The key to being a disciple of Jesus is not just in what we know about Him. That is critically important, of course, but discipleship is much more than that. To be a disciple is to be a person who follows Jesus with every fiber of your being—with your mind, for sure, but also with your heart full of love and with your hands ever ready to serve your King.
This week, we see a hint of this in the story of the Emmaus disciples. This is one of The Gospel Project team’s favorite stories to teach because not only does it affirm that all of the Scriptures are about Jesus, but it also illustrates the need for the whole person to engage in following Jesus.
Learn (Head)
The account begins with two disciples—one named Cleopas (v. 18) and the other remaining unnamed—traveling on Easter Sunday from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus, believed to be about six miles away. As the disciples traveled, they talked about the events they had experienced during the previous week. Jesus, His identity concealed, approached them and asked what they were talking about.
As you read through how the disciples responded, you will see that they got the facts pretty much right. But you will also notice that they left the account unfinished. They reported that they had heard that Jesus was still alive, but they did not proclaim that important truth themselves. They hadn’t come to believe in the Resurrection yet. What they knew was good, but not good enough. So Jesus kindly corrected them:
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory? ” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. (Luke 24:25-27 CSB)
Before a disciple can worry about anything else, she needs to come to know the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done to provide salvation. The gospel must be understood and believed. One cannot be a disciple without this. But one can be a disciple and still not know or understand quite a bit about God. The core message of the gospel is the beginning of understanding, not the end.
As disciples, we want to constantly stretch our minds to learn more of who God is and His ways. We need to always feast on the gospel, but we also need to feed on the deeper things of Scripture. To be a disciple is to be a learner.
Love (Heart)
Learning is essential to start the discipleship process and it is critical to continue it, but being a disciple is much more than what we know. God does not measure our maturity as disciples in terms of how many Bible trivia tournaments we might win. Again, what we know matters, but as we read the Scriptures we see that God seems to place a greater emphasis on what, or rather who, we love. God is after our hearts. The gospel is designed to penetrate our minds and pierce our hearts. Notice that this is what happened to the Emmaus disciples:
32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us? ” (Luke 24:32 CSB)
Were the disciples’ minds stimulated by what Jesus shared? Surely. But it didn’t stop there and that is not what made the biggest impression on them. Their affections were stirred. That is what connected with them deeply because that is what God is after.
We need to be careful not to elevate any of God’s attributes over the others—they are all equally important to define who God is—but we cannot underestimate the importance of God’s love either. Think back before creation—nothing existed except for our Triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit enjoying perfect love and unity endlessly. God did not create people because He was lonely. Our Triune God has never known loneliness. Rather, God created us as an overflow of His love. He created us so that His love might spill over onto us and that we would in turn love Him and love others as well.
Do you see why God is after our hearts? Because that was His intention of creation in the first place. The gospel restores this love that sin broke.
Live (Hands)
If our discipleship were merely about us as individuals and God, perhaps learning and loving would be enough. But discipleship is not about us as individuals, so learning and loving are not all there is. The gospel is designed to penetrate our minds, pierce our hearts, and then work out before a watching world through the actions of our hands. Again, the Emmaus disciples model this for us:
33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, 34 who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon! ” (Luke 24:33-34 CSB)
The two disciples did not stay where they were marveling in what they had learned and basking in their increased love for God. No, what they knew and what they felt compelled them to action. They had to do something. So they traveled back to Jerusalem to share the news of what they had experienced.
What we have learned and what we have come to love will change how we live. It is simply irrational and unreasonable for us to live no differently than before we trusted in Christ. If anything, living no differently calls into question if we have truly learned anything at all and if we love God at all. Our behavior does not earn our salvation, nor does it maintain it, but it does affirm it. This is what James was saying in his epistle. We cannot choose to be a knowledge disciple alone. Neither can we choose to be a love disciple alone or an actions disciple alone. Discipleship—true discipleship—must be all three.
Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain; Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth again.” – Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
Fanny Crosby, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville, TN: Lifeway Worship, 2008), 220.
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Beverly Offutt says
Where can I find the ‘additional teaching ideas for each of the 3 points’ for the adult lessons. I can’t seem to find them in the new format.
Thank you for the podcasts. We love your materials. God using them in a might way.