Living as Disciples of Jesus
As Christians, we are all disciples of Jesus. Not some of us, or a select few, but all of us are his disciples! By putting our trust in Jesus, we embark on a life of following Jesus. The challenge is, are we attentive to him, are we intentionally growing to be like him and learning to represent him well where he places us?
When Jesus began his ministry of announcing the kingdom of God through his presence, words and actions, he quickly chose people to be his disciples to prepare and shape them to carry on his kingdom work after him. He didn’t wait until towards the end of his ministry before finding people to carry it on; no, he chose them at the beginning so they could get to know him intimately, understand his purposes, watch him in action and be stunned at how different he was to their expectations.
Discipleship for Jesus was up close and personal. It’s still that today for us. The first thing Jesus did was to appoint the Twelve to be with him. Discipleship wasn’t about learning some techniques, but being joined at the hip to Jesus, grasping his heart which takes time.
Even on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus, in his famous vine and the branches analogy, tells his disciples, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). Just as the branches by drawing life and nutrients from the vine produce grapes, so being Jesus’ disciples is about being intimately connected to him, allowing his life to flow into us and grow the fruit. In this way, his life is reproduced in us and we become like him – like him in character and like him in action.
It is by living in Jesus, dwelling in his presence, that we become effective disciples. Jesus says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). There is no other way to be his disciples! As Jesus himself warns, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Everything else flows from being with him. We are then shaped to be like him. We are able to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. Being joined to Jesus and being like him, we are able to go against the grain and bear effective witness to him in word and deed, and to represent him as we connect ourselves to what he is doing.
The world needs to see disciples of Jesus in the various walks of life. It needs to see us witnessing to the king who will transform everything. So, how are we doing as disciples of Jesus? Are we intentionally spending time with him and allowing him to shape us to be like him? Are we alert to what he is doing and ready to participate with him? Are we seeing the people he wants us to reach out to? Are we looking to make other disciples?
Are we ready to pay the cost and give the commitment to be his disciples? What changes do we need to make in order to grow in our living as his disciples?