Beloved
We are in Easter week – the most important event in history:
1. We are delivered from our sin. Hell was closed and heaven was opened for believers – eternally!
2. Jesus was crowned as King of the Kingdom – He reigns as Lord and He is here.
3. We can now live in the Kingdom in our families, communities and countries – under His rulership and in His presence.
4. Heaven (His ultimate Lordship and unabridged presence) is NOW!
This is the contents of disciplemaking – the process we follow and mindset we make disciples with – cannot be different from the origin. Jesus said : “Follow ME”. Not rules / dogma / personalities / the presiding culture. ME. “Do it like I do it”.
The ultimate purpose of disciplemaking? “So that all created beings in heaven and on earth will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:10).
The process – how do we get there? “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, and became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion ” (Philippians 2:6-9) (MSG)
Sometimes I think the church’s biggest problem is not the devil – but the church itself – because of the way we think about ourselves. An ego that makes Jesus’ mindset – as described above – a real challenge. This automatically translates into how we handle all our relationships – how we think about ourselves and others.
On Palm Sunday according to literature – two processions entered Jerusalem:
1. Pilate on his horse showing his power – riding from the west into the city.
2. Jesus on a donkey coming from the mountain of olives – from the east. The Kingdom of God looks drastically different.
Reflect on Jesus’ ministry – His lifestyle, possessions – the metaphor of all this is the washing of His disciple’s feet.
To make disciples requires to challenge our culture. To reflect on our culture and the Kingdom-culture – and then to arrive with the values of Christ. As a servant. Selfless – no desire to be acknowledged, respected, recognized, known about, titles, hierarchies. It’s all about what others need.
Easter invites us to think about what we are thinking – about ourselves!
And He will make the disciples through us.
Friday is followed … .by Sunday.
Johann Theron