Luke 14:25-27
“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “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. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.“
In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus Christ identifies the cost of being His disciple. Is being a disciple of Christ free to us? These verses say that we have to give up everything! That is not cheap! Moreover, He mentions this in the context of things that are normally the most dear to us of all—our flesh-and-blood relatives! There is no greater price a human being can pay than to give up his family, and yes, his own life!
In the original Greek, the word disciple is mathetes, it means a pupil or apprentice. Therefore, at its root a disciple is simply a student or a learner. In the Greek the concept of mathetes is someone who is not only learning and following, but someone who wants to emulate another.
When Jesus went around and preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God, there were thousands of people that enjoyed His teaching. Many followed Him from place to place. There were scores of people who acknowledged that He spoke the truth. Thousands followed Jesus but, relatively few became disciples.
Are you a follower of Jesus or are you a disciple of Jesus? Some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples are often referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus tells his disciples this:
“As you are going, make disciples among all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey and practice all that I have commanded you, and remember, I will be right there with you every step of the way.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
There is one command (imperative) in these verses: “make disciples.” The other three main words are “going, baptizing and teaching” (actions necessary for disciples to be made). These key words together speak of “initiative and intentionality.”
All of this then begs the question: “What is a disciple?” Is it just a follower of Jesus? As we look at the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, he had many “followers” but, only a few of them were called “disciples.” The evening before His crucifixion, Jesus identified His true disciples, as Friends, if they would do what he commanded them (John 15:13-15). The relationship transition spoken of Jesus Christ with His true disciple is not a chance impulse, but an obligation strengthened by knowledge and love. In the day in which Jesus called his disciples to “make disciples,” a “disciple” was a follower of a rabbi or teacher, who had the intent of becoming like their rabbi. A disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who has the intent of becoming more like Him. With that in mind, it begs the question: “Are we a disciple of Jesus Christ?” or “Are we just followers of Jesus Christ?”
