Three Parts of Discipleship
A reading for Friday, February 20, 2015: John 1:35-42.
It's a gross oversimplification, but today's lesson suggests that there are three steps to discipleship.
First, we hear and understand that Jesus is our savior, the Messiah that is promised to all the world. “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
Second, because we know Jesus we also want to know more about what a life of faith in Him looks like. We feel compelled to do something. What must we do in response? The good news is Jesus calls us to follow Him to all the places where he will go to see the things He wants us to see. “Come and see.”
Lastly, we discover who we really are and what we are truly to do with our lives. In the lesson, it is Peter that is our example of this. Jesus even changes his name to "The Rock," upon which He would build the church. “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas”
Notice there is an order to this... We can't follow one we don't know, and we can't know ourselves until we know the one who gives us life and purpose. Perhaps sometimes we get the order wrong? We want to know ourselves before we know Jesus. We want to follow in a life of faith, before we truly know he one we are called to follow. Discipleship is intentional living with purpose and meaning. It comes in three parts.
This is the season of Lent. This is the time when we can examine our lives and ask our merciful God to transform us into the people God created us to be.
Jesus is Lord.
Come and See.
Lord, make us your disciples!
It's a gross oversimplification, but today's lesson suggests that there are three steps to discipleship.
First, we hear and understand that Jesus is our savior, the Messiah that is promised to all the world. “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
Second, because we know Jesus we also want to know more about what a life of faith in Him looks like. We feel compelled to do something. What must we do in response? The good news is Jesus calls us to follow Him to all the places where he will go to see the things He wants us to see. “Come and see.”
Lastly, we discover who we really are and what we are truly to do with our lives. In the lesson, it is Peter that is our example of this. Jesus even changes his name to "The Rock," upon which He would build the church. “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas”
Notice there is an order to this... We can't follow one we don't know, and we can't know ourselves until we know the one who gives us life and purpose. Perhaps sometimes we get the order wrong? We want to know ourselves before we know Jesus. We want to follow in a life of faith, before we truly know he one we are called to follow. Discipleship is intentional living with purpose and meaning. It comes in three parts.
This is the season of Lent. This is the time when we can examine our lives and ask our merciful God to transform us into the people God created us to be.
Jesus is Lord.
Come and See.
Lord, make us your disciples!
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