From Christ Follower into Disciple

“And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:37-47).

Jesus addressed the crowd of followers here. Diligent truth seekers will see how He confronted His followers here with some truth that might transform them from being mere followers into disciples of Christ. Through the ages many have used the terms Christ follower and disciple interchangeably is defining what it means to be a Christian. In fact, it has become popular today to prefer the term Christ follower over the more religious sounding term disciple. However, the Bible uses both terms and so did Jesus. The Greek word akoloutheō is translated follow and it means to travel in the same way with or to accompany. In contrast, the Greek word for disciple is mathētēs and it means learner, student, or pupil. There was a vast difference between those who gathered around and followed Jesus and those who were serious about learning from and about Him. In today’s text, our Teacher confronts us with the challenge to mature in the faith and to be transformed from Christ follower into disciple.

Jesus described the condition of many who followed Him here. They had many different reasons for being part of His crowd. I wonder sometimes how many Christ followers are in the church because of His miracles, because they want to be part of the crowd, or because they hope to catch Him or His church doing or saying something wrong. Jesus acknowledged that among His followers were those who never heard God’s voice, though God has spoken often in the past and speaks today through His Son, the Living Word… “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). There were also those who have never seen God’s form, though God has appeared often in the past and appears today through His Son, the Living Word… “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:9-10). Finally there were those who did not have God’s word abiding in them. Jesus revealed the reason they did not receive His word or see Him as God’s Son was because of the dull condition of their hearts… “Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.’ For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:14-15).

Jesus revealed that many of His followers were deaf, blind, and unable to grasp His word or believe in Him. Then He taught that the reason many remained followers instead of maturing into disciples was because God was not their first love… you do not have the love of God within you.  Jesus taught that if God is our first love, we will diligently seek and find Christ in the scriptures, instead of selfishly seeking eternal life… You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life… and we will live for the glory of God and not man… seek the glory that comes from the only God.

As we grow up into Christ if we keep Him as our first love and diligently seek Him in the scriptures, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of Christ to us, and He will mature and transform us…

From Christ Follower into Disciple.