No life ever has impacted more people than Jesus Christ. His leadership launched a movement called the Church. Its singular mission: to make disciples who also make disciples. Here is an excerpt from my book, Leading From the Middle.
He never traveled over three hundred miles from His home during His ministry, did not own homes or possess property. He did not write songs, lead political marches, build buildings, and He did not go through the formal training of teachers in His day. Jesus was called a bastard by His enemies and did not carry the pedigree of the religious elite.
He was not a military commander, nor did He gather a large army with powerful weapons. Jesus was, for the most part, peaceful and was compassionate beyond measure. His entourage was made mostly of uneducated and ordinary people, many of whom were poor. He was from Nazareth – a place thought to bring forth no good thing. He was, by the standards of the elite, uneducated. He was a laborer, building things for others. Yet, no person has ever impacted humanity like Jesus.
How did He do it? How did one man make such a huge difference in our world? Did He have a secret recipe for His work, some kind of magic sauce that made everything work? In the following few paragraphs, I invite you to see just how Jesus did what Jesus did.
Jesus succeeded. Let’s just say for emphasis that no one ever succeeded as Jesus did. His work on humanity’s spiritual condition was a total success, so much so that in His own words, He says, “Whosoever will, may come.” His sacrifice covered the sins of the world, making life available to any who would come to Him by faith. God’s amazing grace, imparted to people, was a success.
But on the human side of the equation, what was Jesus’ methodology, and how did He succeed?
Jesus’ methodology was about disciple-making. It was founded in a process and not a weekly event. During the life of Jesus, mentoring and disciple-making was a part of the culture. Apprenticeship was how people developed within family, community, and faith.
So when Jesus began His ministry, this method of learning was already in place. The master and student relationship was a significant part of how Jesus did ministry. He mentored people. Yes, Jesus healed, taught, and did miracles, but Jesus focused the bulk of His time on mentoring.
“Follow me, and I WILL MAKE YOU fishers of men” Matthew 4:19 (Emphasis added). These four words, “I WILL MAKE YOU,” might be four of the most overlooked words in the Bible. They contain the methodology of Jesus.
“I am going to teach you. I am going to show you how to follow me. I am going to invest in you, train you, and instruct you.” These four words, “I WILL MAKE YOU,” contain the vast majority of the ministry of Jesus, and the result of these four words is total transformation. Jesus’ methodology transformed the men and women who followed Him from being fishermen to becoming fishers of men.
The Methodology of Jesus was personal, resulting in a deep friendship with those he “made.” The transformation was so great that the impact of this rag-tag bunch of followers has been immeasurable.
Not only was the methodology of Jesus personal, but it was also natural. He took them on trips, walked with them, had conversations with them, tested them, had private discussions with them, and entered their homes. Jesus trusted His friends, and His trust resulted in Jesus entrusting his friends with His mission.
I have waited to use the Bible word for Jesus’ methodology because I wanted to set the stage for us to hear it with greater clarity: Jesus discipled his friends. His mission was so great; so much was at stake; He decided to turn His attention to discipling His team. And in doing so, Jesus trained them to carry on the mission.