Becoming Like Jesus: Who Am I?Sample

Disciple of Jesus

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. Mark 1:16-18 NLT

In those verses we just read, Jesus called His first disciples. Those first disciples were Simon and Andrew, two brothers likely doing what they did at the same time and in the same place, everyday: fishing. But on this day, something unexpected happened, a ragged rabbi from Nazareth calls to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Simon and Andrew responded in a radical way. They dropped everything and followed Jesus. It was in this moment that they became the first disciples of Jesus, the most influential rabbi in history.

Still to this day, 2000 years later, Jesus is still calling out to anyone who will listen, “Come, follow me…”When we respond to His gracious invitation by choosing to follow Him, we too become His disciples.

Now, what exactly is a disciple? The English word disciple comes from a Latin word that means “student or learner.”

During Jesus’ time, becoming the disciple of a rabbi was one of the greatest things a young person could become. It was the ancient equivalent of going to an Ivy League school, graduating with honors, and landing your dream job. So, what’s a rabbi? The word rabbi means teacher. Specifically, these were the religious teachers and spiritual leaders in the Jewish faith. Only the best and brightest could hope to become a disciple of a rabbi because the rabbis would handpick their followers. If you wanted to attract the attention of a rabbi, you had to be better, smarter, and more devoted than every other little Jewish kid in your region.

This is what makes Jesus so unique. He didn’t go to the best and the brightest. He went to the ordinary and overlooked. Instead of selecting His disciples from the cream of the crop, He went to those who were down in the dumps. He went to two guys who didn’t have what it takes to be chosen by a rabbi so they went back to the family business—likely expecting to spend the rest of their days as fishermen. Until that fateful day when Jesus showed up.

What was true then is still true today. Jesus isn’t looking for the smartest, fastest, strongest, prettiest, or most popular. He’s looking for people who are willing to drop everything and follow Him. That’s what He saw in Simon and Andrew. Will He see that in you?

Later on, while delivering a series of teachings that has become known as the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus tells us:

Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. Luke 6:40 NLT

Being a disciple (student) isn’t about learning all the right answers, it’s about becoming like Jesus. The good news? Becoming like Jesus isn’t something that happens based on our own strength. It comes from sticking close to Jesus and allowing His Spirit to mold us into the image of Christ. From start to finish, the grace of God never lets up.

Following Jesus means being a student of the Great Teacher and learning from the Resurrected Rabbi. Are you willing to drop everything and follow Him?

Who are you? You’re made in the image of God. You’re a sinner saved by grace. You’re a citizen of heaven. You’re a child of God. And you are a disciple of Jesus.