128 – Disciples of Jesus!
Many Christians do not understand the full impact of the power and authority we have because of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Christians are not simply saved for Heaven, but also saved for God’s purpose on earth! Let me remind you of what Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”What kind of power are we talking about? The original Greek for the word power is “dynamis” and Strong’s Bible Dictionary defines it as “miraculous power”! Are you seeing miracles, signs, and wonders in your life?Show More
Some would say that miracles, signs, and wonders petered out when Peter petered out. This expression means that some believe today when the last disciple passed away, signs, wonders, and miracles passed away. Nothing could be further from the truth! In our previous post (127), we showed in the scriptures that God never changes. In the post before that (126), we showed in scripture that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Therefore, the scripture that God is the same yesterday taking forever means that what is true in the New Testament is still available to us, if only we would believe. Jesus said some powerful things in the Gospel of John that should encourage us to pursue the supernatural.
Salvation
Spiritually we are changed in an instant but, our mind and soul are transformed over time. As we learn the scriptures of the Bible and learn to be led or directed by the Holy Spirit, we go step by step, faith to faith. to maturity in Christ.
Maturity is a Process
We go from being a convert to Christianity, to a follower of Jesus, and finally to a disciple of Christ.
1 John 2:12-14 describes the transition from children to young men, to fathers. Our goal is to become mature Christians rightly handling the Word of God, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Now, I need to make an important point; there is a world of difference between knowing the scriptures and doing the scriptures! We don’t want to be like the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus’ day, who were experts in the scriptures but failed to do the scriptures.
A Pharisee had to memorize the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, but many Pharisees failed to live up to the standards of the Torah. They expected others to adhere to the Bible but found ways to avoid the commandments of God for themselves. They created traditions and practices that voided the purposes of God. Jesus called them “hypocrites,” “the blind leading the blind,” and “sons of the Devil.”
We are called to be “doers” of the Word, not just hearers of the Word of God! In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” The only way to fulfill God’s call for your life is to be a “doer of the Word.” Knowing alone is not enough, but knowledge coupled with application is the path to the wisdom of God.
Disciples
We are not called to remain as children but to mature into disciples. A disciple is a follower devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ and is actively testifying of what the Lord is doing in and through them—always giving the credit and glory to Jesus our Lord and Savior.
When Jesus walked the earth, He had many disciples. The first 12 disciples, Jesus also called Apostles. The Apostles were the first to walk in the power and authority given them by Jesus. As a result, many came to Jesus and became disciples as well. Remember when Jesus sent out the 70 (disciples) in Luke 10. Listen to what they said when they returned to give Jesus a report, Luke 10:17, “17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”
Jesus’ prayer in John 17
Prior to Jesus giving His life on the cross of Calvary, He prayed a prayer that is instructive for us in John 17.
In this chapter, Jesus prays for Himself as He prepares for the purpose He came to earth, to die on the cross for man’s sins. Jesus then prays for His disciples, the Apostles. Finally, Jesus prays for all of those who will come to know Him in the future, which includes us!
John 17 verses 1 through 5
Jesus prays for himself. Jesus knows that he has completed the work that he was sent for, and now He will return to be seated at the right hand of the Father. The path back to Heaven for Jesus was through the cross at Calvary! In these verses, Jesus gives all glory to the Father, and all the work that he had done on earth was to bring eternal life to those who would choose to know the Father through Himself. In verse 4, “I have glorified you on the earth. I finished the work which you have given me to do.”
John 17 verses 6 through 19
Jesus prays for his disciples. In this case, he is praying for his 12 Apostles, and his prayer is that they would continue to glorify the Father. His prayer is that they would not be taken out of the world but be protected from the evil one, Satan. Jesus says the following: “16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” They were to continue in “Power Ministry” which would be evidence of the presence of God and glorify the Lord.
John 17 verses 20 through 26
Jesus prays for us meaning those Believers in the future. Recall Peter’s message in Acts 2: 38, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” The expression “afar off” is not an expression of distance, but of time. Sometime in the future.
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their Word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. Jesus is now speaking about us, that we would be one in Christ.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. By faith we believe that we are loved by the Father, John 3:16 is a reminder of His great love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. We are no longer of this earth, but citizens of the Kingdom of God. What is available in Heaven is also available to us on earth. Matthew 18:18, “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Conclusion
Here is the point, Jesus performed signs and wonders to demonstrate that He was from God because only God could heal the sick, the lame, the blind, and raise the dead! Read Mark 2:10 – signs are the evidence of the Lord at work. His disciple performed signs and wonders to demonstrate that God was at work on the earth!
As disciples of Christ, we are also charged to be the vessel through whom Jesus works, to perform signs and wonders. All of this is for one purpose, to bring the non-believing world to Christ! Keep in mind that Jesus is our example, and He said and did only what the Father showed Him to do in ministry. We also must follow the pattern of Jesus. Spend time with the Lord with a particular emphasis on hearing and seeing what He wants you to do. So that the Lord would be glorified, and all people would be drawn to Him.
The Great Commission
Mark 16:14-18, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
As Disciples of Jesus, we have two tools or weapons at our disposal: the work of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Together they are powerful for winning the lost, healing the sick, and bringing wholeness to broken people in a broken world.
