So this Christianity thing. You’ve probably heard about it. Perhaps you’ve even been a Christian for years.

But what exactly is Christianity?

You’ve seen people proclaim to hold affiliation with this term, with John 3:16 stamped in their social media bio, and even worn as a patch on letterman jackets at school. Some put a sign in their yard, some place a cross over the mantle, and others go to even further lengths to try to express to those around them that they are a “Christian.”

But is that all it takes to be a Christian? To just call yourself one?

And what about this denomination thing? Tons of them exist, and they all claim to be right. Is Christianity really like ice cream? The same general construct, but with flavors galore to just pick whichever one pleases your palate?

For so many, Christianity seems to mean so many different things. But is it so many different things? If there is only one Jesus, and He is indeed the only “way” that He claims to be, then wouldn’t there only be one way to be a Christian?

Technically, the answer to this question is “yes.” But, not because I said so. It’s yes, because that’s what the Bible tells us. As a matter of fact, in the Bible, it’s Jesus Himself who says this.

Remember, everything we believe—which is our doctrine—must come from the Bible. So, let’s examine what the Bible says about being a Christian.

To truly understand what it means to be a “Christian,” we must go to the place in the Bible where anyone was ever called such a term in the first place.

Where does this happen? Turn with me to the Book of Acts 11:26.

_“And the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” _(Acts 11:26).

It is important to understand a few things here:

  1. This term Christian in the original Greek language that this verse of Scripture was written, means “of Christ,” or “belonging to Christ.”
  2. Those who were called Christians in this verse of Scripture were actively engaged “disciples” of Jesus.
  3. The people who called the disciples Christians were not disciples of Jesus, but instead mocking those who were followers of Christ for the Christlikeness that was emanating from their lives.

In essence, these people were living like Jesus so convincingly that they were accused of it.

But what do these points have to do with this conversation? Everything. Everything, if in fact we are trying to understand what being a Christian truly means, according to the Bible.

These disciples of Jesus were embracing their call to “follow” Him. After all, this was the invitation that Jesus gave to all who desired to become His disciples, saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

Follow Jesus? What is that all about?

In order to understand what it means to follow Jesus, we first have to put ourselves into the mindset and culture of the people we are reading about.

Let’s time travel for a minute and settle into their cultural context to really understand and unearth what this invitation that Jesus gave to “follow” Him is even about.

In the first century, primarily in the Jewish cultural context in which the Gospels were written, there were spiritual teachers that people called “rabbis.”

That is pronounced RAAB-EYES.

These rabbis were explainers of the Scriptures, which, for them, was essentially the Old Testament of our Bibles that we read from today. This set of verses that these rabbis taught from remains the set of verses that Jews still refer to as their Scriptures today called the “TaNak” (pronounced TUH-NAH-K).

As teachers of the Scriptures and the kingdom of God, rabbis would need students. Without students, there is no need for teachers.

But someone couldn’t just become a student on their own. You had to be selected. And these students who were selected by a rabbi were called “disciples.” Those who became students of the way of life and the teachings (doctrine) of the particular rabbi who had invited them were to “follow” him. And this is exactly what the disciples would do. Follow.

We are getting somewhere together. Hang in there with me.

Disciples follow their teacher. This is what they do. But not in a directional sense alone, although this was also true, being that they would virtually live their life in close proximity to their teacher. This following was an immersion type of following that would plunge the life of a disciple deep into the life of his rabbi. Truthfully, their effort was to follow their rabbi in every possible sense.

When we look at the goal of a disciple, we get a solid picture of what this type of “following” really meant, with the end goal being to ultimately become like the rabbi they were following.

To walk, act, and think like one’s rabbi.

And while in many ways this was an educational relationship in nature, it was not in the same sense in which we understand education in our modern context. For us, students set out to school to sit under a myriad of teachers; these teachers teach certain subjects, and the end goal of this teaching is that each student will have proficiently learned the concepts of the various subjects that they have been taught. For us today, it is about gaining information and acquiring knowledge, which we are then tested on to determine the depth in which we have retained the information that we have learned.

The format of our modern education system puts a premium on information, and there is nothing wrong with this. It would be a failure to have set out to learn about something and in the end have learned nothing. But the education system of a teacher/rabbi with his disciples/followers, while certainly including the transfer of information, was rooted in transformation.

Yes, the goal was to learn what it was that the teacher was teaching, but not only to learn what the teacher was teaching… but to catch the lesson of the life of the teacher himself.

Learning information was valuable, but so was learning the way of the rabbi.

Hopefully, this explanation helps you understand more fully what the goal of a disciple of Jesus was all about: to become like and emulate the life of one’s rabbi or teacher. Of which, Jesus was.

Yes. Jesus was a rabbi. A teacher. In fact, in the Gospels, He was called “rabbi” fifteen times and “teacher” at least sixty times.

So now, let’s take that knowledge and place it within the context of Acts 11:26, where the disciples of Jesus were first ever assigned the term Christian in the first place. And from the perspective that we have just picked up together about disciples and rabbis, let’s endeavor to understand what it means to truly be a Christian.

The disciples of Jesus were trying to become like their master teacher, their rabbi… Jesus. They were trying to live in His ways, that the effect of true “following” might be produced in their lives, as they would begin to emulate their rabbi.

And boy, did they ever succeed.

To be a Christian wasn’t a term that they were seeking to identify with. Truthfully, the term didn’t even exist yet. They didn’t wake up one day and say, “I know what we should do! We should create a label for ourselves so that we can have a special title that everyone calls us! Yes! We will call ourselves Christians!”

No.

They weren’t in pursuit of their image or even remotely concerned about it. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t anywhere on their minds. The truth is, these disciples of Jesus had, in their hearts, already died with Jesus and been buried with Him (Romans 6:3–4; Galatians 2:20).

To them, they had no more image (more on this in Chapter 10, but don’t skip ahead). The only image they had was the one of their rabbi that was being formed in them as they followed Him. His image. Jesus. The one they were trying to follow. And they accomplished this with such a degree of success that the bystanders, the observers, the mockers of the way they were following ascribed to them this term: Christian. Those who were the disciples of Jesus Christ in Antioch.

Christians. Those “of Jesus.”

But how would anyone know? How were they to know that these people were indeed “of Christ”? Was it because they said so? Was it because they carried a certain symbol or identifying marker? No. Simply put, they were just successfully following their rabbi. Which, when done correctly, leads to one’s life being transformed into the image of the one they are following.

The fruit of their following was showing.

They were being Jesus’ disciples, following the way of His life and doctrine, and therefore truly becoming like Him.

Can I just drop a side note in here for you? You will always become like what you follow.

Okay, back on track.

They had become like Jesus. And for those in the crowd hurling what was intended to be an insult, they had no idea that the words that they were using to try to mock and cause harm would actually become the greatest confirmation that the disciples of Jesus could have ever received. 

They were doing this right.

I can imagine what the subject was at dinner that night as the disciples of Jesus gathered in their homes to eat and fellowship.

“Guys, can you believe it?! Were actually doing this right! They saw our rabbi in us! They saw Him! They saw Jesus!”

They were living like, talking like, being like Jesus and doing what He did when He was among them… and even greater.

Their true commitment of following Jesus produced in them the fruit of their entire pursuit… which was to become like Him.

If we are ever to truly become “Christians,” it will not simply be because we say that we are. It will not be because we have a fish on the back window of our car, John 3:16 stamped in our social media bio, a sign in the yard, or even because we “go to church” on Sundays.

If we are ever to become worthy of being accused of being “of Christ,” it will be because we have first, and yet even last, wholly become His disciples. Those who follow the way of their master teacher… Jesus.

The definition of success as it pertains to following Jesus and being a Christian is not what we produce in and of ourselves, but what through our submitted and abiding posture in Him as His followers, Jesus Himself produces in us. If we are to ever become transformed from what we have been into the image of who He is, bearing His fruit, it will not be because of the skill of our personal attempts, but because of His grace which works in us to bear good fruit that proves we are branches of the right tree.

Following is not about doing things for Jesus, even learning things about Jesus… it’s about becoming like Him. Then, and only then, does any of our “doing” for Him contain any significant value. Because when His image is truly formed in us, it won’t be because we have done it on our own accord and strength, but through the working of the power of His Spirit alone in our lives.

As you begin this journey, start with this in mind.

Let this mindset and perspective do an override on whatever you have thought before that being a Christian, a disciple, and a follower of Jesus means. Let your worldview be refreshed and reframed. Let your path be cleared by the truth of this revelation from the Word of God today.

In conclusion, consider the apple tree.

An apple tree can only produce apples if it is first an apple tree. Elementary, I know. But this is important.

Just like we had to learn the basics of 1+1=2 before we could ever begin to learn the complex concepts of trigonometry, we have to first learn the simple, elementary things about God first, before we can dive headfirst into the more complex things about Christ.

In the beginning of Scripture, in Genesis 1:11, after God makes the trees, He then states that every fruit tree would “yield fruit according to its kind.”

What does that mean, and how does that relate to this subject?

Simply put… Our fruit says what we are.

Fruit talks.

Daniel 11:32 says it like this: those who “know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits”.

This is just another echo of the model that Jesus has laid out for us as we endeavor to become His disciples. Know Jesus, be with Jesus, become like Jesus. And as a result… through His empowering and grace alone, do the works that He did in even greater measure (John 14:12).

So… what does the fruit say? Are you "of Christ?”

We most certainly can be.

Reflection Questions: