And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." - Matthew 4:19
As Jesus relationally interacted with those that would soon be his disciples, he responds, "Follow me."
As we process this statement and what Jesus meant, it is important to do so through the cultural lens of that time. Specifically, in that culture, it was very common for there to be a "student" or "apprentice" who was following and learning under a "master." The student would follow the lead of the master, learning and imitating them, and essentially, working to become like their master.
So, when Jesus said to the disciples, "Follow me," it was an invitation for them to follow him as a student so that they could learn from him and become like him. It was an invitation for them to walk as Jesus walked.
What an amazing invitation!
We can also accept and respond to this same invitation. When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to find our identity in Him, throwing off our old self in order to become more like Christ. When this happens, we become a new creation.
Let us follow Jesus together and allow him to transform us.