“By design, discipleship is communal.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 8, 2025
The following day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:43-45, NKJV
By design, discipleship is communal. We do not follow Jesus only as individuals but are instead meant to be a family on a shared journey, together following after the Lord as he leads. Of course, we each have a personal role to play and decisions of faithfulness and sacrifice that only we can make, but even our most personal moments impact and strengthen the life of the body.
To find an example of this truth, look no further than Christ calling Philip to be his disciple. “Follow me,” our Lord says to Philip, and in truth, he speaks these very same works to you, to me, and to every single person who has ever walked this earth. His invitation into life and love is universal, though of course many will hear these words and reject them, or be so hardened against his message that they never heard the words in the first place.
Yet Philip does hear. He hears and obeys, and what is his first act of obedience? He broadens the circle and invites others in. It is a communal response, a vision of shared discipleship. He rushes to find Nathanael and boldly proclaims, “We’ve found the promised one!”
If your vision of discipleship is solely focused on your private life with God, you’re missing a fundamental element of what it means to live as a disciple. Does this mean the Lord doesn’t love you and that he rejects your life of prayer and faith? Of course not! But perhaps today there is an invitation before you, one that invites you to take a bold step outward, towards others, sharing with them the good news of God’s love in Jesus. This is an essential part of what it means to say “yes” to the Lord’s invitation to follow him.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19, NIV).
Prayer
Father, as you heal and transform our hearts, may that renewing work not simply be for ourselves, but may it spill over into our friendships and relationships, inviting others to follow you so that they may know the joy that we know in living as your faithful sons and daughters, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Who can you tell today about the life and joy that is found in Jesus Christ?
Related Reading
Matthew 9:9; Luke 9:23; John 10:27
Worship Resource
Jon Guerra: Gethsemane
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