Would Jesus Make Me a Disciple?

A couple years ago, there was a month or more that I had one verse stuck on repeat in my head, one that I hadn't ever really analyzed before. So, I didn't truly understand it: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."

When I looked it up, I found it's actually only part of the verse that actually appears in the Bible, so let's look at that:

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

That is both a very inspiring (Go make waves!) and comforting thing (I'll never leave you.) for Jesus to say. Yet, what on earth does it mean? What is a disciple, and how do we make someone one?

Of course, I knew of the twelve original disciples who walked with Jesus, and I assumed it meant student, follower, or fan. Let's see what I found out.

Back in Jesus' day, a disciple was a devoted follower of a great religious or philosophical leader. Apparently, Judaism at the time had a system of education where primary education was taught by parents and schools until a boy turned age 13. When a boy turned that age, they usually went into an apprenticeship for a trade (like law, fishing, carpentry), but if they were particularly promising in the field of Hebrew scripture, they may have the chance to become a student or ahem disciple under a Rabbi. The Rabbi would only choose a select few from a pool of applicants to become his disciples among the most promising . The disciple would aim to become just like his Rabbi. He followed his Rabbi's interpretation of the scripture to the letter. A boy who heard the words "follow me" would be ecstatic as becoming a disciple was a rare and honored position.

However, Jesus turned the whole process on its head. He took the initiative. Instead of waiting for potential followers to approach him, he approached them. They were all seemingly random men, who were generally deemed not promising, who were already trying to make their way in a trade instead of discipleship. These men were sometimes considered scum (like the lawyer). No one would be making them disciples. Yet, Jesus did. He walked up to them while they were going about their day and said "follow me." No wonder they dropped everything and went to his side.

The first followers of Jesus considered themselves his disciples even after his death. The word Christians (Acts 11:26) was invented by outsiders who generally meant it as a derogatory term. So, if you consider yourself a Christian, you're a disciple. Yes! You! How do you become a true disciple?

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

You become His shadow and student, forever learning and humbling yourself to His interpretation of the scriptures. There are many ways to "deny yourself and take up your cross," one of which is to put God first in life. This brings to mind a church sign I saw the other day. It said "You can't follow Jesus if you're going in the opposite direction." If you're following your own path, you're not following His. Deny yourself and understand it may be difficult. It was difficult for Him too.

Now, how do you make disciples? Good question.

Let's read part of that verse that ran through my head incessantly:

" - baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

The verbs in that sentence are baptize and teach. You can teach people many ways, but I like to look to how Jesus taught. He stood in front of the masses, sure. He told stories with morals, yes. He also sat down in houses with families, in public with strangers. He went out of his way to heal, to comfort, to express affection (especially toward children), to lift up, to warn, to console and empathize ("Jesus wept"). He taught with words and action.

You don't have to walk the desert with just a staff in order to be a disciple. Love, baptize, teach, and remember you've already been selected as Jesus' disciple. Now, show the world what that means.

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."