“Peter said to him, ‘We have left all we had to follow you!’
“‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.’” — Luke 18:28-30
In the last study, Persecution in the World, we examined the reality of persecution and learned that suffering for Jesus is not a mark of failure but of faithfulness. The world’s hostility reminds us that we belong to another Kingdom. Yet even as disciples face loss, rejection, and hardship, Jesus never leaves His followers empty-handed. As we begin a new section on The Promises of Discipleship, we discover that every sacrifice made for Christ is met with overwhelming grace. God does not call His people to give up everything only to abandon them. Jesus promises to care for them, surround them, and bless them in ways the world cannot understand.
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who notices the lonely, provides for the weak, and gathers the outcast into His family. Jesus assures His disciples that no one who follows Him walks alone. He sees every cost, every tear, and every sacrifice made for His name. And He promises that those who give up earthly security for the Kingdom will experience a new kind of security – rooted not in possessions but in belonging.
God does not simply save us into a private relationship with Him; He plants us into a community, into a spiritual family that spans nations, cultures, generations, and time. The Church is not a social group but a supernatural household where every believer is a brother or sister, bound together by the Spirit of God. In a world marked by division and isolation, the promise of this new family is one of the most precious gifts Christ gives His disciples.
What About Us?
This study leads into Luke 18:28–30, where Peter says to Jesus: “We have left all we had to follow You.” This comes right after Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler (Mt 19:16–22). The young man wanted to know how to obtain eternal life, but when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, “he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” His heart was divided between earthly treasure and heavenly calling.
Peter, watching this unfold, couldn’t help but compare himself and the other disciples who had left everything to follow Jesus. Speaking up to express what everyone else was thinking, he was essentially asking, “What about us?” This wasn’t a complaint; rather, they wanted to know whether their sacrifices had been worth it. Their security, livelihood, and relationships had all been laid at Jesus’ feet. What would become of them?
Jesus’ response wasn’t a rebuke, it was reassurance. He looked at His disciples and gave them a promise that has lifted believers for millennia. In His response, Jesus reframes the question entirely. Discipleship is not about what we give up; it’s about what we gain in Him. Following Christ involves real loss in this world in terms of security, relationships and ambitions. But it also opens the door to an entirely new family, a deeper joy, and an eternal inheritance that outweighs them all.
The Kingdom of God is not built on worldly logic. It’s not “give up now, get rich later.” Instead, we find that in surrendering to Christ, we discover the truest riches of all. The things we thought we lost become seeds of eternal reward.
God’s Care for Sacrificing Disciples
Jesus’ words remind us that God is not unjust, He doesn’t forget what we surrender for Him. But His promise is not a transaction; it is a relationship. There is no divine accountant calculating our losses and paying us back with interest. Rather, His reward is the abundant life found in His presence, His purpose, and His eternal inheritance. The Kingdom operates by an entirely different system. When we lose every temporal thing for Christ, we gain what can never be taken away.
Jesus’ promise has two parts. The first: “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age.” This is not a promise of health, wealth, and prosperity, but of being adopted into a new family – as a child of God.
For those who lose relationships because of their faith, God provides new spiritual relationships that are richer, deeper, and lasting into eternity. For those who lose homes, He provides hospitality through the homes of His people. And for those who lose identity, He gives them a place where they truly belong.
God’s care for His people is not based on material compensation but on relational blessing. He surrounds His disciples with a community of faith, sustains them through trials, and promises a future glory that far outweighs every loss. As Paul writes, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18)
But Jesus’ promise does not stop with this life. He adds something infinitely greater: “and in the age to come, eternal life.” This is not merely endless existence; it speaks of life in the presence of God, fullness of joy, and the restoration of all things. Eternal life means living forever in the Kingdom where every tear is wiped away, every loss restored, and every sacrifice remembered. Nothing surrendered for Jesus in this world will ever be regretted in the next.
What this Means for a Disciple Today
Notice the phrase “for the sake of the Kingdom.” This is not about loss for loss’s sake. Jesus is describing those who willingly release these things out of devotion to Him and for the work of His Kingdom. This truth aligns with Jesus’ earlier words: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mt 6:19–20).
The world says, “Hold tight, protect what’s yours.” The kingdom says, “Release it, and you’ll receive what truly lasts.” The disciple who gives up the temporary finds the eternal; the one who clings to the fleeting misses the everlasting. The promise of a new family reminds us that discipleship is not an isolated path. Christ never calls someone to follow Him alone. He weaves His people together into a community of encouragement, support, love, and protection.
For today’s disciple, this means:
- You belong – whether your earthly family embraces your faith or rejects it, you have a spiritual family that cannot be taken from you.
- You are never alone – when disciples walk through trials, God surrounds them with brothers and sisters who pray, support, and stand with them.
- You can open your life to others – the Kingdom family grows as we welcome one another, share resources, and invest in relationships.
- Your sacrifices matter – nothing you give up for Jesus is wasted—not time, not trust, not relationships, not opportunities.
In the next study, The Promise of His Presence, we will discover that God not only gives us a new family – He gives us Himself. In it we will explore one of the most comforting truths in Scripture: the promise of Jesus’ presence, that wherever the disciple goes, the Lord goes with them.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Peter asked Jesus, “We have left all we had to follow you.”
What sacrifices, big or small, have you made in following Jesus, and how has He met you in those places of loss?
Jesus promises “many times as much in this age.”
How have you experienced the blessing of spiritual family through the Church or other believers?
The rich young ruler walked away sad because of divided loyalty.
What are the things in your life most likely to compete with your devotion to Christ?
God cares for the sacrificing disciple through community.
Who has God placed in your life as spiritual brothers, sisters, parents, or children? How can you strengthen those relationships?
Jesus reframes sacrifice as gain.
What helps you remember that following Christ is not ultimately about loss, but about receiving something better?
Eternal life is part of the promise.
How does keeping an eternal perspective help you endure earthly difficulties or misunderstandings for the sake of Christ?
Discipleship is not meant to be lived alone.
How can you open your life more intentionally to others in your spiritual family? welcoming, encouraging, or supporting fellow believers as part of God’s family?
My name is Michael Adkins. For several decades I’ve been studying Scripture, developing discipleship resources, and teaching others how to walk more closely with Christ. Currently, I serve as the Discipleship Pathway Leader at Riverside International Church in Cascais, Portugal, where my passion is helping believers grow into mature disciples who live out their faith in everyday life.