WHO IS A DISCIPLE

Who is a disciple of Jesus? That is a very common question which usually is answered with “a follower of Jesus”. It is interesting to study the scripture above and see how Jesus described who he considered a disciple. First off, we see in verse 31 that he was speaking with people who believed in Him. So the congregation were not unbelievers or skeptics. This means that a disciple must first be a believer in the message and purpose of Jesus. In our dispensation, this translates to being born again according to Romans 10: 9-10. The fact that Jesus is describing who a disciple is to people who already believe in him indicates that a believer is not by default a disciple! However, as we have seen, every disciple is a believer.

Who then is a disciple? According to Jesus, a disciple is a Christian who abides in His Word. To abide is to remain, dwell, tarry or continue in. This is the believer who makes time to study and delve deep into the Word of God. Jesus says to believers that spending time in studying the Word unveils truth which has the power to break the believer free. In the context of this chapter, Jesus is addressing the legalistic attitude of the Pharisees and unbelieving Jews. It is in this context that he speaks of freedom though the scripture here can also be applied to freedom in other areas of life. In accordance with the context of the chapter, we can learn that spending time in the Word opens our eyes to the truth of the new life we have in Christ as spoken about in Acts 5:20. This frees us from wrong theologies and doctrines which have the ability to bind us and keep us from living the way Jesus truly intended. Spending time studying the word enables us to truly live like Jesus lived, talk like he talked and behave like He did. It is then that we are disciples indeed!