They Had No Idea What They Signed Up For
Acts 1:1-11
In this first section of Acts, Jesus’ disciples are challenged with continuing his work. As we read this section, we see what God wants to reveal to us about himself and about the nature of the relationship he created us to have with him through Jesus.
This is part 2 of a series on Acts. Watch the introduction to the series here
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
“But don’t begin until you count the cost.” (Luke 14:28)
A large crowd was following Jesus. They were attracted to him. They liked what they saw and heard. They were “seekers.” At some point Jesus turned around and challenged the crowd. He told them there’s a cost to following him, to being his disciple. God’s grace, isn’t “cheap” (Bonhoeffer).
“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple…. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” (Luke 14:25-35)
I don’t think the crowd was large after he told them this. How many would follow Jesus if this is what it costs, if this is what he demands from those who would be his disciples? How about you?
Jesus told the crowd “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” But can anyone really count the cost before they begin to follow Jesus?
When Jesus called the Twelve disciples it didn’t seem like he gave them the opportunity to count the cost before they signed up to follow him. For example, Matthew gives us this account of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, James and John.
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. (Matthew 4:18-22)
Did Peter, Andrew, James and John know what they were signing up for in following Jesus? Although Matthew doesn’t tell us this, it’s reasonable to assume these men must have known something about Jesus before he called them to follow him. Nevertheless, their willingness to “at once,” and “immediately” leave everything to follow Jesus is surprising.
As we read on in the Gospel accounts it becomes clear that Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what they were signing up for when they agreed to follow him. There were so many times when what Jesus said and did shocked his disciples and pushed them to the breaking point. In fact, in the end, when Jesus was crucified, his disciples did break—at that point they all abandon him.
But this was not Jesus’ fault. He told them several times that as God’s Messiah he had not come to set up a grand earthly kingdom for the Jews—as his disciples expected—but rather “must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (see Mark 8:31-33). The problem was his disciples didn’t listen to him.
When it happened just as Jesus said it would—he suffered many things, was rejected and killed—his disciples were devastated. Everything came crashing down on them—their hopes, their faith in God, their whole world. They even feared for their lives. They were completely disoriented. They had literally left everything to follow Jesus. What were they to do now?
After three days, Jesus rose from the dead, just as he said he would. “During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.” Jesus gave his disciples “further instructions through the Holy Spirit.”
“Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”
Jesus’ disciples still believed Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom. “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’”
How patient Jesus was with his disciples. “He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”
Here are some lessons we can learn from this; some things that God wants to reveal to us about himself and about the nature of the relationship he created us to have with him.
You must leave everything to follow Jesus.
There is a sense in which no one really knows what it is they are signing up for when they respond to Jesus’ call to follow him. It is not a certain number of things Jesus calls you to give up to follow him. When Jesus told the crowd they must love him more than anyone else, even themselves; that they must carry their cross and give up everything they own, these were not the only terms of the agreement. Jesus was giving the crowd a sense of the extensive nature of his call. You must give up everything.
If you want to be Jesus’ disciple, you must give up on establishing your kingdom, accomplishing your plan and purposes, doing things the way you want. It’s not about you. It is about God and his kingdom. Jesus gave his disciples “instructions,” and “commanded” them regarding what he had for them to do. A disciple follows instructions. A disciple is Jesus’ servant to do what he commands. And he has specific instructions and commands for all his disciples. It is the honor and the privilege of the disciple to be a participant in the accomplishing of God’s purposes in this world. Jesus wants to involve his disciples in what he is doing. He chooses to work through his disciples.
Jesus’ disciples must follow. They must give up their own thoughts and plans about what should happen and how it should be done. Our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. The kingdom of God is so much greater and more wonderful than Jesus’ apostles imagined. Their thoughts were of an earthly kingdom for just the Jews. God’s plan is a heavenly kingdom that includes peoples from the ends of the earth.
You see, if you follow Jesus, if you become his disciple it is life transforming. It’s not just going to church, or reading the Bible, or praying. Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t mean he is a part of your life. It means he is your life.You must trust Jesus to follow him.
Being Jesus’ disciple doesn’t mean you just follow instructions. It doesn’t mean you buy into a plan. It isn’t a lifestyle that seems good to you. Being Jesus’ disciple is very personal. It is a relationship with a person—with Jesus. It is he who you trust, love, follow. Jesus doesn’t call people just because he needs “servants,” he calls his “friends” to follow him (John 15:14-16).
Jesus’ apostles left everything to follow, they were not buying into a plan, they were surrendering themselves to a person, to Jesus. They agreed to follow him.You must depend on Jesus to follow him.
Following is an ongoing relationship with Jesus. Jesus was no longer going to be physically present with his apostles. But he would not leave them alone. The Father would send another like him, the Holy Spirit (see John 15:26-27; 16:7-15). The Spirit would be the Spirit of Christ with them. The Spirit would make known to them the will of God. He would remind them of all Jesus said and did. He would teach them and encourage them. He would be with them always. The Spirit would enable the apostles to obey, to follow, to be Jesus’ witnesses to the ends of the earth. This is an ongoing relationship with a person. It’s not intermittent “power” for times when Jesus’ disciple needs it.
When Jesus said to the crowd they need to count the cost if they want to be his disciple, it sounded to many like Jesus was being harsh, extremely demanding, driving people away. But to those who considered carefully the character and person of Jesus, who recognized his goodness and love, who caught of glimpse of the glory of God in him, they were afraid and thrilled and felt compelled to surrender themselves to him.