what is a disciple maker Archives

Writer: Rachel Kidd

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 17-20 NIV

As Jesus continues preaching, He makes two important statements about His ministry. He first says that His presence is a fulfillment of the word of God and the commandments, therefore Christians are called to follow the law. Secondly, He encourages righteousness in His followers, saying it should be even greater than that of the religious leaders and scholars of the law that upheld morality of the day. Jesus then points to the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, the self-seeking behavior that made a show of their adherence to the law. Jesus says that His disciples should be known by their rich inner life, the deep righteousness that comes from faith and a relationship with the Lord.

Jesus does however tell us that Christians need to know God’s Word, but not necessarily in order to follow it blindly. Instead, Jesus uses the commandments to make His point, not to urge His followers to desert them, but rather to understand the intent of the law. As He explains, the letter of the law is less important than the heart of the law. He walks us through the commandments, helping us better understand sin, its causes, and how to apply the heart of the laws in our relationships with others.

Murder

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,^[1]’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Matthew 5: 21-26

Jesus first uses the commandment ‘Thou shall not murder” as an example in relationships between brothers and sisters, or fellow disciples and friends. While murder seems extreme and unrelatable to most of us, everyone has experienced conflict with a friend or acquaintance. It is a symptom of being human in relationship with other humans. But Jeusus tell us that the sin of murder starts in our hearts, the burn of anger and contempt for others. It might seem small or inconsequential to curse someone who hurt you or call someone stupid for a mistake, but Jesus says that this is also forbidden by the law because it is the root of greater sin and violence against another person.

He even places reconciliation above religious piety again, saying that we should not come to the altar of the Lord without making amends with anyone we may be in conflict with. He says to leave your gift at the altar and take the time to make peace with your brother or sister first before returning to the Lord. Likewise, He tells us to resolve conflict quickly, before it gets to the level of courtroom dramas or prison. Jesus urges us to quell our anger in this way, soothing it peacefully before it grows to the flame of murder.

Adultery

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Matthew 5:27-30

Jesus continues, moving on to sexual relationships, here between men and women. He uses the commandment ‘You shall not commit adultery’ and expands upon it, telling us that lust is the root of the sin of adultery. He again urges us to stop the desire before it grows, not blaming others for our desires, but resolving them ourselves.

If you are tempted by the body of a woman, her body is not to blame. Only your own lustful eyes are to blame, as Jesus says it us better to pluck them out than to sin sexually. Of course, Jesus is not actually endorsing self-mutilation, but the extreme nature of His statements indicate the severity of His plea. It is about respect for the bodies of others and their God-ordained autonomy.

You are responsible for your own lust and desire, not the bodies of others. He encourages men, in this case although it can certainly be applied to women, to be aware of their lust and remain in control of their bodies before it becomes adultery or other sexual sin.

Divorce

It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5: 31-32

Jesus continues in His discussion of marriage and the law, now moving to divorce. He uses the law concerning the certificate of divorce, something that men could easily pursue at the time, while women needed a man to file for her. Jesus actually furthers this command, saying that divorce is the equivalent of adultery, unless sexual immorality has been committed.

While this may read extreme to the modern Christian, the root is respect and concern for others. Jesus cared about women and their status in society. At the time, divorced women had incredibly few options and were often outcast. Marriage, like it is today, was a legally binding contract and intended to be a lifelong covenant. Women could not remarry without a certificate of divorce and without a husband, would have little recourse to provide for herself or her children. She would be cast from her home and abandoned. Jesus seems to be urging Christians to avoid this scenario altogether, encouraging His followers to provide the utmost care for their wives.

Oaths

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5: 33-37

Jesus then expands upon the law about oaths and promises to others. He tells us that it is not enough to simply be a person of your word and to always follow through, but He urges us not to make these grandiose promises. Jesus reminds us that because we have so little control over anything, how can we truly know that we can deliver on our promises? We are not God, we cannot swear by anything that God does not have greater control over.

Because of our lack of control, Jesus tells us that simply saying yes or no when asked is more than sufficient. As long as our yeses mean yes and our nos mean no, we do not need to swear on things we cannot guarantee in our limited human capacity.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5: 38-42

Finally, Jesus uses the Jewish law an ‘eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth’ that allows for equivalent acts of retribution to instead call His followers to practice forgiveness. Rather than react to others with equal anger, Jesus calls us to respond in grace.

As difficult as it is to respond to anger with love, Jesus tells us that in order to achieve peaceful relationships, we must be grace-filled in our responses. When another driver cuts you off on the highway, many of us want to yell or speed up to cut them off in response. Instead, Jesus encourages us to turn the other cheek, maybe you let them go in front of you with a wave or move over to the right lane instead. The way of grace may be more difficult, but it does promote peaceful, rather than tumultuous, relationships with others.

^[1] Aramaic, derogatory term meaning empty-headed or stupid

Author: Jon Slenker, M.A., Contributing Author for Foundations by ICM

Jesus was the original disciple-maker. It is safe to say, making disciples was a focal point of his ministry. Not only did Jesus command his disciples to make more disciples, he modeled and taught them for around three years how to do so. His ministry principles recorded in the New Testament reveal the difference between a leader that people have to follow, and a leader that people want to follow. Disciple-making in simple terms is leadership. It is one Believer shepherding another to be made more into the image of Christ, our supreme example (2 Cor 3:18). So when Jesus was discipling his “flock”, he was teaching them to be like him, and to do what he did.

Calling and Commissioning

First words and final words hold great importance. When Jesus called out his disciples he said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19 ESV).” After he assembled his twelve disciples for the first time, he provided them with more detail about what “fishing for men” means. These first words of Jesus to the Twelve are recorded in Mark 3:14-15, “…he appointed twelve so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons (ESV).” Similarly, Jesus’ final words to his disciples were a commission,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt 28:18-20 ESV).’”

This passage is known as one of the Great Commission passages and almost perfectly resembles his first words to the disciples. The Gospel author, Matthew, intentionally emphasizes Jesus’ first and final words in the structure of his writing. Disciples are called and commissioned by Jesus to make other disciples of Jesus.

Who is a Disciple-Maker?

A disciple is a repentant worshiper and follower of Jesus. The term translated as disciple in the New Testament means learner and refers to a student or apprentice. Jesus did not invent the term or practice of discipleship. In fact, the practice of being a disciple or apprentice was discovered in ancient Greek writings five centuries before Jesus began his incarnate ministry.¹ When he called out his twelve young disciples, he said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’, he was inviting them into a discipleship relationship to learn how to be like him (Matt 4:19). After they were called out they, “went where he went, saw what he saw, heard what he heard, and attempted to do what he did.” A disciple is to be a close and obedient follower of Jesus. One church planter says, “It’s impossible to be a disciple or a follower of someone and not end up like that person.”² Thus, a disciple-maker is a disciple of Jesus, who teaches others how to follow and obey Jesus also. When disciple-makers gather and covenant together, they birth communities of discipleship the Bible calls a church. Because we, the Church, are a nation of priests, Jesus’ command to make disciples has been passed down to every follower of Jesus. Discipleship is not reserved for pastors alone, but for the whole body of Christ. Pastors, then, are lead disciple-makers in a local community of discipleship.

A disciple maker:

Is a follower of Jesus who has been sent with his authority and responsibility.
A Shepherd who humbly cares for others.
Has others’ best interest in mind and fights for their highest possible good.
Equips and empowers others to do greater works than they have accomplished.

Making Disciples

One of the famous great commission passages, Matthew 28:18-20, offers a simple but profound call for all believers that may be applied through a series of questions.

Am I willing to be obedient to:

Commit a few hours a week to share my life with others?
“Go” and preach the gospel to a different people group than my own to whom the Lord sends me?
Baptize new believers?
Teach them to obey all that Jesus has commanded in the Scriptures?
Trust that Jesus’ Spirit is with me everywhere and always?

If you answered yes to these, you need no other authority than Jesus’ to make disciples. However, a first step may be that you need someone to disciple you. Pray for this person, and be encouraged that Jesus is our primary discipler and his Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

The apostle Paul stressed Jesus’ principle of multiplication to one of his disciples, Timothy. In writing his final letter to Timothy, Paul’s final words mirrored Jesus’ final words, “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim 2:2 ESV).” Effective disciple makers equip and empower others to equip and empower others. The intention of discipleship is that those whom we disciple will be obedient to go and disciple others. This is popularly referred to as making disciple-making disciples. One of the men who discipled me through a season of life reminded me that we all multiply. The question is what or who are we multiplying? Disciple makers’ aim is to multiply disciples of Jesus, not simply themselves.

What Discipleship is Not

In my experience, the men who discipled me that had the greatest impact on my life did not just fill my head with a lot of knowledge, they shared their own lives with me as well. They led by example and often invited me on short trips to the market, to help neighbors, and oftentimes to sit with them at their family dinner table. They made time for me even when it was not always convenient for them. They used the bible as the training material and taught me how to read it prayerfully and apply it carefully to my own life. While information transfer is an easier form of discipleship, information alone is incomplete. As disciple makers, we must share not only our knowledge but our very lives as well.

Model, Assist, Watch, Leave

A helpful paradigm for discipleship exists in the four phases of modeling, assisting, watching, and leaving (and launching). First, a disciple-maker models for others how to follow Jesus in obedience. Second, the discipler assists the new disciple in living out Jesus’ character and commands. Third, the discipler watches as the new disciple grows in confidence and competence. Fourth, the discipler leaves and launches the equipped and empowered disciple to go do the same for others. Jesus and Paul most clearly represent this fluid paradigm in the Scriptures. While leaving their disciples physically after a time, Jesus sent his Spirit and promised he would be with them even after he left them. Paul also continually visited and wrote back to those he had once discipled and left. The goal of discipleship is that we would empower others to “do greater works” than we have (John 14:12).

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_{¹Robinson, George G. “Grounding Disciple-making in God’s Creation Order: Filling the Earth with the Image of God,” Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Accessed November 10, 2021, 3. https://www.academia.edu/33940384/Grounding_Disciple_making_in_Gods_Creation_Order_Filling_the_Earth_with_the_Image_of_God.

²F. Chan, Multiply (Farmington Hills, MI: Walker Large Print 2013), 16.}