Jesus: Being a Disciple-Maker

 

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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

 People’s last words are given great weight and value. When you know you’re dying, what is that most important last thing you want to convey to the world? Jesus’ last words to us on earth, the Great Commission, are so important. They sum up our call to action, His will for us in our lives for the rest of earth’s timeline. So what is it that Jesus wants us to do?

 Make disciples. What is a disciple and how does one go about making one? Here’s what Webster had to say:

DISCIPLE, noun [Latin , to learn.]

1. A learner; a scholar; one who receives or professes to receive instruction from another; as the disciples of Plato.

2. A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts.

 A learner, a scholar, a follower, and adherent to the doctrines of another. To be a disciple of Christ is all of these things. We must constantly be learning, while there is breath in our lungs we still have more to learn! To do that, we must be a scholar, which simply means one who learns. Following what we learn about Jesus is potentially more difficult than learning it. It’s one thing to read and study and theorize and debate, it’s another thing entirely to put it into action. When we follow, or adhere, to the teachings of Jesus, then we are truly His disciples – seeking after His wisdom and His glory.

 How do we make disciples? First, we baptize them, or at least that’s the order this scripture puts things in. I wrote about that last winter in this post. Before one can hope to learn about or follow Christ, they need the Holy Spirit, and this comes to us when we believe in Jesus. 1 John 4:15 and Ephesians 1:13–14 tell us that when we believe in our hearts that Jesus is God’s Son who paid the price for our sins and confess it with our mouths, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts as a seal, a promised marker of our inheritance in Christ. God’s Holy Spirit opens our understanding to be able to grasp His Word, something we really cannot do without His help. Yes, that seems a little backwards. After you believe, God helps you to learn about Jesus, but God helps us with the believing part too (John 6:44). So our first step to making or becoming a disciple is belief, and the Bible tells us this belief should be followed by baptism.

 What comes next? Teaching them to obey Jesus’ commandments. Once we have identified ourselves as believers, we need to follow the One we believe in. We need to learn what He taught and obey what He commanded. This is a process, a spectrum if you will. Sin is not immediately removed from us, but it’s tenacious hold on our hearts has been severed. We are no longer bound to sin, but it still entices and affects us. As we learn more about Jesus, draw closer to Him, and begin to follow Him in our hearts, minds and actions, it leads to obeying Him more and more. On earth, today, we see in part. We can read the Bible and learn from it about Jesus. We can experience interaction with the Holy Spirit. We can seek to obey Him, but this will not be a perfect representation until, in Heaven, we will be like Him because we will see Him (1 John 3:2). Then, finally, there will be no more sin, no more death.

Here's the Thing: Jesus called us all, each and every one of us, to make disciples of all nations. That’s going to look differently for each of us, because we are all different, but the base directive is the same. How are you actively making disciples in your life?