Discipleship: What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple of Jesus?
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At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he commissioned his followers to carry on his work – the work of making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). This commissioning was not just for the eleven disciples, or even to his larger group of followers. It is given to his church. It is our responsibility today to make disciples of all nations. But just what is a disciple?
It is important to know just what we are commissioned to produce. Without that knowledge, how can we know if we are being faithful to his commission?
What Is a Disciple?
The word used in the New Testament for disciple is mathētēs. According to William Mounce, this word means learner or disciple and is a technical term for the followers of Jesus. It is also used for the followers of John the Baptist, Moses, and the Pharisees.
In the New Testament world, a disciple would join themselves to a rabbi, or teacher, becoming a part of his school. This involved leaving behind the life they had known and spending all their time with their rabbi. In a sense, it was like going off to college.
What you see in Jesus and his disciples was typical of the rabbi/disciple relationship in New Testament Judea. Being a disciple was a full-time occupation. Those disciples were called to leave home and occupation behind and follow Jesus, learning what he had to teach them.
Being a disciple was not an end in itself. A disciple was ultimately expected to follow in their rabbi’s footsteps, becoming a rabbi himself. And, in turn, teaching other disciples what they had learned and were learning.
Fans and Players
In contrast to a disciple is what many call a fan. This is best illustrated by comparing the fan of a sports team with one of the players on the field.
A fan sits on the sideline and cheers on their team. They may invest some time in learning about their team. And they may invest in purchasing some of the appropriate swag so that they can fly the team colors. But the fan watches the performance from the stands or watches the game on TV. But they do not get directly involved. And if their team disappoints them, they may switch their allegiance to one they find more satisfying.
A fan may know a lot about their team and its members. They can rattle off team and player stats. They may have detailed opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of team members. And they enjoy discussing the recent game and player performance with other fans.
A player on that sports team is quite different though. The team and game are their life. They spend time in conditioning, learning the playbook, and in practice. On game day, they are down on the field, executing the plays drawn up for them by their coach. They each have their part to play in the game, and each one is important to the outcome of the game. Unlike the fan who sits and watches, the team player is actively involved in the game.
The Call to Discipleship
Jesus called twelve men to follow him and be his disciples. They did not just cheer Jesus on in the work he did. These men left behind their nets, tax booth, and whatever else they had done before, and they got involved in the game, following Jesus wherever he went and learning all he had to teach them. And, in the end, he told them in turn to make disciples.
So, were these twelve men unique as disciples? Their specific calling to travel with Jesus and then establish the church was unique. But their call to be disciples was not.
In the Great Commission, we are told to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey Jesus’ commands (Matt. 28:19-20). We often mistake this commission to be one of making fans of Jesus rather than disciples of Jesus. But Jesus wants more than just people to fill the pews, giving an hour or two on Sundays.
In Matthew 10:38-39, Jesus told his disciples that anyone who does not take up their cross and follow him is not worthy of him. He went on to say that those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake would find life. Jesus calls all of us, not to be fans, but to be his disciples.
What Does Being a Disciple Look Like?
A disciple’s first priority is following Jesus. Everything else is secondary. If Jesus tells them to go, they go. If he tells them to stay, then they stay. They may be like Paul, traveling the world over sharing the good news of Jesus. Or, more likely, they may be like Aquila and Priscilla, tentmakers who served in a local church.
But regardless of where Jesus leads, the disciple will be spending time with Jesus, their teacher. They will be serving, like Martha, but they will also be sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to what he has to teach them (Luke 10:38-42).
Sitting at Jesus’ feet today generally involves time spent in the Scriptures. It is time spent reading and reflecting on what the Scripture is saying to them, and then making it a part of life. It is allowing Scripture, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to shape how we think and what we do.
Being a disciple is not a part-time job or activity. Being a disciple of Jesus is full-time, 24/7. While a fan might choose not to go to the game on any given Sunday because either they don’t feel like it or something more appealing is happening, a disciple is always on call to follow Jesus. Not just on Sunday mornings, and not just at other specific times during the week, but all day, every day.
You might be male or female; rich or poor; a preacher, an engineer, or raising children; you might have a variety of skin tones or ethnic backgrounds. But the commitment to follow Jesus, even to the cross, is common to all disciples.
The Importance of Being a Disciple
How important is discipleship? Is it OK to just be a fan? Or is more required of us than that? Can we be saved without being a disciple?
In Matthew 10:38, Jesus told us that “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” From what Jesus said here, it seems clear that taking up our cross and following him is not optional. If we do not do that, we are not worthy of him. But is taking up our cross and following him the same as discipleship?
Later, in Matthew 16:24, Jesus told his followers, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Taking up our cross and following Jesus is, at the least, an essential aspect of being a disciple. If we have taken up our cross and are following Jesus, then we are his disciples. If we have not, then, Jesus says, we are not worthy of him.
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” And he went on to say that many will protest, saying they have done many good things. But they will be turned away as unknown. The will of the Father is that we are more than fans. It is that we become disciples.
Discipleship is a term that we often give lip service to. But we often substitute being a fan of Jesus for being a disciple of Jesus. But, as Christians, we are not called to sit in our padded pews, cheering on the worship team and preacher and paying our entrance fee. We are called to be disciples. To give up the life we had and follow Jesus, learning from him and becoming like him.
Making Disciples
This takes us back to the commission Jesus gave to his church to make disciples. One task of the church is to produce disciples, people who will leave their old life behind and follow Jesus. It is not enough just to evangelize. Bringing a person into a saving relationship with Jesus is just the beginning. We need to teach them to obey what Jesus commanded and to follow him wherever he leads. To be a team player rather than a fan.
We should never be satisfied with anything less than being a disciple, following Jesus, learning from him, and in turn, teaching others to be disciples.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Philip Steury
