Discipling Is Remembering
We must remember who Jesus is before we can answer His call.
In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus isn’t giving this command to an elite disciple-making task force.
Jesus is giving this command to the people He has called ‘friends’. Who have submitted to Jesus as their Lord.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Now they have received this command. Standing on the mountain in Galilee where they can see the places where all sorts of wonders and all kinds of teachings happened.
Now that they’ve received the command they aren’t wondering how to accomplish it.
They’re remembering who it was who discipled them.
So that’s where we’re starting, too.
With Jesus.
With the Chief discipler.
But here is the mistake. We begin with what Jesus did. To be honest, this isn’t a bad place to start. It just isn’t the foundation.
It isn’t the beginning.
The beginning is not what Jesus did.
The beginning is who Jesus is.
Because what He does flows from who He is.
He is the Chief disciple maker. The Cornerstone. The perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:17).
And what is magnificently beautiful about Jesus is His heart. The very depth of His being.
From that place flows all of His words, all of His actions.
So we must root ourselves here - in the unchanging nature and character of Jesus who was the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
The identity of a disciple maker
A disciple maker is really pretty simple. It’s just someone who follows Jesus and tries to help others do the same.
But don’t get comfy. It doesn’t end there. It begins here.
You cannot lead where you refuse to go.
Every disciple maker must first be actively following Jesus, submitting to His lordship and repenting from the ways of sin, death, and the world to return to Christ.
It’s not about perfect performance of a law. It’s about covenant faithfulness. A heart postured toward God.
Jesus just happens to do all of these things.
And the disciples standing on the mountain, looking around at all of the places where miracles happened, sermons were preached, and life was lived now stand before the resurrected Lord.
They do not hear a charge that they do not know how to execute.
They are remembering the life of the Savior - the Chief discipler - who loved them.
As they remember who He is, they abide in Him - remaining rooted in Him. And from that identity, they lived as He lived and do what He did.
We can do the same.
So let’s turn our attention there in the next post.
Oh, and speaking of the next post - here are a few to keep your eye out for:
Discipleship: Doing What Jesus Did - Wednesday, July 8
Forging Faith: The Origin Story - coming in July
Filled and Fulfilled: Avoiding Burnout - coming in July
Spiritual Heart Transplants: Reflections on Psalm 51 - coming in August
Reflections on Psalm 16 - coming in August
Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus.
In Christ,
+PT
Pastor Troy, this was such a needed reminder that discipleship begins with knowing Jesus before it begins with doing for Jesus. I especially loved your statement, "What He does flows from who He is." It's so easy to focus on methods, programs, or even trying to imitate Jesus' actions while forgetting to first abide in Him. The more we know His heart, the more our lives naturally begin to reflect Him. Thank you for pointing us back to the true foundation of discipleship, Jesus Himself.