Rethinking What it Means to Follow Jesus

Jesus never called anyone to be a casual admirer. His invitation to “Follow Me” was a call to complete surrender, radical obedience, and lifelong transformation. The admirer loves the benefits of Jesus—like grace, blessings, and inspiration—but avoids anything that requires personal sacrifice or lifestyle adjustments. When a teaching becomes difficult, the admirer steps back. The follower embraces the cost of discipleship. Jesus explicitly stated: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). A cross is not a piece of jewelry; it is an instrument of death to self-will.

~Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Theologian & Bible Expositor