Those who first followed Jesus varied greatly in the decisions about following.  Some in the crowd followed from a distance.  They showed up to hear Jesus' inspiring words, some followed just to see if Jesus would perform a miracle; others followed Jesus wherever he went.  They were like sheep without a shepherd.  Jesus gave them hope and direction and a connection with God.  And Jesus had an inner circle -- those who followed him closely, the ones known as the twelve apostles that followed Jesus behind the scenes.  Even in the twelve disciples, there was an even smaller group, Peter James, and John, who basically followed Jesus' every move, knew what no others could know. 

How you and I follow Jesus is up to us.  We can follow at a distance or we can follow up close.  We can follow out of curiosity or even out of skepticism and doubt.  Or we can follow because we think there's something there that gives us hope and gives us life.  No matter our motivation that first drew us in, or our state of mind after years of following,  anyone and everyone is welcome.  Jesus' words to all are the same... "Follow me."