A disciple of Jesus is someone who follows Him: denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Him, abiding in His word, loving other disciples, and bearing fruit. Jesus speaks about the cost of discipleship, including one’s attitude toward family and possessions, and commands His followers to teach others to observe everything He commanded.
What does the Bible say about this
- Jesus says to everyone: if anyone wants to follow Me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Me; whoever loses their life for His sake will save it, but whoever is ashamed of Him and His words—the Son of Man will be ashamed of them (Luke 9:23–26).
- Jesus says that anyone who does not carry their cross and follow Him, and anyone who does not renounce their possessions, cannot be His disciple; He advises counting the cost in advance, as when building a tower (Luke 14:25–33).
- Luke 14:26 says that anyone who comes to Jesus but does not “hate” their father and mother, family, and their own life cannot be His disciple; the parallel passage says that whoever loves their father or mother more than Jesus is not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37–38).
- Jesus says to those who have believed in Him: if you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples (John 8:31–32). He gives a new commandment to love one another as He has loved them; by this love, people will recognize His disciples (John 13:34–35).
- The Father is glorified when the disciples bear much fruit (John 15:8).
- The risen Jesus commands His followers to go, make disciples of all nations, and teach them to observe everything He commanded, promising to be with His disciples to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18–20).
- Luke 14:26, when compared with Matthew 10:37, speaks of the priority of following Jesus, not a requirement to feel emotional hatred toward loved ones; the “cross” in these passages is connected with following Jesus, not with every unpleasant experience in life.
The brief answer was prepared by the editorial team; the verse texts are from the Father’s Blessing Bible.
Key Scripture Passages
7 Scripture passages · Father’s Blessing Bible
Luke 9:23–26
23 And He said to all: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world, but to destroy or lose himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.
Luke 14:25–33
25 Large crowds were traveling with Him; and He turned and said to them: 26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple; 27 and whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it, 29 lest, after laying the foundation and being unable to finish, everyone who sees it begins to mock him, 30 saying, “This man began to build and was unable to finish”? 31 Or what king, going to war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he will send a delegation and ask for terms of peace. 33 So then, any one of you who does not renounce everything he has cannot be My disciple.
John 8:31–32
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him: “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 13:34–35
34 “A new commandment I give you: love one another; as I have loved you, so you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:8
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples.”
Matthew 28:18–20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, [[baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,]] 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”
Matthew 10:37–38
37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38 and anyone who does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
