Ralph Porter

© 2004

    What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? A disciple is a learner-one who sits at the feet of a teacher to learn from him. In the ancient educational system of our Lord's time, as well as in the European educational system in our day, the entire program is designed around identifying a recognized expert and allowing him to pass on all he knows about a subject you want to learn about. A disciple is also defined as a follower of a great leader or teacher.

    Understanding the definitions helps us understand what a disciple is, but won't answer the question: "What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus! There is a lot of confusion about discipleship. Many people confuse salvation with discipleship. Therefore, we're going to look at passages in gospels to help us understand what it means to be a disciple/faithful follower of Jesus.

    In the gospels, the term "disciple" is used in three main ways:

    In John 1:35-51 we find the story of Jesus' first encounter with some of those who would later become His disciples.

        The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw 

    Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

        37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning 

    around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

        They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

        39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."

    After hearing John's introduction, these two disciples wanted to see for themselves. They are curious to see for themselves whether John's testimony is true. So they followed Him. When Jesus saw them following Him, He turned and asked what they wanted. His question caught them off guard. They didn't know what to say. So their initial question is simply: "Rabbi, where are you staying." Jesus' initial response to their question is to "come and see." They've heard about Him but so far they're just curious.

    The next day Jesus invites Phillip to follow Him. Phillip goes after Nathanael and invites him to come along also.

         43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to 

    him, "Follow me." 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of 

    Bethsaida.

        45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses 

    wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus 

    of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

        46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.

        "Come and see," said Philip.

    When Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus, he asks another question which reflects his curiosity: "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip invites him to "Come and see!"

    In John 2:1 and 11, these curious followers of Jesus are described as "disciples." As the story of Jesus' life unfolds, other curious people "follow" Jesus with similar questions. Throughout these encounters a distinction is made between being saved, receiving eternal life by trusting Christ, and being a disciple or a follower of Jesus:

        Matt. 4:23-25     "Large crowds followed Him."

        Matt. 8:1           "Large crowds followed Him."

        Matt. 8:19          Even a teacher of the law responds to Him: "I will follow you 

                                wherever you go."

        Matt. 8:23-27     "He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. . .

                                [Calms storm] . . . What kind of man is this? Even the 

                                winds and the waves obey Him!" They're still curious about Him!

    After that He calls Matthew:

        Matt. 9:9           "He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's 

                                booth. "Follow me," He told him, and Matthew got up and 

                                followed Him."

    Curious followers of Jesus always come to a crossroads. They have to decide what they're going to do about Jesus! They can't stay non-committal and curious! Some "disciples" decide to trust Him. In John 2:11, after the miracle at the wedding, "His disciples put their faith in Him." The curious disciples believe! They're convinced!

    Other "disciples" come to the crossroads and decide to reject Him. Most notorious among those who choose that alternative is Judas. He even decided to betray Him. We always think of him as the "exception." However, notice what happens in John 6:60-71:

         On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can 

    accept it?"

        61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, 

    "Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where 

    he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The 

    words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are 

    some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning 

    which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to 

    say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has 

    enabled him." 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no 

    longer followed him.

        67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

        68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the 

    words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One 

    of God."

        70 Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of 

    you is a devil!" 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though 

    one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

        "This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. 

    He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him."

    We don't know for sure how many are with Him at the wedding, but at least the original four are convinced. They believed in Him. Then they went back to their fishing! They're called "disciples" but they still aren't committed to following Him.

    People who are convinced about Jesus trust Him, but they may not be ready to make a commitment to submit their life to Him. That commitment is the distinguishing characteristic of the third kind of disciple.

         As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, 

    Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into 

    the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I 

    will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

        21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and 

    his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing 

    their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and 

    their father and followed him.

    The longer version of the incident, recorded in Luke 5:1-11, gives additional insight into several specific details of Jesus' call to commitment:

        One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people 

    crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's 

    edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 

    3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put 

    out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

        4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, 

    and let down the nets for a catch."

        5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught

    anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

        6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that 

    their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other 

    boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full 

    that they began to sink.

        8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away 

    from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were 

    astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and 

    John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

        Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch 

    men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and 

    followed him.

    By means of "the big haul" Jesus showed them how to fish in ways they never dreamed possible. After "the big haul" He promises to teach them to do that with people! That does it! Anyone who can do that deserves my commitment! They left everything and followed Him!" Now they're committed! They want to follow Jesus!

    The commitment of my life to follow Him is an acknowledgment of the Lordship of Christ. It's an acknowledgment that He is Lord-Lord of the universe-Lord of my life! The only discipleship that Christ considers "the real thing" is that of the committed! "If you aren't willing to give up everything, deny yourself and follow me, you cannot be my disciple!"

    As long as I try to debate with Him about what His Word says and what He asks of me, I may be curious, I may even be convinced-I may be trusting Him for eternal life-but I'm not a disciple in the full sense, because I'm not committed-I'm not willing to deny myself, to leave everything, and follow Him wherever He leads!"

    What about you? Are you just curious? God won't let you stay there! He will bring you to a crossroads where you have to decide what you're going to do with Jesus! Have you seen enough? Have you decided to trust Him? Are you convinced? Have you trusted Him and received eternal life? That's good!

    I suspect that a lot of us are still struggling over that third level of discipleship:

Are we committed to following Him? Are we ready to leave everything and follow Him? Unless we're committed to give up everything and follow Him, we're kidding ourselves if we say we're His disciples!

    For Jim Elliot and four other young men in the jungles of South America, it meant giving up everything-eventually even their lives. Yet His commitment to follow Christ is reflected in his familiar statement: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose!"

    Discipleship is about commitment! It's a decision to put everything else in second place, and follow Him!