The Pattern of Jesus
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. (John 4:1-3 ESV)
In most modern English translations of the New Testament, there are three places where the phrase “make disciples” shows up. Chronologically in the story of the Jesus, the above reference is the first. The second time is in the most detailed version of the Great Commission as it appears in Matthew 28. And the third is a summary of Paul and Barnabus’s ministry in Derbe at the end of their first missionary journey in Acts 14.
We can learn some very important points from these passages.
The one that stands out most from the verses in John is that Jesus was making and baptizing disciples. This jumped off the page for me when I read it a few years ago. This passage is included as a sort of summary of Jesus’s ministry at that point. It states that He was making disciples. And this is exactly what Jesus commands His disciples to do in some of His last recorded words before His ascension to heaven. These are our current marching orders. And these verses in John show us how Jesus Himself made disciples.
In modern American church environments, “discipleship” normally equals a weekly one-on-one meeting over coffee. Two people meet – one usually more mature than the other – and they talk about life, the Word of God, and pray together. I have had some beautiful moments that looked like this. And I have certainly gleaned much wisdom over the years from such meetings. But the question to ask is:
“Is that what discipleship looked like in Jesus’s life?”
There are many layers to this question. Who did Jesus choose to spend time with? What did He do with them? How did He help them grow? What did He tell them to do? Some very intriguing answers rise to the surface as we read the Gospels through this angle. We will leave those answers alone for now. My main point here is that we have much to learn from the life of Jesus in this task.
One other important observation that we can glean from John 4 is that Jesus did not actually baptize people. He delegated that responsibility to the disciples. In my understanding, this was happening before the twelve had been identified. If this is the case, we do not have a list of who these baptizing disciples were. In a close reading of the Great Commission in Matthew 28, the ones who are sent to make disciples are also the ones who are intended to baptize those new disciples. And it seems like the early delegation of the full responsibilities entrusted to disciples to make disciples is the continuing norm throughout the New Testament. We see this in Paul as he describes his ministry in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:14-17. A significant metropolitan city was impacted through Paul’s ministry and yet he only baptized two men and a household. Many were baptized in Corinth, but not by Paul.
Paul was imitating Jesus. We know that he was not one of Jesus’s traveling band. So he did not pick it up from Jesus during His lifetime. But Paul did spend some time with the apostles who were with Jesus.
If we look at Acts 14:21, we see a summary of Paul’s ministry in Derbe. Paul and Barnabas had already established a pattern of ministry as he traveled city to city during their first missionary journey. He would enter the synagogue if there was one, proclaim the gospel until he was kicked out, focus his time and energy on the responsive, and leave behind a gathered community of disciples (called the church) who were to continue the work in his absence. Luke’s summary of this pattern as seen in Derbe was that Paul “made disciples.”
Pulling it all together
In Matthew 28 we can see the command to make disciples. When we connect Acts 14:21, we see that we must proclaim the gospel in order to make disciples. And part of making disciples is baptizing them. Then, we are to teach them to obey all that we were commanded. This is exactly how the gospel of the Kingdom spread so rapidly throughout the Roman empire as detailed in the book of Acts.
Again, in John 4, we see Jesus making disciples. He continued this pattern during His ministry years. He was modeling it. He was also training the disciples in this pattern. This training went beyond only the twelve. Paul imitated this pattern, and the Lord used him to open up the door for the gospel to many.
Jesus tells us to keep this very same pattern. Until all nations are discipled. Until His return. We operate under His authority, which is supreme in heaven and on earth. He is with us. He has given us power for the task.
The baton is in our hands.
Will you keep this command? Will you imitate the practices of Jesus and partner with Him to disciple the world?
Jesus said that anyone who believes in Him will do the works He was doing. He said that they would actually do “greater works.” We see works of greater scope and influence occurring in the book of Acts as believers partnered with the Risen Christ in His mission, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and by keeping this pattern.
The invitation for you is on the table. Will you accept it? And will you pass it on?
Editor’s Note:
If you want to take a first step in making disciples, or need some help where you are stuck, connect with other Sent Ones here.