On being called a disciple...

Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about calling. God has called each of us not only into mission, but more importantly into a dependant relationship with Him.

Disciple – mathetes – “a learner, pupil, or apprentice”

Apostle – apostolos – “messenger, one that is sent”

Jesus seemed to be intentional about teaching His disciples how to live and how to obey the Scriptures before He entrusted them with mission. They were disciples first before they became apostles.

Read and describe the calling of the disciples in these passages:

Matthew 4:18-22 –

Luke 5:27 –

Mark 3:13-19 –

What were these disciples willing to give up in order to follow Jesus?

Why do you think the disciples would make such a sacrifice?

Read Matthew 10:24-25, Luke 6:40, and John 13:15.

After reading the above passages, why did Jesus call the disciples to follow Him? What was Jesus’ end goal?

What did the disciples do as they followed Jesus (See Mark 3:14-15; Matthew 11:1; John 8:31; John 13:13-15; Luke 14:26-27)?

Being like the rabbi is the major focus of the life of talmidim (disciple). They listen and question, they respond when questioned, they follow without knowing where the rabbi is taking them knowing that the rabbi has good reason for bringing them to the right place for his teaching to make the most sense. In the story recorded in Matthew 16, Jesus walked nearly thirty miles one way to be in Caesarea Philippi for a lesson that fit the location perfectly.

Do you think Jesus really believed that His disciples could be like Him? Why or why not?

What does John 14:12 say?

Has Jesus called YOU as a disciple to follow Him?

In what ways is our calling as disciples the same as the 12? In what ways is it different?

What does it look like practically to be a disciple of Jesus in this day and age?

What seems to be Jesus’ priority in Matthew 7:21-23?

This means that the present day talmid (disciples) must be no less focused on the rabbi. We must be with Him in His Word, we must follow Him even if we are not sure of the final destination, we must live by His teaching (which means we must know those teachings well), and we must imitate Him whenever we can. In other words everything becomes secondary in life to being like Him.