When defining the meaning of a disciple of Jesus Christ there are several ways we could look at it.  We might begin with the definition that Jim Putman uses in “Real Life Discipleship” based on Matthew 4:19.  Putman defines a disciple as one who Follows Christ, is Changed by Christ and is Committed to Christ’s mission.  This is a very simple and effective way to break it down.  Another way to describe it is that Christ changes His disciples at the Head, Heart and Hands.  This is also very simple and easy to understand.

            However, today I would like to define a disciple by using what we try to talk about and pass on in our local church.  We define a disciple as  someone who, because of the Transforming Power of Jesus Christ,  has a “Passion for God and a Passion for People”.  This definition is based on the greatest Commandment as given by Christ in Mark 12:29-31.  In vs. 29 Jesus says that we must remember that “the Lord our God is one Lord”.  We must realize Christ’s Lordship and authority in order to fully understand what it means to follow and obey Him.

            With this understanding in place we can then know what it means to have an all encompassing love or passion for God. In vs. 30, Jesus listed the different aspects of our lives where this love should play out: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” T his is similar to Jim Putman’s analogy of being changed in our Head, Heart and Hands.  Someone who loves God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength will begin to understand and demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).  They will also see the necessity of the radical Biblical concepts of being crucified with Christ and walking in the Spirit rather than in the flesh which Paul mentions in vs. 24-25.

Jesus wraps up the full meaning of the greatest commandment in Mark 12:31 by saying that we should “Love our neighbor as ourselves”.  This love or passion for people flows out of our love for God, which in turn results from the Love that He gives to us through His Spirit.  This has a great deal to do with following Christ’s example of humility, self-sacrifice and compassion for others which He modeled to his disciples while on earth.