Discipleship Pathway: Jesus Teaches His Disciples

DISCIPLESHIP CLASS – THE WAY – WEEK 3

Jesus Teaches His Disciples
Central passages:

Matthew 5:1-2

When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to teach them,

Matthew 7:24-29

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes. [1]

 

  1. Disciples Adopt a Posture to Learn: True disciples position themselves to hear from God by structuring their lives to be ready to listen and respond. This involves intentionally placing oneself in a posture to learn from Jesus and sacrificing time and energy to learn from Him.

Jesus’ disciples adopted a posture to learn by making specific efforts to be in a position to receive His teaching. This involved actively following Him and adjusting their lives to prioritize learning from Him.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him.[2]

Specific examples of how Jesus’ disciples adopted a posture to learn:

  • Following Jesus: The disciples demonstrated their commitment to learning by abandoning their normal lives in order to travel with Jesus and listen to His teachings. Not everyone followed Jesus, but His disciples did.
  • Making sacrifices: Disciples trekked up a mountain to sit at Jesus’ feet, placing themselves in a position to learn from His teaching. They sacrificed time and energy to be in the right place to learn from Him.
  • Listening and responding: True disciples structure their lives so they’re ready to listen and respond when God speaks. They actively bend their lives around what matters most.
  • Following Jesus’ example: Jesus regularly turned common wisdom on its head to show what a true disciple looks like. He referenced interpretations of the Old Testament law or cultural norms and then ratcheted up the tension by saying, “But I tell you”.
  • Obedience: Jesus called His disciples to a higher level of obedience and pushed them to shape the culture around them rather than just follow what everyone else was doing.

 

  1. Disciples Obey What They Learn: Disciples learn to take action and obey what they learn, unlike students who learn for the sake of information or to pass a test. The teachings of Jesus offer a firm foundation, but they are only valuable when acted upon.

 

Bible verse to reflect:

Matthew 7:15-17

15 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.[3]

 

  • Taking action: Discipleship involves learning in order to take action. Jesus’ teachings are only valuable when acted upon.
  • Bearing fruit: Discipleship goes beyond merely doing good things, and involves a transformation of the heart, evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.
  • Obedience to a higher standard: Jesus called His disciples to a higher level of obedience, encouraging them to shape the culture around them instead of just following the crowd.
  • Building on a firm foundation: By obeying Jesus’ teachings, disciples build their lives on a solid foundation that can withstand the storms of life.
  • Following Jesus’ example: Jesus taught with authority, unlike the scribes, and His disciples followed His example by embracing His teachings and living them out. Jesus regularly turned common wisdom on its head to show what a true disciple looks like. He referenced interpretations of the Old Testament law or cultural norms and then ratcheted up the tension by saying, “But I tell you”.
  • Fruit of the Spirit: Obeying God involves more than just doing good things; it requires a transformation of the heart that is reflected in the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence that God is working to transform hearts.

Disciples should express the fruit of the Spirit in their lives through cultivation that stems from genuinely following Jesus, submitting to His teaching, and growing to be more like Him. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence that God is working to transform hearts, not just a display of doing good things.

 

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Mt 7:24–29). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

[2] Christian Standard Bible (Mt 17:1–3). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

[3] Christian Standard Bible (Mt 7:15–17). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

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