The Way of Making Him Known | Jon Chasteen

Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to follow him, then immediately tells them where following leads: “I will show you how to fish for people.” Following Jesus meant helping other people find Jesus from the very beginning. The call is not simply an invitation to become happy, comfortable, or good at consuming Christian content. The way of Jesus includes making him known.

Sharing Jesus does not require a fearless extrovert, a perfect comeback, or a polished elevator pitch. The good news is better than the things that get recommended without a second thought. But familiarity with the gospel can turn into “nose blindness.” Christ’s forgiveness, redemption, and promise of eternity can become so familiar that their goodness stops feeling worth sharing.

Paul gives a richer picture in 2 Corinthians 2: Christ leads his captives in a triumphal procession and spreads his fragrance through their lives. The captives do not march to make themselves look great. Their presence points to the greatness of the king who conquered them. Jesus has defeated the enemy and rescued people from slavery to sin and death. Captivity to this King is not something shameful. Christ’s victory makes freedom possible, and his love captivates the heart.

The fragrance of Christ grows out of knowing Christ, not merely knowing facts about him. Mary’s perfume filled the house because her devotion poured something costly onto Jesus. Her devotion affected everybody in the room without becoming an outreach program. Generosity carries that same sweet aroma before God. Renewed wonder at the gospel begins with letting Jesus recapture the heart.

Christ’s fragrance also comes in different bottles. God gives different gifts, personalities, interests, and stories on purpose. The same Spirit works through an introvert’s quiet attention and an analytical mind’s willingness to hear hard questions. Faithful witness does not require pretending to be somebody else.

But carrying the fragrance includes releasing it. Romans 10 makes hearing necessary, and hearing requires somebody to speak. An invitation to “come and see” can become a simple first step. The fragrance will not receive the same response from everybody, and rejection does not cancel the call. The responsibility is “to make him known, not to make people know him.” God holds the results.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Following Jesus means making him known. Jesus puts fishing for people right alongside the invitation to follow him. The contrast between consuming Jesus and sharing Jesus exposes a faith that can become organized entirely around personal benefit. The call to discipleship turns attention outward without turning people into a sales quota. [07:16]
• 2. Christ’s captives point to their King. Paul’s procession puts the greatness of Jesus at the center, not the impressiveness of those following him. Christ’s victory frees people from sin while bringing their lives under his rule. Captivity to Jesus therefore challenges the desire to receive his rescue while keeping certain parts of life unconquered. [15:47]
• 3. Familiarity can dull the gospel’s sweetness. Spiritual “nose blindness” can leave the facts of salvation intact while the wonder fades. Christ’s forgiveness answers a debt that sinners could never pay, not simply a need for a better week. Renewed delight in that rescue gives witness something deeper than pressure or obligation to draw from. [26:11]
• 4. Christ’s fragrance comes in different bottles. God’s design makes personality a vessel for witness rather than an obstacle to overcome. The same fragrance can travel through different interests, gifts, and ways of relating without requiring a borrowed personality. Faithfulness still includes speaking about Christ, while the response remains outside the witness’s control. [37:40]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:18] - Following Jesus Means Fishing for People
• [05:11] - Making Jesus Known Without a Sales Pitch
• [10:07] - Paul’s Picture of Christ’s Fragrance
• [11:50] - Captives in Christ’s Triumphal Procession
• [17:48] - Captured by the King, Marked by His Fragrance
• [24:57] - Gospel Nose Blindness
• [27:57] - The Same Fragrance, Different Bottles
• [31:46] - Release the Fragrance and the Results
• [37:40] - Three Action Steps and Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 2:14-15
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” [10:07]

Mark 1:16-18
“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” [02:06]

Romans 10:14-15
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” [33:11]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 1:16–18, how does Jesus connect Simon and Andrew’s everyday work with the new purpose he gives them? How do they respond?
2. In the picture of Christ’s triumphal procession in 2 Corinthians 2:14–15, whose greatness do the captives draw attention to, and how do their lives make him known? [15:58]
3. What does spiritual “nose blindness” describe, and which truths about Christ’s rescue can become too familiar to believers? [26:11]
4. In Romans 10:14–15, what needs to happen for someone to hear about Christ and believe in him?

Interpretation questions

1. How does Jesus’ call in Mark 1:16–18 challenge a version of discipleship centered mainly on personal comfort and consuming Christian content? [07:34]
2. How can belonging to Jesus as his captive also mean freedom? What does this suggest about a believer who wants Christ’s rescue but resists his rule over certain parts of life? [14:30]
3. What difference might knowing Christ personally, rather than only knowing facts about him, make in the way a believer speaks about him to others? [22:44]
4. How do Romans 10:14–15 and the picture of Christ’s fragrance help explain why both a Christlike life and spoken words matter in making Jesus known? [32:51]

Application questions

1. When you think about your recent habits—what you listen to, attend, or spend time doing—where do you see opportunities to move from receiving encouragement about Jesus to helping someone else find him? [07:02]
2. Which part of Christ’s rescue—forgiveness, freedom from sin, redemption, or the promise of eternity—has become easy for you to take for granted? What might help you recover a sense of wonder this week? [27:26]
3. Is there an area of your life where you welcome Jesus’ help but hesitate to let him lead? What might one small step of surrender look like there? [38:01]
4. What personality trait, interest, gift, or part of your story could help you connect with someone who does not know Jesus? How could you use that connection without pretending to be somebody else? [31:18]
5. What most often keeps you silent about Jesus: fear of rejection, not knowing enough, concern about being pushy, or something else? How might trusting God with the response change your next conversation? [37:08]
6. Who is one person you could gently invite to explore faith or come to church with you? What could you say in your own words, and how could you keep showing care whether they accept or decline? [39:10]