What are the reasons for calling oneself a "follower of Jesus" rather than a Christian?

In the last several years, I've noticed a trend of people who reject the label "Christian," and instead prefer to use terms like "Christ follower" or "follower of Jesus." (Not to be confused with people who just follow the jesus tag on SE). What is the impetus behind this relabelling, and is there historical or scriptural justification for this?