According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word disciple means “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” Synonyms for disciple include devotee, adherent, follower, and pupil. In Jesus’ time, the role of a disciple was to physically follow in the footsteps of a teacher or rabbi. They were to learn by listening to the words and observing the actions of their teacher.
James Earley writes, “It is a formal challenge to live with, learn from, and study under Rabbi Jesus. It is a call to be close to Him, obey His teachings, take the same path He takes, and walk the same road He walked. It involves daily growth and development at the expense of personal comfort.” Notice that discipleship not only involves study, but also requires immersing oneself completely in the daily life of the teacher.
Unfortunately, we don’t have Jesus with us here on earth (yet), but we do have the Word of God readily available. I assume that if you are reading this devotional, you have spent some time in the Bible. I also assume that at some point you may have participated in a Bible study. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must not only read the Word but also study it to understand its fuller meaning. This two-step process allows the truth of Scripture to move from head to heart. When you read Scripture, have a commentary handy to help you understand the context of the passage. Join a small group that helps you take the words you read to heart and apply them to your daily life.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus had many disciples who followed Him. Most of them likely fell away after experiencing hardship or disappointment. Fortunately for the Church, a core group of followers endured all challenges and spread the Gospel throughout the world. Jesus chose twelve of His disciples to be apostles. The Greek word for apostle is apostolos, meaning “sent one.” In the first century AD, an apostle was a chosen representative—someone sent to carry a message to others. The twelve apostles were called to take what they learned from their time with Jesus and go into the world as His representatives.
Although I personally believe that the Apostolic Age ended with the death of the last of the original twelve disciples (John), I also believe that we, as modern-day Christians, are called to be representatives and messengers of Christ. “Live Sent” is one of the core principles of NorthStar. Paul writes, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Rom. 10:15b). He reminds the church in Rome that to be saved, one must “call on the name of the Lord” (Rom. 10:13). Paul then connects the sequence clearly: one must believe to call, hear to believe, preach to hear, and be sent to preach. May we, as representatives of Jesus, become those “beautiful feet” in a broken world.
