A True Disciple

By David Block

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ spoke the words, “Come, follow me,” drawing to himself a group of men that would follow him during the years of his earthly ministry. Those twelve disciples would quickly multiply to thousands in just a matter of years. Today, there are millions of people around the world that consider themselves disciples of Jesus Christ. Are all these people really disciples of Jesus? What does the Bible say about being a disciple of Jesus Christ? How is the term used and what qualities are linked with it? Are there any rewards or costs to being a disciple of Jesus? A careful examination of the sayings of Jesus found in the four gospels answers these questions and explains what a true disciple of Jesus Christ looks like.

Before delving into what the Master said, a quick study of the word that is translated into English as “disciple” yields some good information that will provide a base for studying what Jesus meant and how he applied the word. The word in Greek is transliterated mathetes (literally, the learning one) and is derived from the verb manthano which means “to learn”. The root of both of these words is math which implies cognition accompanied by action (Strong). Gleaning the information from the Greek words one finds that a disciple is a person that not only gains knowledge from the teacher but also acts upon it. It is sad to say that this basic definition already disqualifies many so-called disciples of Christ. Many people know much about what Jesus taught but never put it into action, or they try to live by the WWJD mantra but never take the time to read the Bible to find out what he actually taught. Both of these extremes violate the basic meaning of the word disciple. With the basic definition of the word “disciple” in hand, we now can turn to the words of Christ.

First, Jesus connects his disciples to the word of God. He says in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Part of being a disciple of Christ, and to show our love for him, is to listen to the commandments that he gave and to do them. We see this idea illustrated in Jesus' dealings with the rich man found in the Synoptic Gospels. The young man said that he had followed all of the commands of God, but when Jesus gave him the specific command to sell his possessions and to follow him the man went away sad because he had much. A true disciple will obey no matter the personal cost. Jesus also said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed,” ( John 8:31). Not only is a follower of Christ to merely listen to the commands of God but to abide in his word. The word translated as abide is also translated continue, dwell, remain, stand, etc. This means that a disciple hears the word of the Lord, aligns himself with it and then continues to stay in agreement with it. Obedience to the commands and word of Jesus is not a one time event but something that is on going. Therefore, a true disciple is one that listens to the commands of Jesus and invests himself fully in the words of the Lord.

A true disciple not only abides in the word of Christ but has a different perspective on his relationships with family and Jesus himself. In reference to the family Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:26) and, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother,” (Matthew 12:49-50). On another occasion Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me,” (Matthew 10:34-37). Jesus is quite clear from these statements that a disciple of his must not value any other relationship higher than their relationship with him. If any other human relationship takes preeminence than that person is not a true disciple. As Jesus said they are, “not worthy of me.”

If that does not show how great a relationship with Jesus is, he took it one step further. “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:33). In this small statement, Jesus obliterates the idea that there is anything that a person could hold onto while pursuing Christ. As the Apostles did, leaving their nets, their financial security, their families, everything, so do all that follow Christ. “Man cannot serve two masters,” (Matthew 6:24). A disciple leaves behind everything to follow the Master.

Jesus did command that everyone that is to be a devoted disciple of his to put all relationships and possessions in second place to him, but that is not all that is to be left behind. The disciple's own life is not to be held higher than Jesus Christ. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it,” (Matthew 16:25). Every disciple of Christ is called to lose his own life for the sake of Christ. This statement has both physical and spiritual implications. In one sense, a disciple of Christ must lose the way he relates to everything that is connected with his old life, whatever that might be, in order to become a true disciple. Likewise, the old sin loving man that the new disciple once was must die. Paul echoes this when he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Another example of this ultimate devotion can be found in Luke 14:27 (paralleled in Matthew 10:38) where Jesus said, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” John Piper, in a sermon, said concerning this passage:

The most important word I think Jesus ever said about becoming a disciple was Luke 14:27... Bearing a cross does not mean primarily having hard times. It means going to Golgotha. It means dying with Christ -- dying to the old attitudes of envy and strife and jealousy and anger and selfishness and pride; and turning to follow Jesus in newness of life. When we make disciples we bid people to come and die to their old, destructive ways and to live for Jesus, who loved them and gave himself for them. (Piper)

All of this leads to the ultimate goal of any disciple: to be just like his master. Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” (Matthew 10:24-25) It is enough for a disciple of the Master to be just like him, and in this case, to receive ridicule like him. There is satisfaction found in following in the footsteps of Christ even when being like him means insults, false accusations or even physical death form the world. To be like Jesus is enough.

It is easy to see that there is a real cost involved when one becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ. Yet, there are great rewards reserved for his followers. Jesus told his disciples, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life,” (John 8:12). Those that follow Christ receive something in this life: light. No longer would they have to stumble about in the darkness of the world not knowing where they were or where they were going. A true disciple of Jesus, has been given light to illuminate their path. The light of life is theirs and though the path may still be filled with pitfalls, mountains, rocks and venomous snakes, the disciple has the light to make it through them all. The light is for walking in this life, but what about when this journey ends? Jesus gives a great promise to his disciples concerning this question, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor,” (John 12:26). The promise of Jesus to his followers is that they will be with him where he is and in that place the Father will honor them. The greatest reward is heaven and this verse sums it all up. Heaven is to be where Jesus is and receiving honor from the Father. What does that mean? One can only speculate from the varied verses in Scripture, yet one thing is certain: our speculations don't even begin to compare to the reality that awaits the followers of Jesus.

Finally, as stated earlier, there are many people that think they are disciples of Jesus but are not. Jesus mentions two main ways, though I'm sure there are many others, to tell if a person is a true disciple of Christ. The first is fruit bearing. In John 15:8 Jesus says, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” This passage is just one of many where Jesus makes this idea clear (Matthew 3:8, 10; 7:17; 12:33; 13:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 3:9; 6:43; 8:14). A disciple is known by the fact that his life continues to produce the things of God. The fruit is described by Paul as fruit that leads “to holiness and the end, everlasting life,” (Romans 6:22). When a person has this fruit then he may consider himself a true disciple. The second main test of a disciple is found in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This is probably the ultimate test of a disciple: the love test. In our world today, many people claim the status of a disciple of Jesus Christ and yet have nothing to with his Church. There are a host of maverick “Christians” running about claiming a relationship with Jesus but on the other hand, never step foot in a church much less fellowship with his people. This cannot be. If we are disciples of Christ, if we are true Christians, then we must by the very command of Jesus love one another. There is no way around it. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,” (John 15:12).

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this about being a disciple:

A man cannot be saved unless he has become a learner in the school of Christ, and a learner, too, in a practical sense, being willing to practice what he learns. Only he who does the Master's will knows his doctrines. We are, if we have chosen the good part, sitters at the feet of Jesus, just as Saul of Tarsus sat at the feet of Gamaliel; Christ is to us our great Instructor, and we take the law from his lips. The believer's position is that of a pupil, and the Lord Jesus is his teacher. Except we be converted and become as little children, we can in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven. Sitting at the feet of Jesus indicates the child-like spirit of true discipleship; and this is the one thing needful: there is no salvation apart from it.

A true disciple receives the commands, the costs and glorifies God in the rewards of following Jesus. A real disciple not only fills his mouth with the words of Christ but lives them out and bears the fruit. The costs might frighten many away, but for those that take up their cross and follow Jesus their reward is the greatest of all: Jesus himself.

Bibliography

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1982.

Piper, J. “Go and Make Disciples, Baptizing Them...” Sermon given at Bethlehem Baptist Church. November 14, 1982.

Spurgeon, C.H. “The One Thing Needful”. Sermon given at Metropolitan Tabernacle. October 15, 1871.

Strong, J. The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996.