The ‘When’ Question
Luke 9:18-20 – Peter Declares that Jesus is the Messiah.
- “The ‘When’ Question”
- So it is the little things that sometimes get me thinking.
- In today’s passage it says that Jesus is praying in private… with His disciples.
- Sounds at first like an oxymoron.
- Yet the Rabbi/Talmid relationship was so incredibly close that Jesus could feel one with them.
- Which leads me into a really big question for the Church…
When did the disciples of Jesus first become ‘Christians’?
- On this occasion, Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah – which is great. But He still does not seem to understand that Jesus is God and certainly does not realizes how and why Jesus is going to die.
- A common understanding of ‘Christian’ is someone who believes Jesus is God and died on the cross to atone for our sins.
- So when did the disciples believe Jesus was God? When were they Christians?
- I have asked this question to thousands of people around the world in Bible Colleges, Conferences, Churches and Theological Seminaries.
- I normally get around seven different answers, usually ranging from “When they first followed Him” to “The day of Pentecost”.
- And the minute I ask those people one or two follow up questions they suddenly realizes the answer…
- We don’t know.
- Because of course we don’t.
- We all have our suggestions but the Church definitely has not come a conclusion on this and I suspect we never will.
- But to be honest, that is not my point. My point requires a further question…
When did Jesus first start to disciple the disciples?
- That question always yields an immediate and united answer…
- When He first called them.
- True.
- So then it usually dawns on us that Jesus first discipled people and then at some point afterwards , they became believers in who He truly is.
- Which leads to the biggest question of all…
Why doesn’t the church do that?
- Why do we first make people Christians and only then disciple them?
- It makes no sense to me – but that is exactly the intention of the Church.What would change if we did things the way Jesus did them? If we truly discipled [not simply educated], those wishing to find out more about God and trusted that at some point they would believe?
- And how might that change your life?
