Last week, I introduced my Discipleship series by answering the question, "What is discipleship?" This week I will be looking at an overview of Jesus's discipleship. This will definitely not be exhaustive, so I would encourage you all to take the time to study it for yourselves!
There are several things that first come to mind when I think of Jesus' discipling. First, He taught by word and by action; second, He taught at all times of the day and in many different situations; and third, He mainly focused on teaching a small group, "the twelve".
The account of Jesus washing His disciple's feet is a perfect example of teaching by word and by action. As strange as it may seem in a culture such as ours, feet-washing was something that a good host would do for his guests. It was a dirty, demeaning job, and the host would assign a Gentile servant to perform the task. It was a sign of unfriendliness if a host did not give water to the guests for their feet (e.g. Luke 7:44-47).
When Jesus washed His disciple's feet, the impetuous Simon Peter was incredulous. He demanded, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" (John 13:6b, [NKJV])
As soon as Jesus explained that Peter would have no part of Him if He did not wash his feet, Peter changed his tone and wanted Jesus to wash not only his feet, but also his hands and his head. This was not necessary, however, and would not have added to what the Lord was teaching His disciples.
"So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:12-17 [NKJV])
This act was used by the Lord to teach His disciples the necessity of humility in the ministry of discipleship. Not one of us is so important that we have the right to refuse to do even the most humble tasks or teach in the least glamorous settings.
Jesus never turned someone away who was seeking the Truth; He taught in the morning, during the day, and at night. He taught for days in a row. He taught when it was convenient and when it was not; when He was strong and when He was tired; when He was well-nourished and when He was hungry. Jesus experienced the physical limitations of Man, and there were times that He went away by Himself. However, more often than not, He would minister to others if they were with Him.
The twelve disciples of Jesus were the main focus of Jesus' discipleship. However, in one way or another, He taught everyone who He came into contact with, and by the time of His ascension, He had at least one hundred and twenty disciples, as Acts 1:15 states: "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty)." [NKJV]
Jesus' public ministry was only about three years long, yet He taught and did even more than the Gospels record. We are told in John 21:25 that "There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." [NKJV]
What can we learn from the discipling of Christ, almost two-thousand years later? We can learn the necessity of humility, as demonstrated by His washing of the disciple's feet, and indeed from the very fact of His becoming a Man and dying for us.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8 [NKJV])
We can also learn to be ready and willing to teach others at any time, as the Lord did.
II Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching." [NKJV]
Finally, we can learn to teach and minister to anyone we come into contact with. However, there is a specific group that we should focus on teaching. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
(II Timothy 2:2 [NKJV], emphasis mine). It is important to share the Gospel with and minister to unbelievers, but it is just as important to teach other believers, faithful men who will in turn disciple others.
Each one of us should make the most of every moment we spend in ministry toward others; just as Christ taught thousands of people during His three years of public ministry, the Lord can use each individual believer even in short amounts of time to teach and encourage others.
There are several things that first come to mind when I think of Jesus' discipling. First, He taught by word and by action; second, He taught at all times of the day and in many different situations; and third, He mainly focused on teaching a small group, "the twelve".
The account of Jesus washing His disciple's feet is a perfect example of teaching by word and by action. As strange as it may seem in a culture such as ours, feet-washing was something that a good host would do for his guests. It was a dirty, demeaning job, and the host would assign a Gentile servant to perform the task. It was a sign of unfriendliness if a host did not give water to the guests for their feet (e.g. Luke 7:44-47).
When Jesus washed His disciple's feet, the impetuous Simon Peter was incredulous. He demanded, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" (John 13:6b, [NKJV])
As soon as Jesus explained that Peter would have no part of Him if He did not wash his feet, Peter changed his tone and wanted Jesus to wash not only his feet, but also his hands and his head. This was not necessary, however, and would not have added to what the Lord was teaching His disciples.
"So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:12-17 [NKJV])
This act was used by the Lord to teach His disciples the necessity of humility in the ministry of discipleship. Not one of us is so important that we have the right to refuse to do even the most humble tasks or teach in the least glamorous settings.
Jesus never turned someone away who was seeking the Truth; He taught in the morning, during the day, and at night. He taught for days in a row. He taught when it was convenient and when it was not; when He was strong and when He was tired; when He was well-nourished and when He was hungry. Jesus experienced the physical limitations of Man, and there were times that He went away by Himself. However, more often than not, He would minister to others if they were with Him.
The twelve disciples of Jesus were the main focus of Jesus' discipleship. However, in one way or another, He taught everyone who He came into contact with, and by the time of His ascension, He had at least one hundred and twenty disciples, as Acts 1:15 states: "And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty)." [NKJV]
Jesus' public ministry was only about three years long, yet He taught and did even more than the Gospels record. We are told in John 21:25 that "There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." [NKJV]
What can we learn from the discipling of Christ, almost two-thousand years later? We can learn the necessity of humility, as demonstrated by His washing of the disciple's feet, and indeed from the very fact of His becoming a Man and dying for us.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8 [NKJV])
We can also learn to be ready and willing to teach others at any time, as the Lord did.
II Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching." [NKJV]
Finally, we can learn to teach and minister to anyone we come into contact with. However, there is a specific group that we should focus on teaching. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
(II Timothy 2:2 [NKJV], emphasis mine). It is important to share the Gospel with and minister to unbelievers, but it is just as important to teach other believers, faithful men who will in turn disciple others.
Each one of us should make the most of every moment we spend in ministry toward others; just as Christ taught thousands of people during His three years of public ministry, the Lord can use each individual believer even in short amounts of time to teach and encourage others.
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