Overall Question: What is being a disciple of Christ like?
John 15:8 NIV “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Sunday – Followers and Leaders
Exodus 18:13-27 NRSV “13 ¶ The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?" 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God." 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; 20 teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. 21 You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace." 24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.”
Exodus 18:21 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Persons of wisdom, discernment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can be a ruler without these qualifications?
Mark 3:13-19 NRSV “13 ¶ He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Then he went home;”
Mark 2:18 NRSV “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"”
Monday – Obedience and Loyalty
Mathew 4:19 Holman ““Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!””
Matthew 9:9 Holman “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.”
Mark 8:34 Holman “Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
John 6:60-70 CEV “60 ¶ Many of Jesus’ disciples heard him and said, "This is too hard for anyone to understand." 61 Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling. So he asked, "Does this bother you? 62 What if you should see the Son of Man go up to heaven where he came from? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that life-giving Spirit. 64 But some of you refuse to have faith in me." Jesus said this, because from the beginning he knew who would have faith in him. He also knew which one would betray him. 65 Then Jesus said, "You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you." 66 Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. 67 Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. 68 Simon Peter answered, "Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69 We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One." 70 Jesus told his disciples, "I chose all twelve of you, but one of you is a demon!"”
Tuesday – Sacrifice
Matthew 20:20-23 God’s Word to the Nation “20 ¶ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her two sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor. 21 "What do you want?" he asked her. She said to him, "Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." 22 Jesus replied, "You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?" "We can," they told him. 23 Jesus said to them, "You will drink my cup. But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. My Father has already prepared these positions for certain people."”
Mark 10:35-41 God’s Word to the Nation “35 James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus. They said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do us a favor." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked them. 37 They said to him, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 Jesus said, "You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?" 39 "We can," they told him. Jesus told them, "You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive. 40 But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people." 41 When the other ten apostles heard about it, they were irritated with James and John.”
Isaiah 14:12-14 God’s Word to the Nation “12 How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations! 13 You thought, "I’ll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God’s stars. I’ll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble. 14 I’ll go above the top of the clouds. I’ll be like the Most High."”
Mark 8:31-38 BBE “31 And teaching them, he said that the Son of man would have to undergo much, and be hated by those in authority, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days come back from the dead. 32 And he said this openly. And Peter took him, and was protesting. 33 But he, turning about, and seeing his disciples, said sharply to Peter, Get out of my way, Satan: for your mind is not on the things of God, but on the things of men. 34 And turning to the mass of people with his disciples, he said to them, If any man has the desire to come after me, let him give up all other desires, and take up his cross and come after me. 35 Whoever has a desire to keep his life, will have it taken from him; and whoever gives up his life because of me and the good news, will keep it. 36 What profit has a man if he gets all the world with the loss of his life? 37 And what would a man give in exchange for his life? 38 Whoever has a feeling of shame because of me and my words in this false and evil generation, the Son of man will have a feeling of shame because of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:33 ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES It was more than mere officiousness on the part of Peter. He had not risen above the level of ordinary men and deserves the name of Satan whose role he was now acting.
Wednesday – Rewards of Discipleship
Luke 9:57-58 BBE “57 ¶ And when they were on the way, a certain man said to him, I will come after you wherever you go. 58 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have resting-places, but the Son of man has nowhere to put his head.”
John 15:18-25 BBE “18 ¶ If you are hated by the world, keep in mind that I was hated by the world before you. 19 If you were of the world, you would be loved by the world: but because you are not of the world, but I have taken you out of the world, you are hated by the world. 20 Keep in mind the words I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they were cruel to me, they will be cruel to you; if they kept my words, they will keep yours. 21 They will do all this to you because of my name—because they have no knowledge of him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin. 23 He who has hate for me has hate for my Father. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no other man ever did, they would have had no sin: but now they have seen, and they have had hate in their hearts for me and my Father. 25 This comes about so that the writing in their law may be made true, Their hate for me was without cause.”
John 21:15-18 CEV “15 ¶ When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" Simon Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I do!" "Then feed my lambs," Jesus said. 16 Jesus asked a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you!" "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus told him. 17 Jesus asked a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don’t want to go."”
John 10:10 CEV “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.”
Romans 8:28-29 CEV “28 We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, 29 ¶ and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children.”
Romans 8:28 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES They shall co-operate; they shall mutually contribute to our good. They take off our affections from this world; they teach us the truth about our frail, transitory, and dying condition; they lead us to look to God for support, and to heaven for a final home; and they produce a subdued spirit, a humble temper, a patient, tender, and kind disposition.
Thursday – Lordship of Jesus Christ
John 20:28 KJ21 “And Thomas answered and said unto Him, "My Lord and my God!"”
1 Corinthians 16:22 KJ21 “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha!”
Matthew 7:22-23 KJ21 “22 Many will say to Me in that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’ 23 And then will I profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.’”
Luke 6:46 KJ21 “"And why call ye Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE A good servant never disputes, speaks little, and always follows his work. Such a servant a real Christian is: such is a faithful minister, always intent either on the work of his own salvation, or that of his neighbour; speaking more to God than to men; and to these as in the presence of God.
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James Brenneman
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