Jesus’ final command: Not just teaching, but making disciples
When Jesus gathered his men on Mount Arbel and commissioned them, he was not giving them new information. Rather, he was summarizing all he had been teaching them over the past three and half years.
Like a general speaking to his troops before battle, Jesus, our Risen King, gave out marching orders, both to his disciples and to us. The essence of what we now call the “Great Commission” is simply the command to make disciples.
The lost imperative: Why “teaching” is not enough
Unfortunately, the King James Version of the Bible omits this key imperative. It reads, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). Maybe this explains the church’s fixation with information over transformation.
The key word here in Greek is matheteusate, which is best translated (and all modern translations agree should read) as “make disciples.” It is an aorist imperative verb, which means that Jesus commanded his men to make disciples.
What is a disciple?
The Greek word for disciple here, methetes, means a “student, learner, beginning scholar or disciple.” The Hebrew equivalent word is talmid, which carries the same meaning with the additional thought that this person may be in training to be a rabbi. This word “disciple” appears 230 times in the gospels and 30 times in the book of Acts.
It’s important to note that Jesus did not invent disciple-making. Raising young leaders through personal investment was a common practice even in the Old Testament. For example, you have Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Isaiah and the school of prophets. These are just a few examples.
By the time of Jesus, there were many kinds of disciples. There were the disciples of Moses (John 9:28), disciples of the Pharisees (Matthew 22:16; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33), disciples of John the Baptist (Matthew 9:14, Mark 2:18; Luke167 5:33), and disciples of Jesus. A disciple was a person who followed a master with the purpose of becoming like that master and carrying on his work.
Defining a disciple in a practical way
If the essence of the Great Commission is to make disciples, then it’s essential that ministry leaders clearly define what a disciple is in such a way that it can be reasonably discerned if a disciple has been made. Through my study of the life of Christ, I crafted a simple, observable definition of a disciple and I will share it gladly, but I do so with hesitation.
It is always best for you to come up with your own definition based on your own study of the Scriptures. With that said, I believe a disciple is one who is devoted to Jesus, developing in the character and competencies of Jesus, and deployed into the mission of Jesus.
First, a disciple is devoted to Jesus. He has heard the gospel and responded in repentance and faith (Mark 1:15). Secondly, this disciple has begun his spiritual growth journey and is continually developing the character of Jesus (internal transformation) and the competencies of Jesus (external ministry skills such as reading the scriptures, prayer, faith, evangelism, etc).
As a result, this disciple is now deployed into the mission of Jesus and is actively sharing his faith, serving within the church, and making disciples as he goes (for a more detailed explanation, see my book Bold Moves: Lead your Church to Live Like Jesus).
Disciple-making: The church’s primary mission
Jesus’ entire ministry was intentionally crafted to take men “as is” and develop them into mature and multiplying disciples. If that was the case with Jesus, then it must be the case with our ministries today.
A mature and multiplying disciple is the product of the local church. This is the work we must do. This is the kind of people we are set on producing. The church is not necessarily a place where people come to receive spiritual encouragement as much as it is a people group committed to making disciples, one life at a time.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our books, His Way Still Works.
