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Once you have come to know who Jesus is and have received Him as Messiah, believing in His name (Saviour from sins), how are you to experience life as His disciple?

God, the Word became flesh and was called Jesus, the Christ (Messiah). In Him was life and only by receiving Him can a person be born of God (spiritually alive). You cannot come to God, the Father, unless you come to Christ. It is not possible to be saved from dead existence, destined to perish, unless you come to Christ for saving life.

Those experiencing life in Christ do so through a life of discipleship (learning to know Christ and to live for Him as Saviour from sins and Lord of our lives).

Four plausible headlines from the “Jerusalem Post 01/22-25/30”—Eight Core discipleship realities to learn from the earliest disciples while coming to know Christ and experiencing life in His name.

1. John the Baptizer Claims He is not the Christ!—Day 1 (1:19-28)

- True disciples are careful to not impose on Christ their own image or preconceived expectations of Him.

“Are you the Prophet?” The “problem” of the promise of a “prophet like me” (Deut. 18:15) – Moses: spiritual leader and bringer of political relief.

- True discipleship is making much of Jesus and little of myself – deny yourself.

“I am just the Voice; He is so super great, I am not worthy to even be his slave.” (23; Is. 40:3)

2. John the Baptizer Identifies God’s Lamb!—Day 2 (1:29-34)

True disciples recognize who Jesus is and what Jesus will do.
- Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
- Jesus Christ, though younger than John the Baptist was before John!
- Jesus Christ had a permanent anointing of the Spirit. (Matt. 3:16)
- Jesus Christ is the One who baptizes His own with the Holy Spirit.
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God (“the Chosen” Is. 42:1)

3. Galilean Fisherman Claims to Have Found the Messiah and Brings His Brother to this Rabbi–Day 3 (1:35-42)

Those called to significantly higher responsibilities are already in ministry. (35)

Forsake John; follow Jesus!

True disciples point people away from themselves and bring them to Jesus.

- John the B encourages his disciples to follow Jesus.
- First thing Andrew did was go and find his brother and tell him about Jesus.

- Discipleship pattern – Follow - Come and See (experience, grounded in knowledge)-Stay-Make converts (disciples)

4. Galilean Fisherman Becomes Recruiting Frontman for this Galilean Rabbi!—Day 4 (43-51)

True disciples are under Divine Sovereign surveillance first.
God “comes and sees” us first! (48)

True disciples recognize the truth of Jesus when they encounter it.
- Son of God!
- King of Israel

True disciples are rewarded with experiencing what Jesus does.

Jesus is the “Son of Man” who opens up the heavens as the “House of God” on earth (cf. Gen. 28:16-19; Dan. 7:13-14)

Are you a true disciple of Christ, experiencing life in His name?

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