^“16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mathew 28:16-20 NIV).

The above scripture recounts the scene in which Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission. Prior to this event, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas, betrayed Him and sold Him for the price of a slave in Israel at the time. Peter, the church’s head, denied Jesus three times, including in front of a little girl. When Christ was arrested, the other disciples fled [Matthew 26: 56]. Nonetheless, Jesus summoned the eleven to meet Him in Galilee after appearing to them multiple times in different places and referring to them as His brothers. This indicates the restoration of relationships (Matthew 28:10). Then Jesus commissioned them to go make disciples of all nations, Jews and non-Jews alike.

The terms disciple and Christian are similar but not the same. It may surprise you that Jesus’ followers were only referred to as Christians three times in the New Testament. The first was at Antioch, where unbelievers addressed the disciples as Christians because they mirrored Christ [Acts 11: 36]. The second was in Acts 26: 28, when Paul was on trial before King Herod Agrippa. He directly confronted the king and the king exclaimed to Paul, “Do you think you can persuade me to be a Christian in such a short time?” The third occurrence was in 1 Peter 4: 12 – 16, when the Apostle Peter was writing his first letter against the backdrop of increasing persecution in their time. The third occurrence was in 1 Peter 4: 12 – 16, when Apostle Peter was writing his first letter against the setting of increasing persecution in their time. When he separated those who suffered as criminals from those who suffered as Christians.

However, the word disciple appears 269 times in the Gospel and Acts. This means that Jesus did not commission us to go make Christians but rather make disciples. So, who exactly is a disciple? A disciple is simply a student or learner who submits to the process of learning while under the supervision of a teacher. A disciple of Jesus is someone who follows Him, accepts His teaching, forgiveness, values and way of life and obeys everything He has taught and learned. In a broad sense, Jesus used the term disciple to refer to all of His followers.  So, Jesus’ disciples, both then and now, are those who respond to His offer to “learn of me” [Mathew 11: 29 KJV] and accept His teachings not only in terms of beliefs but also in terms of lifestyle. This calls for sober reflection, especially in our mission, All Christians Fellowship Mission, because our mission as a church is to raise Christlike disciples.

Marks of a True Disciple:

“So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples” [John 8:31 AMP]. If you do not meet these qualifications, regardless of your status in the church, you are not Jesus’ disciple, according to scripture.

Here are the characteristics of a true disciple:

1. Have supreme love for Jesus [Mathew 22:37; Luke 14: 26]. A true disciple is defined by a superlative love for Jesus expressed by unconditional and continual obedience to the Lord. Obedience is the most fundamental test of one’s love for the Lord. The Lord Jesus stated, “If you love me, you will obey my command” (John 14:15). If you truly love Jesus, you won’t need someone to monitor your conduct outside the church.

1. A denial of self [Luke 14: 27, Matthew 16: 24]. There is a distinction between self-denial and denial of self. The former entails forsaking certain things such as food, pleasure, belongings and so on. Anyone, including nonbelievers, is capable of doing that. The latter, on the other hand, implies total submission to Christ’s Lordship; self has no right or authority at all. It also implies dethroning oneself.

1. A deliberate choosing of the cross. The cross here does not represent physical infirmities or mental anguish, which are universal, but rather disgrace, persecution, insults, and abuse, which the world piled on Jesus and by extension, will heap on you if you believe in Christ [2 Timothy 3: 10].

1. A fervent love for believers [John 12: 34]. The benchmark of love is how Christ unreservedly loved the church and gave His life for us. There are practical ways we might demonstrate this sacrificial love to other brethren: by listening to them, encouraging them, giving to them when they are in need, visiting them. Jesus Christ declared, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples…” [John 13: 35 AMP].

5. Continuity in the Word [John 8: 31]. Why must we continue in the word? This is because God’s word is critical for our spiritual growth [1 Peter 2: 2], spiritual maturity [Hebrews 5: 11 – 14], spiritual efficacy and victory over the forces of darkness.

5. Forsaking All. Forsake means to leave somebody or something, especially when you have a responsibility to stay. The biblical use of forsake communicates a deeper meaning, as shown in various Bible translations of Luke 14: 26. Why do we have to give up everything? The true owner of the possessions is the Lord. According to Psalm 21, the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s. Also, since the Lord Jesus chose to forego all the richness and splendor of heaven in order to become a man and come to earth to save mankind. Thus, when Jesus invites you to give up all, He is referring to a role He himself played. Even now, Christ expects this of us: to forsake all and follow Him. Are there any benefits to following Christ? Oh yes!  Jesus said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up a house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, who will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms—along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” [Mark10: 29 – 30 AMP).