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Written by Ana Teresa Vivas, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
(1 John 1:1-2, emphasis added)
When John speaks to the brothers in this way, what he is saying in today’s language is: “I want to talk to you about something I know a lot about, or more so someone I knew well. I know what I’m talking about.” Doesn’t that appear to be what he is saying? And when you know less about a certain topic, well, then you easily accept direction, supervision, and guidance from someone who knows more.
Even though the Bible does not mention the word “mentoring,” its practice can be observed through diverse relationships throughout the Scriptures, from the Old to the New Testament. For this reason, it is so important that we recognize the practice, identify the aspects that relate to use and live them out, as part of our identity as Christians, actually our identity as people when you get down to it. And, did you know? Mentorship is equivalent to discipleship. Someone who disciples is a mentor, even when, at times, they don’t “check all the boxes.”
Mentor: Counselor, guide, teacher.
As I mentioned before, there are various examples in the Bible of mentoring relationships; but let’s look at Jesus’ example. Jesus chose 12 men to whom He delegated the task of replicating what He did with them. He taught them something He knew extremely well, the Kingdom. He encouraged and equipped them to complete a mission. He was patient and He loved them. He was their friend and He served them, knowing Who He was and where He was going (John 13:1).
A mentor like Jesus knows who He is, is surrounded by friends, disciples, who are dedicated to His purpose, with perseverance. Just as Paul did and entrusted to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
A mentor is an instrument of God.
“I came to do my Father’s will,” Jesus said in John 6:38.
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…” (Luke 6:12-13)
A mentor has clear goals in mind and works toward them, guiding his/her disciples there.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matt. 4:19)
If we are imitators of Jesus, and since we have the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, we also need to and should want to be in mentoring or discipleship relationships. We are also called to be part of this pattern of teaching and growth that we see in the New Testament.
There is no addendum to the Bible where the characteristics of a mentor are listed, but Jesus showed us how to do it: Get close to one or more people that need to be instructed and learn about the Kingdom. Teach them, treat them with love, develop a friendship with them, and persevere toward the goal of walking with Jesus at all times and encourage others to persevere in that walk. That was the key to the spreading of the gospel in the ancient world: The mentoring relationship that Jesus had with His disciples.
I know that it looks simplistic to mention only these few aspects, but these are at the heart of this service, central to our mission (Matt. 28:18-20).
In the same way as the apostle John, we also have seen and “touched” Jesus. We know Him adequately enough to speak to the world about Him. It is our mission to do so.
Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
“Come, follow Me.” What would you do if someone approached you and told you to drop everything and come?
The 12 Apostles did that. They probably had no idea what a life-changing experience that would be.
Luke 6:12-17 gives a brief account of what happened:
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”
From this passage we learn:
- Jesus prayed all night to His Father before choosing His apostles.
- Jesus already had a following… He called the disciples to Him and chose 12 from the group.
Look at these 12 men:
Peter- a fisherman.
Andrew- Peter’s brother. It was Andrew who first told Peter about Jesus.
James- also a fisherman and cousin to Peter and Andrew.
John- brother to James and a fisherman.
Those four men had been part of a family fishing business that included their fathers who were Zebedee and Jonah (or sometimes referred to as John.) They were living in Capernaum when they met Jesus.
Philip- His hometown was Bethsaida, which was also the home of Peter and Andrew. In John 12:21-22 we learn that some Greeks who had gone to the feast in Jerusalem approached Philip asking to see Jesus.
Bartholomew- In John 1:43-51 he is called Nathaniel, and it is Philip who tells him they had found Him of whom the prophets wrote. Nathaniel’s response was, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Matthew- He also went by the name Levi and was contracted by the Roman Empire to collect taxes from the Jews in Capernaum. Tax collectors were known for lying about how much people owed and pocketing the difference.
Thomas- He is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas,” because when the other 10 saw Jesus after the resurrection, his response was: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).
Jesus then appeared and offered to let him do just that.
Upon seeing Jesus in the flesh with his own eyes and possibly touching the wounds, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus responded with one of the most powerful statements about faith in all of Scripture: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). I think it is important to remember, WE are in the group who have not seen, yet believe.
James the son of Alphaeus.
Simon the Zealot- we know little about him, but the description “Zealot” indicates he may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome.
Judas Iscariot- the only one who was not a Galilean… described as a thief and the one who betrayed Jesus. The word Iscariot is linked to a town south of Jerusalem.
Could Jesus have chosen any group who were more different… in personality, in political beliefs, in integrity and honesty?
As they walked with Jesus, they saw Him perform miracles, talk to people who were outcast, talk with women… Jesus walked a different path from other religious leaders.
During these three plus years, Jesus influenced these men, and 11 of them would remain faithful, even in the face of persecution and death.
Jesus was the AUTHORITY in the group. From the beginning His disciples knew He was the leader. They called Him “Master” according to Luke 8:24, and John 13:13-14 tells us they called Him “Teacher” and “Lord.”
Jesus held them ACCOUNTABLE when they argued… Luke 9:46-48. Jesus called a child to use as an example, to encourage them to have the heart of a child. In Luke 22:24-29, after Jesus had washed their feet and they shared supper together, they still argued over being the greatest. Jesus once again talks about serving, then tells them they will sit at the table with Him in His kingdom, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Jesus was APPROACHABLE… Luke 11:1-13. They had heard Jesus pray and asked Him to teach them to pray. These are Jewish men who would have been familiar with the Jewish prayers, but it seems something was different when they heard the prayers of Jesus.
At what we call the “Last Supper,” beginning in John 13, we see Jesus taking the role of a servant as He washes the feet of the apostles. Jesus takes this time to talk with them, to give them hope and comfort, to encourage them to love one another. Then in John 15:14-17, He says:
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Hours before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus calls His apostles “friends.” We expect loyalty and commitment from friends, but this was still lacking among this group of men until after the resurrection. The years together had set the foundation for a friendship where eventually loyalty, trust, and commitment bonded them to the promised Messiah, and they were eager to take His message of redemption to the world.
[ All Scriptures are ESV. ]
