The Blueprint for Discipleship: Living the Life of Jesus
The central call of Christianity is not simply to believe in Jesus, but to live like Him. When Christ first called His followers, the command was not “Read this doctrine,” but “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19). The Christian life is, at its core, an apprenticeship—a lifelong journey of taking on the character, priorities, and mission of the Master.
The world often sees Jesus only as a Savior who died for us, and while that truth is the bedrock of our faith, it misses the equally crucial fact that Jesus is the pattern for how we are to live. To live the life of Jesus is to align our inner character and our outward actions with the perfect humanity modeled by the Son of God, all through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. This is the radical call to imitation.
The Apostle Paul makes the mandate clear: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). This command insists that Christ’s humility, obedience, and selflessness must become the operating system of the believer’s life.
I. The Inner Life: A Radical Devotion to the Father
The outward ministry of Jesus was sustained entirely by His intimate, unshakeable connection with God the Father. To live like Jesus, we must first adopt His disciplines of dependency and devotion.
A. The Supremacy of Prayer and Solitude
Jesus, though divine, modeled perfect human reliance on the Father. His life was marked by intentional, non-negotiable times of solitude and prayer.
The Gospels frequently show Jesus withdrawing from the demanding crowds to connect with God. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). Luke adds, “He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
This was not simply a religious duty; it was the source of His authority, wisdom, and power. Our lives must likewise prioritize a consistent rhythm of solitude, where the noise of the world is silenced, and prayer, where we practice dependency on God.
The content of His prayer life teaches us submission. In Gethsemane, facing the cross, He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Living the life of Jesus means adopting a will continually yielded to the Father’s purpose, seeking first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
B. Submission to the Word (Scripture)
Jesus’s identity and mission were rooted in the Scriptures. He understood Himself as the fulfillment of prophecy and relied on the written Word as His ultimate defense and guide.
His reliance on the Word is most explicit during His temptation in the wilderness. To every assault from the Devil, Jesus countered not with personal wisdom, but with Scriptural authority, declaring, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4).
For us, living His life requires daily, devoted intake of Scripture. It must be our supreme authority and the source of our wisdom (2 Timothy 3:16). We must not merely read the Bible, but allow it to reform our thinking, attitudes, and decisions, making us “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
C. Absolute Humility and Dependence
The hallmark of Christ’s entire earthly existence was self-emptying—the kenosis. “He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). This was a deliberate choice to lay aside the privileges of divinity and function in perfect human obedience.
His own words confirm this radical dependence: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19).
For the disciple, this means the death of pride. We must acknowledge that every talent, resource, and breath comes from God. We are called to wear humility as our constant garment, knowing that apart from Christ, we can accomplish nothing of eternal value (John 15:5). This is the foundation upon which all other virtues are built: a soul utterly reliant on its Creator.
II. The Character: Embodying the Beatitudes
Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) provides the core curriculum for Christian character. If the Old Covenant defined righteousness by external law, the New Covenant, revealed through Jesus, defines it by internal disposition—purity of heart, motive, and spirit.
A. The Preeminence of Agape Love
Love is the single most defining characteristic of the life of Jesus. It is not a weak sentiment, but the fierce, self-sacrificing commitment to the well-being of others. This is the Agape love of God.
Jesus elevated love above all other commands: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). The qualifier is key: our love must be modeled after His love—unconditional, giving, and sacrificial.
The most difficult and radical expression of this love is found in the command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Jesus perfectly modeled this from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). To live like Jesus is to practice radical forgiveness and reject all bitterness.
B. Meekness, Gentleness, and Patience
Jesus described Himself using terms that stand in stark contrast to the world’s vision of power: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control. Jesus possessed all power, yet He submitted to the cross without retaliation (Isaiah 53:7). His response to betrayal, accusation, and torment was marked by profound patience and self-control (1 Peter 2:23).
The disciple must emulate this by taming the tongue. The Christlike life speaks words that impart grace and build up, not tear down. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).
C. Purity and Integrity
Jesus demanded righteousness that exceeded mere external observance. He taught that sin originates in the heart, addressing internal lust (Matthew 5:28) and anger (Matthew 5:22) as seriously as adultery or murder. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Living His life demands an uncompromising standard of integrity and purity in thought, word, and deed. Our Yes must mean Yes, and our No must mean No (Matthew 5:37). There must be no gap between our private piety and our public persona.
D. Justice and Mercy
While Jesus offered salvation to all, His ministry exhibited a passionate commitment to the poor, the marginalized, and the outcast. He didn’t just teach the Kingdom; He demonstrated it by healing the sick, restoring the demon-possessed, and eating with sinners and tax collectors.
Jesus condemned those who prioritized ritual over compassion, stating that they “neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith” (Matthew 23:23). To live like Jesus is to have a profound concern for justice—defending the cause of the poor and oppressed—and mercy—offering tangible, compassionate aid to those in need. It is recognizing that true worship requires social action.
III. The Mission: Extending the Kingdom
Jesus’s life was not meant to be a private spiritual experience; it was a public, active ministry focused on proclaiming and demonstrating the Kingdom of God. The life of the disciple must likewise be outward-focused.
A. Proclaiming the Gospel
Jesus’s inaugural message was direct: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). His primary mission was to announce the good news that God’s rule had broken into human history.
The final command He gave His followers was the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Living the life of Jesus means adopting this mission as our own. We are called to be witnesses, sharing the gospel through our words and, equally, through the evidence of our transformed lives. Paul calls us to be “living epistles… known and read by all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Our life itself must be the clearest testimony.
B. Sacrificial Service
Jesus defined leadership in the Kingdom through servanthood, fundamentally inverting the world’s power structures. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
The ultimate example of this was His final act of service to His disciples: washing their feet (John 13:1-17). This was a task reserved for the lowest servant, yet Jesus performed it, commanding: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
For the disciple, service is not an option; it is the defining mark of greatness. It involves humble, practical actions—acts of hospitality, caring for the sick, serving in our local communities, and offering our time and resources without expectation of recognition.
C. Community and Unity
Jesus did not do ministry alone; He spent three years building a committed community (the twelve disciples). The life of Jesus is always lived in community.
The early Church, after Pentecost, understood this, devoting themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers (Acts 2:42).
To live Christ’s life is to be committed to His Church—the body of Christ. This means practicing mutual love, accountability, and the restoration of those who fall into sin, following the guidelines given in Matthew 18:15-17. It also means actively pursuing the unity for which Jesus prayed: “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21). Our love for one another is the external proof of our discipleship.
D. Stewardship and Diligence
Jesus’s teachings on the Kingdom included several parables on how His followers should use the resources and talents God entrusted to them—the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), for example.
The life of Jesus is a life of diligence and good stewardship. This extends to our money, our time, and our abilities. We are called to be generous, giving cheerfully and sacrificially, knowing that we are merely managers of what belongs to God (2 Corinthians 9:7). We are also called to be diligent in our work, doing everything “as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).
IV. The Perseverance: Finishing the Race
Living the life of Jesus is not a sprint; it is an endurance race with a high cost, but an even higher reward.
A. The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus never promised an easy life; He promised persecution, misunderstanding, and difficulty. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). The cross is the symbol of ultimate self-denial and death to one’s own ambition.
Living the life of Jesus requires daily self-denial—choosing God’s will over our own comfort, reputation, and desires.
B. The Assurance of Grace
Crucially, the disciple must remember that this journey is possible only through grace. We are not saved by our imitation of Christ, but by His finished work. We will fail, but God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and when we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). The life of Jesus is not lived in perfect performance, but in perpetual repentance and renewed faith.
C. The Eternal Hope
Finally, the life of Jesus is lived with an eternal perspective. Our focus is not on accumulating treasures on Earth, but on storing them up in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Our citizenship, as Paul reminds us, “is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
The ultimate motivation for living the life of Jesus is the hope of hearing the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21).
This is the great, unfolding drama of discipleship—a life empowered by the Spirit, reflecting the character of the Son, and devoted to the will of the Father. It is a life not just worth believing in, but a life worth living.