When we think of discipleship, the resurrection isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Surely the focus is on following Jesus and walking as Jesus walked? But when we take a closer look, we see in fact that the resurrection is central to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus-Christ.
As Christians, the resurrection is the centrepiece of our faith. A summary of the Gospel is that Christ died for our sins and rose again that we might have eternal life. Whereas Jesus’ death on the cross pays the price for our sins, it is his resurrection that proves firstly that God has accepted the offering of the Messiah and secondly that Jesus has overcome both sin and its ultimate consequence, death. The resurrection is so important to what it means to be a Christian that Paul says that if Christ isn’t risen then our faith is useless and we are still in our sins. Moreover, Paul goes on to say that if our hope is only for this life, then we above all men are to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). In other words, without the resurrection of Jesus our faith would be utterly pointless and the idea of being a disciple of Jesus absolutely absurd.
To be a disciple is to be a follower of Jesus and we therefore need to look to see where Jesus went. The resurrection was the terminus of Jesus’ walk, it was His ultimate destination and the culmination of His mission. To be a disciple is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps therefore our walk is to parallel Jesus’ which leads us eventually to our own resurrection on the last day. Peter describes the resurrection as the living hope of the believer guaranteeing the promised inheritance and culminating with the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:3-9). But the resurrection is to be more than the future destination, it is also a present reality for believers.
As disciples, our journey begins with baptism as we respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him. Baptism, in fact, is the act of discipleship as we publicly acknowledge that we are not just believers in but followers of Jesus-Christ. Through baptism, we identify with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Going under the water represents dying with Christ and our old serves being buried in the water. Rising up out of the water represents us being raised with Christ and walking in newness of life (Romans 6:3-11). What baptism symbolises is us laying down our old life and taking up the life of Christ. We experience this through the power of the Holy Spirit and it is through His empowerment that we are able to give witness to who Jesus is and what He has done.
Disciples are witnesses of the Gospel message and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfil the Great Commission (Luke 24:46-49). Baptised by the Holy Spirit the disciples become Jesus’ witnesses as they proclaim the Gospel of salvation to humanity (Acts 1:8). In fact, in the book of Acts we see that to be a follower of Jesus is to be a witness to the resurrection (1:22, 2:42-47, 3:15, 4:32-36, 5:12-16, 10:39-43, 13:30-31).
Now in the 21st century, we may not have seen the risen Lord with our eyes but we are witnesses to the truth of the resurrection. We have received the Holy Spirit who confirms the truth of Gospel and in turn empowers us to live it out and make it known. In John’s Gospel following the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples and says “as the Father has sent Me I also send you” (John 20:21). As Jesus has been commissioned by the Father, we are now commissioned by Him. As His disciples, we are uniquely qualified to testify to the Gospel because we have been personal recipients of it. We have experienced the love and forgiveness of God and have been tasked with proclaiming it to the rest of the world. Our message is simple: God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). This everlasting life is realised firstly through receiving the Holy Spirit and ultimately through the future resurrection of the body promised to all believers.
As we have said, to be a disciple is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and to be a witness to who He is and what he has done. The resurrection encapsulates the Gospel and to be a disciple is to be a witness to the resurrected Lord Jesus. We are ambassadors Christ who like His first disciples get to proclaim the Gospel to the world announcing that: “He is risen!”
Over time and especially in light of the reformation, the role of the cross has become central in our theology and in many ways rightly so. However, what was the focus of the earliest church wasn’t the death of Jesus but the resurrection. The cross only has significance if the resurrection has taken place. As Christians and as disciples of Jesus we need to renew our focus on the resurrection and once again see it as the centrepiece of our faith. We are ambassadors of Christ witnesses to the resurrection. Our mission is to proclaim the Good News that Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ will come again. Furthermore, we are not just witnesses to the facts but living witnesses to the power of the resurrection. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in resurrection life and demonstrate to the world what it means to be in a relationship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus-Christ.