What Does it Mean to be a Disciple? – Felix Burch

In today’s blog I want to answer the question: what is a disciple? Although we could come to a quick answer by simly opening a Bible dictionary I believe the best place for us to look is in scripture itself. So, for today, I want to define a disciple by looking at Jesus’ initial call to his disciples in Matthew 4:18-20. 

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” —-Matthew 4:18-20

We know from other gospels that this wasn’t the first time that Peter, Andrew, James, and John had heard or encountered Jesus but this is their initial call to become disciples of Jesus. And because of that there are important truths here about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

The first truth is the simplest of them all: being a disciple means to follow Jesus.

When Jesus came to Peter and Andrew he said to them two words that all disciples everywhere submit  to “follow me.” Disciples are called to be followers of Jesus meaning they are to submit and learn Jesus. But the words follow me shouldn’t come across as a grueling exercise but an invitation unlike any other. Another wat to say it is to follow Jesus means to be with Jesus. In other words the original call for a disciple isn’t to preach, teach, pray etc but is to simply be with Jesus. Following Jesus equals being with Jesus. What an invitation that the creator of the universe calls us to be his disciples and learn from him by being with him. So let us remind ourselves as Jesus’ disciples today that being a disciple of Jesus means to learn Jesus by being with him

The second truth is revealed in Jesus saying “I will make you.”

Jesus makes it very clear that if anyone decides to follow Jesus, then by default, as they are with Jesus they will be changed by Jesus. What hope and joy this should bring to every person who chooses to become a disciple of Jesus! Jesus makes the claim that if you enter into a relationship with him then he will change you. In other words, what we are today is not what we will be because Jesus is working in our lives to change us. Jesus by his grace will change our lives from what we are or once were to what he desires for us to be. The overwhelming joy of this truth is that Jesus takes the responsibility of changing me as long as I live with him. Oh how many of us see our sins and failures and find zero ability to change ourselves even with the greatest efforts of our will! When we try to respond to our sin and failures by changing ourselves we grow in frustration. But the answer to our lives being changed is to be a disciple! Jesus will make us what he wants us to be.

The third and final truth comes from Jesus words “fishers of men.”

Once again, though, this truth is a progression from the previous statements. As an individual is following/being with Jesus, they will be changed by Jesus, and then they will committed to the mission of Jesus. Jesus said that he would change these men and he particularly said to them they will no longer fish for themselves but they will fish for others. In other words their lives’ mission would no longer be for themselves, but would be for others –  which was the very way that Jesus lived his life. Jesus lived a life that was for the benefit of others. Jesus promised these men that as they followed him they would be changed by him and they would learn to live and love for the benefit of others, just as he did. Jesus’ very words state that his mission was “to seek and the save the lost.” In other words, He came to live for others and not himself. So what it means to be a disciple is to be someone who is committed to Jesus’ mission of loving and living for others. 

So, if someone were to ask me “what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?” my answer to them would be Matthew 4:19 – a disciple is someone who follows Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.

Just as Jesus called his first disciples that day along the shore of Galilee (and they responded by dropping their nets), Jesus is still calling disciples to himself today and those who hear his call will head his words… “follow me.”