Disciple First. Follower Second.

In our social media age, we’ve reduced “following” to a passive spectator sport. With one click, we can follow celebrities, influencers, and thought leaders while keeping a safe, comfortable distance. Our following comes with the power to mute, skip, or unfollow whenever the content becomes too challenging or inconvenient (Don’t forget to like and subscribe!)

Jesus’s words shatter our comfortable understanding of what it means to follow. Notice He didn’t say, “Whoever wants to follow me,” but rather, “Whoever wants to be my disciple.” This ordering wasn’t accidental. In Jewish culture, being a disciple was the deepest form of following – it meant becoming like your teacher in every way.

Being a disciple requires a fundamental surrender of identity. When Jesus called His first disciples, He wasn’t inviting them to merely follow His content or subscribe to His teachings. He was calling them to surrender their old identities – as fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots – and take on a new identity as His disciples. It was surrending control over their lives and handing it over the Lord of All.

The process was clear: become a disciple first, then following would naturally flow. They didn’t start by following Jesus around and then decide to become disciples. They first surrendered to His authority as disciples, and their following became the natural expression of that surrender. This order transforms everything.

Today we’ve often reversed this order, trying to follow Jesus without first becoming His disciples. We want to follow His teaching without submitting to His authority. We want His wisdom without His Lordship. But Jesus didn’t offer that option to His first disciples, and He doesn’t offer it to us. Unlike Burger King, sorry, you can’t have it your way!

True discipleship transforms how we follow. A follower might cherry-pick teachings that align with their preferences. A disciple surrenders their preferences to align with the teaching. A follower maintains the right to unfollow; a disciple has already died to that right. No 30-day trial. No test run. No “I’ll see if it works for me.” All the ships are burned. There’s NO turning back.

The early disciples understood that being a disciple wasn’t a role but an identity. They didn’t see discipleship as one part of their lives among many. Their entire existence was reshaped around this new identity. When Jesus taught, they didn’t just take notes – they became living embodiments of His teaching. They became the sermon.

This understanding explains why Jesus put discipleship before following. Following without discipleship can be superficial, like scanning through a social media feed. But discipleship creates the foundation for genuine following. It transforms us from spectators into apprentices. Jesus is not looking for a crowd. He’s looking disciples. Crowds are curious of Jesus. Disciples are determined to be like Jesus.

So can one be a Christian and not be a disciple? Can one follow Jesus and not be discipled by Him? How so? Do you feel offended being asked these questions? Do you feel something stirring in your spirit? These are questions we should wrestle with today. Why? Because we need to be sure that our devotion to God is genuine. Jesus deserves it.

I know it seems too much to take in. But this is the real deal. Being a Christian isn’t just reading devotionals, attending Sunday service, and listening to the latest Christian music. It’s a total surrender of control. You can’t let Jesus take the wheel while your foot is controllling the brakes and the gas pedal. He owns the car. He paid fo the gas. He’s iin charge. No backseat driving allowed.

Godseekers, the invitation remains the same today: Be a disciple first. Before you try to follow Jesus, surrender to His Lordship first. Before you attempt to walk in His ways, die to your own first. Before you seek to serve Him, submit to His authority first. True following can only flow from genuine discipleship.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive us for trying to follow without first becoming disciples. Transform our understanding of what it means to follow You. Help us surrender fully to Your lordship before we attempt to walk in Your ways. Make us true disciples who naturally follow You with our whole hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

1. Have you been trying to follow Jesus without first surrendering as His disciple?
2. What areas of your identity are you still holding back from full discipleship?

Step of Faith

Today, I will stop trying to follow Jesus on my own terms and instead surrender one specific area of my life to His complete authority as His disciple.