s no cost. This section is about true followers
So here we are 2,000 years later. We have all the information, all the stories then and over the last 2,000 years of
Christianity. We have the bible. We have our country, our laws, our families, our jobs, our friends, our culture.
There is no controlling world religion. We have separation of church and state. SO that eliminates two of the prior
questions. But let’s go thru the other questions:
10) What does it cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding the U.S. government?
Nothing
11) What does it cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding their relationship with their family?
Nothing
12) What does it cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding their relationship with their friends?
Nothing unless we have some friends that are antagonistic towards God.
13) What does it cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding their job?
Nothing
14) What does is cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding their status in the community?
Nothing. It probably helps.
15) What does it cost a disciple today to follow Jesus, regarding just being able to live at home?
We can live at home, go to a church in our community, and serve in our community – unless we are called to serve as a
missionary somewhere.
TABLE QUESTION: We’ve read and heard about Jesus and His teaching, the sermon on the mount, to this day, is still
like no other teaching before or since, we sense His authority just reading the sermon, we haven’t seen with your own
eyes the Jesus performed “many miracles” but read about them 2,000 after – AND – we can weigh the costs today, right
now. SO,
Have you become more than an observer of Jesus?
You are somewhat forced to observe, to hear about Jesus, aren’t you?
Have you become a student trying to learn about Jesus?
Are you reading, thinking, asking questions, gone so far as to actually pray?
Have you become a true believer that Jesus was and is that long waited Messiah, the Savior of the world?
After observing, reading, thinking, listening, maybe even asking questions, praying – do you really believe?
Have you gone “all in” on totally trusting Jesus and aligning your kingdom with His kingdom?
Have you sold out, surrendered?
In an upside down way, we in this room tonight are blessed because:
We are all either old enough or been thru enough to know:
We don’t have everything – figured out.
We or our family – can’t fix everything.
We can’t handle what the world throws at us and die “satisfied and happy with life” – without help.
We really can’t function – independent of everything and everyone – we need relationships.
We need hope – to survive.
We need purpose – to thrive.
Jesus says he can make all things work together for the good of His called one, according to His purpose.
Jesus says we can trust Him to die “happy and satisfied with life.”
Jesus says He will help us.
Jesus wants a relationship with us.
Jesus wants us to have good relationships with others.
Jesus gives us hope that we will survive – it’s better – not just survive, but live forever – with Him.
Jesus said that when we align our kingdom with His Kingdom – we will thrive.
He is the Way Maker.
Are you sharing the “good news” with your friends?
Live it. People will see it. They will want to know. (You won’t have to worry about the pigs and pearls thing!)
Are you all in? Is He your All in All?