#disciplemaking
#adventcalendarday9
#willyoujoinme

If you dare, read Luke chapter 9!

Remember I said yesterday it’s important to believe and trust that Jesus brings life and healing? This chapter is the pivotal point for this gospel. It’s the moments when the disciples have to make their minds up about who Jesus is. They’ve witnessed miracle after miracle. They’ve heard wise moral teaching. They’ve seen demons cast out, they’ve even seen resurrections! And now Jesus says to the twelve Apostles (note: this would have included Judas) effectively, “go and do what you’ve seen me doing”. That was a normal statement for a rabbi to make, remember, but oh boy, this is something else! How would you have felt?

And they get on with it, with such success that even the king is now asking “who is this man (and his followers)?” Surely, this must be one of the main goals of our own discipleship – people should be asking as a result of our following Jesus, “Who are these people and the man they follow?”

Note that Jesus promises power & provision (v1-5) and demonstrates it in the feeding of the 5000. Then, after their first ‘direct mission’ and his demonstration of provision, then, he asks them finally, “Who do you say I am?” You may want to reflect on the idea that it’s only after going on mission and learning to trust in God’s power & provision that they are truly able to say who Jesus is. If you never go on “mission” (ie put Jesus’ promises into action), will you ever truly believe in who he is?

And lest we get overly (irrationally) excited about going on mission with Jesus, sober up with the words of v23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. These are words of triumph, but only after personal and costly sacrifice!

• Is anyone asking about Jesus because of what you are doing and saying?
• What’s stopping you from being engaged with God’s mission? (Why not go and talk to your pastor about getting involved somehow?)
• Have you asked for Jesus’ empowerment (the Holy Spirit) to equip you for the job?
• Who is God speaking to you about right now that needs healing or some other evidence of Jesus’ good news?
• What are you going to have to “die to” in order to follow Jesus?