Disciples & Crowds
Two distinct groups are active in the Gospel and still roaming today. Which group are you in?
Hey Sis,
Check this out. I read Matthew 5 the other day and tried to keep reading, but the first verse bothered me. I’m pretty sure it was the urging of the Holy Spirit instructing me to go back. Matthew 5:1 says, “When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.”
Do you see it? At first, I didn’t think anything of it. Lowkey, I didn’t want to go deep that day. Matthew 1:5 “When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.”
“The crowds” and “disciples.” These two groups are notably active throughout the Gospels. The English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible revealed something I overlooked or never really considered (not consciously).
“Disciples” (Gk. for Learners) were those who had made a commitment to Jesus as the Messiah.
“The Crowds” were those who were curious and often astounded by Jesus’ teachings and ministry yet, for the most part, remained neutral and uncommitted. They are interested, desperate, hopeful, amazed. They bought their sick, lame, blind, and demon-possession to Him for curing, and many controversies swirling around Jesus stemmed from them.
We have all been in the crowd. We have been desperate for change, curious about His name. We have heard the testimony of our grandparents and our pastors. We desire unconditional love, but many people have hurt us. We sought fulfillment in our careers and other idols when the ultimate satisfaction was right in from of us, but we never opened our eyes. So, what did the disciples do that we haven’t? They committed — they believed Jesus and chose to follow Him. Yet guess what, the crowds are potential disciples.
The crowds are who Jesus came for (Mark 2:17 cf. Exodus 15:26). Those who are lost, broken, and sinners. He loved the crowds, spent time with them; He fed them; He healed them. The ultimate question would be whether you will stay in the crowd and watch from the sidelines or step out and follow Jesus and experience Him for yourself.
The crowd wanted to see the miracles of Jesus; they were intrigued by the power and authority with which He spoke, they were curious, and they liked what He could do for them, but maybe they did not want the commitment, the cost of following him.
I ask again, are you going to stay in the crowd or become his disciple?
Without Christ, we are broken, empty, and prone to the ways of this world and our flesh. In Christ, we are saved and called to a holy life, fully forgiven and redeemed. We are sealed (protected and preserved) by the Holy Spirit, seen as holy and blameless by God, and made new. (2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:4; 1:7; 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
God has made available to us a gift of new life, one done with Him by your side. I encourage you to step outside the crowd and commit to following Jesus, and I promise you will never be the same again.