Discipleship - Its Character And Potential (John 13:31; 14:15)

by G.M. Hydon, Toronto, Canada | Category: In The Shadow Of Calvary | Jun 1986

(All scriptures quoted from NIV)

Long years before the Lord Jesus gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room, God revealed to Isaiah the situation of men in relation to Himself. He said, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (55:8,9). How clearly this was demonstrated in the Upper Room dialogue. Just at the point when His thoughts seem to have been full of His impending sacrifice and the completion of the heavenly plan of salvation, the Son of God was faced with the earthly limited reasoning of His disciples. We can imagine the stunned, questioning looks on their faces as they listened to Him; His thoughts of ascension in victory translated in their minds to thoughts of abandonment and loss of position: concerns which were soon vocalized.

In this record of Upper Room events there is a reflection of the weakness found still in disciples today, but in the Lord's teaching there is a strong statement of what should really characterize them as their potential begins to be realized. Recognizing their weakness the Lord endearingly used the term "My children" (Gk. teknion) in addressing the disciples. He was reflecting on their character, relative spiritual immaturity and dependence on Him. In his first epistle, John used the same term (1 John 2:1,12,28) when writing to those whom he saw as needing fatherly direction and care. We can certainly see the appropriateness of this description of His disciples as the Lord

speaks to them in the shadow of Calvary. In this respect the conversation between the Lord and Peter, Thomas and Philip will provide us with illustrations of the needs of all disciples, then and now, to develop a Christ4ike character. Our inherent weakness necessitates reliance on the Lord, and His direction will constantly call from us the daily expression of love, faith and obedience He expects.

Peter: Love and Obedience

Jesus saw Peter's sincere loyalty, but knew better than Peter just how much that loyalty was soon to be tested. Peter heard the Lord's words establishing a key characteristic of Christian disciples, namely that they should have and display the same love to each other that Christ had towards them. It seems, however, that Peter was so deeply concerned about the Master leaving them that he boldly made his loyal but rash statement of commitment, even unto death. Jesus knew that His own love, as the Good Shepherd, would cause Him to lay down His life for these sheep, but He knew Peter was not yet ready to follow Him in this fullest test of love; to give everything for others (Rom. 6:7). He also knew that Peter would recall his threefold denial of his Master when he would be challenged (after the resurrection) by the Lord's three times repeated words "Do you love Me?" Peter was to learn that the character of the disciple should be one of loving dependence on His Lord rather than on himself. How else would he be able to fulfil Christ's charge of feeding His lambs, shepherding His sheep and feeding His sheep (John 21:15-17)?

What was the potential of the disciple Peter? The Lord said to him "Will you really lay down your life for Me?" At that time he was clearly not ready to make such a sacrifice; his loyalty exceeded his resolution. But he would be ready later (2 Peter 1:14), after faithfully adhering in true disciple character to the command of the Lord to strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32).

Thomas: Faith

Thomas illustrated perhaps the most noticeable problem evidenced by the disciples. It was their apparent need for a clearly described goal and a

route. In response the Lord Jesus plainly declared to them that He was (and is) the Way, the Truth and the Life. They were not to receive complex directions, simply that they should stay close to Him in heart and express their love for Him by loving one another. Herein is something of the essence of Christian discipleship. Thomas, however, was looking for more tangible guidance; he is presented to us in Scripture as a man with a very black and white outlook on life. "Seeing is believing" is an expression that is associated with him and is very much in accord with today's thinking in the world at large. However, it is not in agreement with the disciple character. The Lord knew that after His crucifixion Thomas would hear His words, "see My hands" (John 20:27) because of His initial unwillingness to believe in the supremacy of spiritual power over the constraints of a human body.

In the Upper Room on that night before His passion, the Lord Jesus heard Thomas express his doubts, no doubt shared by the other disciples there, as to the mission of the Saviour. It seems he wanted a "road map" of the Lord's impending journey to His glorious throne, something he could see and follow with his naked eye. He missed the point. Discipleship to Christ must be based on faith not on sight (2 Cor. 5:7). However, Thomas would later set aside the temporal limitations to his appreciation of Jesus and proclaim Him "my Lord

and my God" (John 20:28). As a direct result we now benefit from the Lord's words to Thomas, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (v.29).

Philip: Works of Faith

Philip, like Peter and Thomas, was trying to understand the Lord's words in a material sense. So, having explained the spiritual reality of the Father being in the Son, the Lord Jesus appealed to the material evidence of the miraculous works He had performed. Jesus had demonstrated complete faith in His God and Father to work out His will through the Son's words and actions. All the disciples had to do was exercise similar faith. Had not the Lord conveyed this same thought when He had said to Philip and the other disciples at the outset of their service, "It is enough for the student to be 'like his Teacher and the servant like his Master"? (Mat. 10:25). And now He adds in addressing Philip that he would have potential to do even greater things, if only he exercised that faith that should characterize those who bear the title "disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ".

Achieving Discipleship Potential

At this point, another of the Twelve must be brought into the picture to teach us by contrast. The apostle Peter was later to declare that Judas had "shared in this ministry" (Acts 1:17), but he did not typify it. His was a character of greed, dishonesty, hypocrisy and eventually treachery. His evil potential was fully realized when he opened his heart to provide a vehicle for Satan and he subsequently went where he belonged (Acts 1:25). His departure from the Upper Room was a necessary prerequisite to the discourse between the Lord and His true disciples on that momentous occasion. True disciples they were, despite their failings. These were men with great potential; men with "a future".

Christian character, as we have seen, is a developmental thing. Its basis is the initial work of the Holy Spirit and it is revealed in Christian activity through the ongoing work of the indwelling Spirit. Likewise, achieving the full potential of discipleship is subject to following the Spirit's leading in the exercise of the gifts and calling of God.

It was Christ's answer to Philip's question, "Lord, show us the Father" that contained the fullest picture of the disciples' potential. Christ had been sent from the Father to reveal Him to men. So full and complete was that revelation that Jesus could say "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father". He fully expresses the character of His Father; He is as Hebrews 1:3 has it, "The exact representation of His being". He consistently displayed love, faith and obedience. These are characteristics expected in Christian disciples, as discussed above. Moreover, just as to see Christ is to see the Father, so also to see the Christian should be to see Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). The purpose of God in choosing disciples is that they should be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29); that is the full realization of their potential. If His character is to be seen in His disciple's they must inevitably be engaged in doing His work. Thus it is no surprise to hear Him say to Philip, "anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing" and "even greater things" (which we judge to refer to the scope but not the nature or quality of the activities.

The Challenge to Disciples

Peter, Thomas, Philip and the others in that Upper Room learned in those hours before Gethsemane, Gabbatha and Golgotha something of their role in the world for a Master in heaven and their potential in such service. The much needed ministry seems to have been received with a slowness of perception that with our hindsight we too easily condemn. The Lord was explaining heavenly things to them and their earth-centred vision limited their appreciation of such truths. But Jesus reinforced His guidance with the simple statement that love to Him would result in obedience to His commands. Also the power of prayer was to be fully unleashed for them to use (for the Lord always gives the ability with the responsibility). A further reinforcement was the promise to them of a place in the Father's house, which some commentators have understood to imply differing eternal stations for differing service here. In any event the promise was one of proximity to the Lord for ever. Our review of the character and potential of discipleship leaves us with inevitable questions in relation to our own service:

1.Is earthly preoccupation stunting our heavenly vision?

2.Are we quick to promise loyalty but slow to channel the love of Christ through ourselves to others?

3.Has the pattern and strength of our service been based on faith or human reasoning?

4.Have we, by our obedience to the teaching of Christ (which subsequently was called the apostles' teaching - Mat. 29:20; Acts 2:42) demonstrated our love to our Master?

5.As He continuously reviews our lives, does He see us ever growing more into conformity to the character He displayed?

Until the Lord takes us to the place where we belong, the character and potential of our discipleship should be seen, by the help of the Spirit, in our emulating the love, faith, obedience and other qualities we see in our Lord and Master.

G.M. Hydon, Toronto, Canada | Jun 1986
In The Shadow Of Calvary