Grace - The Self-Focused Disciples

The following is an amazing article!

The Self-Focused Disciples

By Mick Mooney

 

 

Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' - John 13:7

 

 

How could the twelve disciples walk with Jesus, spend every day with him, and still misunderstand him and his message?  It was possible because during the time that they walked with him they didn't have the revelation of the almighty power of Christ's cross.  The cross is what changed everything.

 

The disciples in the gospel accounts did not realise God's greater purpose. They were focused on what, according to their religious upbringing, they believed the Christ would accomplish in regards to their worldly external situation. God's actual plan, to make them a new creation through the finished work of Christ with a new covenant and a new spiritual reality, was a foreign concept to them. Before the reality of the cross was revealed to the disciples, they were focused more on how they could be great disciples of God, how they could improve their own faith and what they could do to be considered great in God's eyes.

 

It's interesting to note that even eight years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostles still did not understand that the new covenant was available to Gentiles! (Acts 11:1-18)  They still believed it was an exclusive covenant only to the Jews. This is not the only time in the Scriptures that we see how the Apostles did not understand the fullness of God's grace. In fact, the whole book of Acts reveals to us how the Apostles went on a journey of growing in their understanding of the new covenant reality and the power and greatness of the grace of God. (John 12:16)

 

Seeing this situation in the gospel accounts helps us as disciples today to understand the necessity of being conscious of the true purpose of Christ. Even if we are so zealous for Jesus that we give up everything to follow him as the original twelve disciples did, without a revelation of his finished work we will end up zealously trying to finish God's work, misunderstanding God's purposes and burning out along the way.  (Romans 10:2-3)

 

Today there are many Christians that are zealous for God, but that do not understand the reality of what Christ accomplished upon the cross. Without a revelation of his finished work, a believer will naturally wander back into a religious 'works orientated' mindset.  This mindset makes a disciple look at their own ideas (when they should be looking at the cross) to understand the scriptures, God, the gospel, their identity and their worth. This perspective can lead believers to either harden their hearts to God's grace, or have an overwhelming feeling of spiritual inadequacy. When we see the fullness of what Christ has accomplished for us, we begin to see all things according to his grace and we finally begin to rest in his presence.

Hope you enjoyed this!

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy