John 8:31-32
Jesus' Disciples
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:23-24
Jesus' Disciples
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Luke 12:49:53
Not Peace but Division
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Jesus wants us to be His disciples...Jesus wants us to make disciples of all nations...That is His Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)...We are to bring others to God...We are His evangelists now...And if we are His disciples, we hold to His teachings...As His disciples we not only believe in His teachings, we believe in Him...When we believe in Him, then we know the truth, and the truth will set us free...
Those who believe in Jesus, believe that He is the way, the truth, and the life...But there are non-believers and atheists, who do not believe this...The non-believer and atheist also believes there is no God...If God does not exist, then you have to question many things about Jesus...Jesus talked about God over and over throughout His ministry...No one talked more about God than Jesus...Jesus' entire life is centered around God, and He made God His life...If you do not believe in God, then you must think Jesus is not very smart...Why would one put His entire life, and their entire reputation, and their whole belief system in a dream, myth, or something that doe not exist...In fact, those who think God does not exist, must think Jesus is stupid and a fool...After all, all of His teachings are to bring everyone close or closer to God...
Now if the atheist is correct, then God does not exist and Jesus is not the way, the truth, and the life and we will never be set free by His truths...There is no eternities, there is no heaven...He would not be truth if the atheist is right...Then He would be a lie...If God does not exist, Jesus is a fool for teaching, what He taught...What else can He be, if God does not exist?...
But Jesus is not dumb...As you read through the Gospels, the Acts, St. Paul, and the other letters you do not get a feeling is dumb at all...In fact, He did many miracles, and had a great following, and you might even suspect, One that popular might be arrogant...But as you read about Him, you get no sense of that at all either...One senses that He is humble and THE most wise man (if it fair to call Him a man)...If fact, after I read the Bible, I think Jesus is the wisest of all men who ever lived, followed by King Solomon, and then St. Paul, who wrote thirteen or fourteen (if you credit him with the Book of Hebrews) of the New Testament Books...These are three wise men...But Jesus is the smartest and the wisest man ever to walk the earth...I feel, no one has ever talked like Him...What He talked about, and He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life...
Jesus disciples got to see and feel His wisdom...His wisdom and their understanding of Him, seem to culminate right before His arrest...He spoke and explained all these things of His wisdom that even they could understand Him...The disciples said, Now we can see that You know all things and that You do not even need to have us ask questions...This makes us think You come from God (John 16:29-30)...
The way Jesus taught, He wants us to make a decision about Himself...We have to choose between a truth or a lie...We must choose if He is the wisest Man, ever to walk the earth, or a fool...He did not come to bring peace on this earth, but division...He wants us to choose these things about Him...