The Confidence: To Follow Jesus

“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” (Acts 19:4)

When a person says, “believe me,” what he is saying is “I want you to accept what I am saying as the truth.” Or, “I want you to trust me; have faith in me and my word.” Usually, we do not have to actually say the words “believe me” if we are trustworthy, like John the Baptist. One day, as he was standing with two of his disciples Jesus walked by. When John saw Him he said “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard this and began to follow Jesus (John 1:35–37).

John’s disciples believed him; they trusted him; they had faith in his words. What was it that caused the disciples to want to follow Jesus? Was it simply because John’s words could be trusted? Perhaps they remembered what John had said the day before when he had been baptizing in Bethany. When he saw Jesus coming to him he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

One of the greatest needs of the Jewish people was to have their sins forgiven. John the Baptist had been preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). However, John was incapable of providing forgiveness of sins, so he pointed to the One who could actually forgive sin, the Son of God (John 1:30–34). The arrival of the Christ (Messiah, John 1:41) had been prophesied in the Law and the Prophets (Deuteronomy 18:15–19; Daniel 9:25–26).

John made ready “a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13–17). John’s disciples believed the Law and the Prophets, they believed John’s words were true, and their hearts were prepared for the Lord. Therefore, the disciples had the confidence to follow Jesus, and to invite others to believe, and follow (John 1:35–51).