Joey+Rory – Jesus Loves Me

Mark chapter 8 gives me one of the most clearest statements of what discipleship means.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life^[d] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:34-38  ESV

It is my reflection of what it means to be identified with Jesus. It is me openly admitting, by my actions, that I belong to Him.

The model of discipleship is reflective in Jesus’ crucifixion. He does not negate His claim to be the Messiah, but rather affirms it. For it is His faithfulness to this mission that becomes my model.

My two key takeaways are the confessing of who Jesus really is and the understanding of His mission.

Is it not true that you sometimes wonder if a person can be a Christian and not a disciple? I do struggle with this momentarily and then try to stop thinking about it. What if I am not a disciple of Jesus and really have no passion to follow Him – am I still a Christian? Is there such a thing as a carnal Christian – someone who is on their way to heaven but have not made the higher commitment of making Him their Lord?

This is what I mean when I said earlier that Mark 8 makes some clear statements of what is an authentic disciple. Taking up the cross is not an endurance test but an invitation to imitate Jesus, to walk with Him as a disciple. I am trying to give attention, not to the effort required of me, but to Jesus’ invitation to follow.