Christ Followers or Disciples

 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria.  So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour (John 4:1-6).

The Teacher provides more evidence here that in Christ, God came to dwell with His children as we journey through this temporal world. God lived and journeyed with the Old Testament children of promise… “For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:38). The Spirit inspired Paul to teach that Christ followers are New Testament children of promise… “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise” (Galatians 4:28). Today we discover that the Spirit moved John to record that in Christ, God came to dwell and journey with Christ followers as we make our way through the wilderness of this temporal world toward heaven, our land of promise… “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Today the Teacher reveals truth about the work He wants to accomplish in and through us and He asks if we are Christ followers or disciples.

Today the Holy Spirit shows us that making disciples of His followers was a priority for Christ. The whole community knew that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John. They talked so much about it that news got all the way back to the hallowed halls of the Pharisees. The Teacher reveals the truth that not every Christ follower was a disciple of Christ. People followed Jesus for many different reasons. Some needed or wanted to see the miracles. Some wanted to learn the latest philosophy. Some wanted or needed to belong to the crowd. Some wanted to trap and embarrass Him. Jesus loved and embraced them all and He never stopped challenging them to mature from follower into disciple.

Christ comes to live in our hearts via the Spirit of Christ… “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6). But are we a Christ follower or a disciple of Christ? The heart is the seat of our emotions. It is the heart that moves us to action. We don’t often act on what we know but we do often act on what we believe. The Spirit teaches us to carefully guard our heart because what we believe in our hearts guides the direction of our lives… “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus taught that our words and actions are a revelation of what’s in control of our hearts… “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). So, if Christ the Living Word of God fills our hearts and we guard and keep Him there like a treasure, our words and deeds will be a reflection Christ to others… “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). A disciple of Christ is a reflection of Christ.

The Greek word translated disciples here is mathētēs and it means learner, student, or pupil. Not every Christ follower was a genuine learner or student. Jesus challenged His followers to become disciples by immersing themselves in the truth of His word… “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Jesus taught that His followers could know and be known as His disciples only by their love for each other… “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Jesus also challenged His followers to become and prove to the world that they were His disciples by bearing the kind of fruit that glorifies God… “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

As we grow up into Christ our faith grows every time we choose correctly between being…

Christ Followers or Disciples.