Jesus Did Not Need Twitter To Get Followers

by Karen Roberts

I enjoy using Twitter to communicate and to keep up with what other people are doing and thinking. One of the fun parts of my day is to log onto Twitter and find that I have new followers. This excites me because I love to share little thoughts, scriptures, and links to the devotions on this blog. I look at it as a ministry that God has given me – one in which I can encourage others to get to know Jesus and to grow in their relationship with Him.

Jesus acquired followers quickly, and He didn’t need Twitter to do it! At a historical time when there weren’t even printing presses, let alone computers and the internet, it might seem amazing that His fame spread so quickly throughout Israel, and later throughout the world. It was mostly done by word of mouth and by hand-written letters.

What is the reason that thousands would flock to a local hillside to listen to Him speak about the Kingdom of Heaven? Why did such a huge crowd lined a Jericho street when they heard Jesus was coming, that Zacchaeus had to climb a tree in order to see Him? I think that there were a couple of reasons:

1. Jesus moved in miracle-working power. Wherever He went, He healed the sick, set people free from demonic holds in their lives, and showed God’s power over nature itself.

2. He taught about having a relationship with God instead of going through religious rituals. He reached people’s hearts with the love and compassion of God, relating to common people without the pride and judgment they saw in their religious establishment.

By word of mouth, people heard of the amazing things Jesus was doing. He healed the sick, made deaf ears hear, opened blind eyes, calmed storms with a word, multiplied food, and even raised the dead. Also they heard of His unique teachings – thinks like:

Love your enemies.

The greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart and to love others the way you love yourself.

He is the only way to God.

Unforgiveness keeps us from being forgiven.

His blood would be shed as the payment for sin.

Not everyone liked his teaching, but those who were truly searching for a relationship with God were drawn to it. Some who flocked to Him took His teaching to heart and allowed God to change their lives.

Just as some of my Twitter followers don’t really read my posts, some who appeared to be Jesus’ followers dropped out when the going got tough. Some seemed to follow for a time, but left when they didn’t like what they were hearing – especially when Jesus spoke of the hypocrisy of seeming religious on the outside, but not turning away from the sin on the inside.

After He died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins and rose from the dead, it appeared that his followers were down to nothing. But when the few that were left were hit by His Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, His number of followers quickly mushroomed into the thousands.

It’s kind of like Twitterers who get retweeted and recommended by other Twitterers so that their number of followers quickly grows. Jesus’ followers had more than just verbal recommendations! Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they continued Jesus’ work on earth, doing miracles and sharing how God’s kingdom has come to those who open their hearts to Jesus and allow Him to set them free from sin. The followers of Jesus, who had once run away to hide when Jesus was arrested, became bold proclaimers of His resurrection. And they demonstrated His resurrection power by healing the sick in Jesus’ name.

Today those of us who are followers of Jesus can be filled with His Holy Spirit, move in His gifts, pray for people, see people get healed, and help people find spiritual freedom. As we reach out to others through acts of kindness, healing prayers, words of peace and wisdom, and unselfish actions, people will receive Jesus into their own lives and become His followers. The Holy Spirit’s work in each of Jesus’ followers is an ongoing process of change, The more we yield to Him, the more we will become like Jesus.

In many parts of the world amazing numbers of people are becoming followers of Jesus every day. This is because Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is drawing many to Himself, just as He did back in the Bible days. Many follow Him in spite of being persecuted, tortured, and even killed for their faith.

If you are His follower, yes, you might even use Twitter as a beginning point for sharing the Good News with those who are seeking for spiritual reality! If you are not yet His follower, why not become one today? Visit our How To Know God page and find out how!