Multiply Ministry like Jesus, Answers to Questions

I gave a 10-question pop quiz about Jesus in the last post. Here are the answers.

Jesus invested more time in His Twelve than the entire world together as He “focused on the few to reach the many.” “Come & See” drew would be disciples into “Come & Follow Me” to make disciples and on to “Come & Be with Me” to multiply disciples. This launch them into a lifelong ministry of multiplying themselves through “Go & Multiply Together.”

Question 1: Jesus spent most of His time with the crowds.

No! Jesus never played to the crowds. Some of His most challenging messages came when He began to be more popular. He separated those who followed because of what they may get out of it from those who followed Jesus to serve others…period.

Question 2: Jesus related to different people differently.

Yes! Jesus related to each person based on their level of commitment. “Come & See” is for early buy-in, large enough for the casual person to feel comfortable. “Come & Follow Me” fosters a growing choice to be all-in and is small enough to develop a T-E-A-M of mutually committed disciples as servant-first leaders.

Question 3: Jesus invested one year into his disciples

No! Jesus invested in His Twelve for almost 3-years, without neglecting the crowd who came more out of curiosity, comfort, convenience or to criticize. “Jesus focused on the few to reach the many.” Relationship with people was His plan, not methods, not tracks. Methods and structure flexed and were adapted to meet people where they were so they could grow over time, without controlling or judging.

Question 4: Jesus met in “closed” group with His disciples.

Yes! Jesus reached out and specifically called individuals to a temporarily closed T-E-A-M (Together Everyone Achieves More) centered on Himself. They either came or not. Jesus did not coerce or hype or try to convince. He respected their choice, honoring their dignity as image-bearers, and simply said, “come, follow Me.” He poured His life into those who came, even with all their flaws, without putting down the rest.

Question 5: Jesus immediately gave them a job.

No! Jesus did not call them to a job, but to relationship. His followers did nothing in the first tier, except invite others to “come & see.” If we look at a harmony of the Gospels for what is recorded for “Come & Follow Me” (a ten-month long tier), His followers also did very little, except one time they procured a boat so Jesus could conveniently preach to the crowd from the lake. To call them to performance would tap into the world’s values of performance-to-please.

Question 6: Jesus spent most of His time in mixed-gender groups.

No! Jesus built with same-gender groups in “Come & Follow Me.” I don’t look at this as cultural, but trans-cultural for all-time for several reasons. Note: Jesus valued the ministry of woman highly (see Luke 8:3 for the group of women who traveled with Him).

Question 7: Jesus recruited the cream of the crop.

No! Jesus did not recruit, but invited, not based on accomplishments, gifting, test scores or a certain profile. Jesus offered relationship to those in whom He saw a desire to grow, perhaps as F.A.S.T. followers (Faithful, Available, Serving Teachable).

Question 8: Jesus aimed to build a large following.

No! Jesus was never about reaching the most possible numbers. He could have written letters, but instead chose to invest His life in relational, face-to-face encounters with people. Jesus left heaven to become a real human being for maximum impact (2 Corinthians 8:9). God designed us as image-bearers, who learn and grow and change together in authentic encounters.

Question 9: Jesus was a quiet revolutionary.

Yes! Jesus was a “quiet revolutionary.” He came to revolutionize an old religious system that had shifted from its origins and become an old wineskin. Jesus never veered from His mission, even while taking body-blows from the religious establishment. He never disrespected the system, even healing lepers and instructing them to go back to the priest. Still, Jesus faithfully called the institution back to its roots.

Question 10: Jesus wanted to spend more time with the Twelve.

No! Jesus’ three tiers were time limited. In other words, Jesus did not call them to be with Him in group indefinitely. Jesus died to release them into that for which He had been preparing them. Now, we don’t have to be as radical as Jesus here (He died physically!) But we do need to release them into “Go & Serve Together.” This is the end toward which Jesus had been developing them for three years, multiplying His ministry through His followers to every people group throughout the world.

How does this match how you personally multiply disciples of Jesus?