What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? As a Christian, living out the answer to that question should be your driving ambition. Disciple—μαθητής in Greek—appears 269 times in the New Testament. This word always refers to followers of a particular leader, most commonly Christ.
First-century disciples were obvious. They sacrificed everything to follow their master and learn his ways. Pharisees had disciples. Trade workers had disciples. Jesus had disciples.
In modern vernacular, disciples would be similar to interns. They follow their masters with the intent to eventually become just like them. Jesus’ disciples desired to learn his teachings and his way to become like him. The ultimate goal? Training others to be like Jesus too.
Identifying a Disciple
First-century disciples were easy to identify. But modern-day disciples may not be so easy to spot. Even still, our discipleship goal is the same. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? It means looking like Christ and teaching others to look like him.
Defining the marks of a modern-day disciple can be difficult. We fill our schedules with Bible studies, prayer lists, and church attendance. But have we really become better disciples? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus in the 21st century?
This discussion should be lengthy and ongoing for all Christians. But let’s start with the basics. (These apply to kids, teens, and adults!)
What Does It Mean To Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ?
Living as a disciple of Christ involves three key components: being, knowing and doing.
1. Being
First ask yourself: Is your mind gospel-oriented? Examine your thoughts and motivations. Being like Christ transforms the way you think about friends, family and enemies. You relate to coworkers, neighbors and strangers with an eternal mindset.
Jesus was very intentional about every word and contact. Likewise, his disciples will carefully inspect their intentions as well.
2. Knowing
Next up: Christ commanded his disciples to teach others to observe all things he taught them (Matthew 28:20). We should consume his word and commands, which is a lifelong journey. The more we know Jesus, the more we will want to know him.
Studying the Scriptures helps us know God better. This occurs through church services, Bible studies, discipleship books, daily devotionals, formal training and more. We should constantly evaluate how well we know Jesus and how we can know him better.
