The Responsibility of a Disciple
The expectation to emulate Jesus.
This is post number two considering the weight of responsibility when it comes to following Jesus. You can read post number one, here.
I want you to put yourselves in the disciples shoes for a second.
Roughly 5 weeks ago you saw your Rabbi publicly executed by the hand of Rome and the wishes of Israel.
You go into hiding because you don’t want to be next.
A few days later your Rabbi is walking around as if nothing happened but with scars in his hands and side to prove something really did happen.
He starts appearing in rooms despite the doors being locked and ensures you all is well, he gives you the Spirit, he encourages your faith, and promises some future instruction.
Then, you catch word he wants you to meet him at your typical meeting spot in Galilee.
This is where he’s taught in the past so you assume some sort of teaching is coming but you’re not sure what to expect.
When you arrive you can’t help but to worship because the sheer thought of the man you once saw dead standing before you is too much to handle. At the same time you can’t believe what’s going on so you doubt your understanding of it all.
And finally, your Rabbi begins to talk.
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 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of 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
What do you do?
I know my first response would be to just stand there.
I wouldn’t know how to respond. I think the rollercoaster we had been on over the last 40 days would have been too much for me to handle.
Matthew doesn’t record the disciples response — these are the last verses of his Gospel — but here’s what we do know…
The disciples did what Jesus told them to do. And here we are, 2000 years later, still talking about Jesus.
It would be an understatement to say these disciples took Jesus’s command seriously.
Throughout the book of Acts we see them enduring persecution, mockery, and even being killed. History shows that many of these disciples were martyrs.
So why did they take the Great Commission so seriously?
Well, the easy answer — and the answer most of us would say — is because they saw Jesus come back from the dead.
Don’t you think? If you saw someone come back to life, wouldn’t you listen and obey everything they said?
The reason I say that’s an easy answer is because it’s not actually the completely correct answer.
Jesus coming back from the dead enabled the disciples to take God’s commands seriously, but it’s not the only reason why they took His command seriously.
To imply that was the reason would mean everyone who didn’t actually lay eyes on the earthly Jesus walking around post-resurrection has a free pass on taking Him seriously.
No, the real reason the disciples took Jesus seriously is because this is what they had signed up for 3 years earlier.
Disciple/Rabbi Relationship
In ancient Jewish culture a Rabbi would typically hand select their disciples. They would visit the best Hebrew schools to select a handful of disciples to follow them for the next few years.
Our modern, Western, minds need to understand something here. The Rabbi didn’t pop into these Hebrew schools, select disciples, and then say, “Hey, be sure to listen to my podcast and read my blogs. I’ve got a lot of good material there.”
No, when a Rabbi selected a disciple, the disciple left everything behind and the expectation was to emulate the Rabbi’s life, not just listen to his words.
The expectation after a few years was that the disciples would be exactly like their Rabbi — thinking the same things, saying the same things, and doing the same things.
So when the disciples, three years prior to the Great Commission, said “yes” to following Jesus, they were signing up to think, say, and do everything that Jesus did.
So why did the disciples take Jesus’s command to make disciples seriously? Most simply because, well, they were His disciples.
The expectation for Jesus‘s disciples was to emulate Jesus’s life in every way possible and apply every single one of Jesus’s words to their lives.
Why is this important for us?
Because if you have trusted Jesus for salvation and turned from your sin to follow Jesus then you are also his disciple.
Yes you’re a Christian.
Yes you’re saved.
But the title that would more fully encompass what we see in scripture is that you are a disciple of Jesus.
Which means something very simple…
There is an expectation for you to emulate Jesus’s life in every way possible and apply every single one of Jesus’s words to your life.
Anything short of that would not be faithful following according to what it means to be a disciple of a Rabbi.
You may think.. everything?
Yes, everything.
It sounds overwhelming on the surface, but consider this:
”His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.“
—2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)
Everything you need to emulate Jesus’s life and apply His words to your life has been given to you.
If you’re a Christian you have:
The Holy Spirit (Divine Power)
Promises from Scripture
And it’s through God’s power and His Word that we can emulate Jesus’s life and apply His words to our life.
But the key here is to understand that this isn’t simply an option for us, it’s an expectation.
Being a disciple of Jesus carries the responsibility of emulating Christ where possible and being obedient to Him in every way.
To not take that responsibility seriously would be to forgo our calling as His disciples.
Undoubtedly, we will fall short in this. John helps us here:
”My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.“
—1 John 2:1 (ESV)
There’s grace. We must simply confess our missteps and keep moving in Christs direction. He is full of steadfast love and mercy toward us.
Thanks for reading along, I’ll see you next week.