Kingdom Disciples

The man who decides to follow Jesus joins his “ Kingdom of Priests ,” and as one of his priestly representatives, the new disciple rules with him, both now and in the future. This understanding raises the question: How, exactly, does a believer participate in the sovereignty of his Lord and exercise his authority? Fortunately, Jesus and Paul have provided us with straightforward answers.

Faithful disciples will receive great rewards, but those who harm their weaker brethren risk condemnation to Gehenna . John complained because someone who was not from among their inner circle was casting out demons in Christ’s name. However, if this outsider was doing so, then it was God who was acting through him. John’s complaint was rich in irony since just a few verses earlier the disciples found themselves unable to exorcise demons because of their unbelief.

In Galilee, the disciples witnessed Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, forgive sins, and even calm a violent storm, all supernatural acts performed with great authority. However, all too often, his words and deeds produced confusion followed by the question – “ Who is this man? ” Only at his execution on Golgotha did a human being begin to understand who he was.

Through a series of seven beatitudes, Revelation summons believers to faithfulness despite hostility, tribulation, and persecution . The  Book of Revelation  is not a tool of divination for deciphering future mysteries and events. Instead, it is a summons for God’s people to become vigilant, live righteously, and persevere in testimony during persecution and other trials. Its concern is not when certain events will occur, but how the Assembly of God must “ overcome ” and thus arrive at the city of “ New Jerusalem .”

At the start of his vision, John identified himself as a “ fellow participant ” with the Assemblies of Asia in “ the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus .” He was banished to the Isle of Patmos for his “ testimony ” for Jesus, and like the seven congregations on the Asian mainland, he had endured “ tribulation ” for the sake of the “ Kingdom ” and his witness for the exalted Sovereign over all things, the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .”

Paul concludes his first  Letter to the Thessalonians  with a series of exhortations calling on the disciples of Jesus to pursue righteous living in the interim between their conversion and his “ arrival ” from heaven. He ends by summoning the congregation to pursue complete sanctification, an exhortation with verbal links to the preceding sections of the Letter.

Jesus experienced growing conflict as he began his journey to the city of Jerusalem. In Galilee, he displayed his lordship over nature, demons, disease, and even death, and the crowds welcomed him, at first, enthusiastically. However, among his own people, he was met with unbelief and rejection, and in the  Gospel of Mark , this serves as the prelude to the execution of John the Baptist. More importantly, it becomes the pattern for what disciples of Jesus may expect when they preach the Gospel.

Jesus chose his Twelve Apostles from among a larger group of followers, including two surprising candidates  -  Mark 3:13-21 .  After preaching to the crowds near Capernaum, Jesus departed to a “ mountain ” and summoned his disciples, where he chose twelve men from among a larger group. The resultant company corresponded to the twelve tribes of Israel; effectively, he was reconstituting the covenant people of Yahweh, only now, around himself and not the  Torah  or Temple.

Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men  – Mark 2:13-17. When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “ forgiven ,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees. He alienated them further by  showing mercy  to “ sinners ” considered especially unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “ tax collectors ” and “ sinners ,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that the Nazarene also was a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).

The discipleship taught by Jesus differed from that of the rabbis of his day. His followers were called to leave everything behind if need be, and to dedicate their entire lives to his mission. And they were called  TO FOLLOW HIM . In contrast, students educated in rabbinical schools became disciples of the Torah and not of individual teachers.