Luke: The Cost of Discipleship

Luke’s narrative is used to teach a vivid, practical model of discipleship: an apprenticeship lived out in relationship rather than a series of classroom lessons. The distinction between apostles and disciples is clarified — apostles are sent messengers who carry the gospel to new places; disciples are learners who live under Jesus’ example and reproduce his life where they already are. The text emphasizes how Jesus trained his followers by doing ministry with them—preaching, healing, praying, and serving—then sending them out to practice and return with reports, creating an ongoing cycle of learning and application.

Concrete episodes from Luke 9 anchor the teaching. The healing of the woman who touched Jesus’ garment illustrates faith that reaches and is publicly acknowledged, while Jairus’ daughter shows faith confronting death and trusting God’s power. The sending of the twelve, told to take nothing for the journey, models dependence on God and the importance of hospitality and witness. The feeding of thousands demonstrates Jesus’ use of physical provision to testify to spiritual truth and introduces a principle that God can multiply what is given for ministry.

Identity and cost are central themes. Jesus presses the question, “Who do you say I am?” and demands a whole answer: prophet, king, savior — not a selective title but the fullness of God incarnate. Peter’s confession is affirmed, yet Jesus immediately frames that identity in terms of suffering and resurrection, revealing that following him includes bearing the cross. Discipleship requires daily denial of self, a willingness to carry burdens for the sake of obedience, and a refusal to use Jesus for personal fame or convenience.

Practical implications are drawn for the contemporary church: discipleship should be ongoing, incarnational, and costly; spiritual formation happens in relationship and practice, not merely in short courses. Financial and practical participation are presented not as ends but as necessary means—what is given can be multiplied to serve community, but nothing multiplied times zero remains zero. The passage closes with the Great Commission in view: make disciples, baptize, and teach everything Jesus commanded, understood as a lifelong process of formation and obedience.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Discipleship is apprenticeship, not classes Discipleship happens when people live with, watch, and imitate a follower of Jesus over time. It is an embodied transfer of skill, character, and mission through repetition and correction, not a brief curriculum. This pattern forms ministers who can both serve and reproduce ministry in their own context. [06:12]
• 2. Deny self; take up cross daily Following Jesus demands daily decisions to place his will above convenience, reputation, or gain. The cross is less a single event and more a rhythm of surrender: choosing obedience over ease whenever the call costs. That steady refusal to self-exalt guards against using Christ as a platform for personal advancement. [25:32]
• 3. Know Jesus as prophet, king, Savior A rounded confession of Christ resists reductionism; Jesus must be held as God’s prophet, sovereign king, and redeemer for a clear discipleship ethic. Spending time with him reveals posture and priorities that shape preaching, leadership, and obedience. Partial views of Jesus produce partial devotion and misguided practice. [21:39]
• 4. God multiplies faithful, sacrificial giving The feeding miracle shows how God can enlarge little when offered in faith and action; resources become instruments of mercy and witness. Churches and ministries depend on tangible participation—when people withhold, capacity to serve shrinks; when people give, provision can overflow to meet needs. Multiplication requires both human stewardship and divine blessing. [19:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:35] - Method: Walking through Scripture
• [01:13] - Apostles vs Disciples
• [03:16] - What a disciple is
• [06:38] - Luke 9: Setting and Aim
• [09:12] - Healing, Faith, and the Daughter
• [14:18] - Sent Out: Dependence and Witness
• [17:28] - Feeding the 5,000: Provision
• [19:22] - Giving and God’s Multiplication
• [21:39] - Who Do You Say I Am?
• [24:54] - The Cost of Discipleship
• [26:56] - Transfiguration: Glimpse of Glory
• [28:56] - Childlikeness and True Greatness
• [36:19] - Great Commission and Closing Prayer
• [39:22] - Blessing & Meal

1. In Luke 9:1-6, what specific instructions did Jesus give the Twelve before sending them out, and what does this reveal about how they were to depend on God and others?
2. What question did Jesus ask his disciples in Luke 9:18-20, and how did Peter respond?
3. According to Luke 9:23, what three things are required of anyone who wants to follow Jesus?
4. How did Jesus redefine greatness in Luke 9:46-48 using the example of a child?

1. Why do you think Jesus warned the disciples not to take any extra supplies for their journey? What might this teach about the relationship between faith and practical provision?
2. Jesus immediately followed Peter’s confession with a prediction of his own suffering and death. Why do you think he connected his identity as the Christ with suffering?
3. What does it mean to “take up your cross daily”? Is this a one-time decision or an ongoing posture?
4. How does the story of the disciples arguing about greatness contrast with Jesus’ teaching about true greatness in the kingdom?

1. Discipleship is more like an apprenticeship than a classroom—it’s learned through relationship, imitation, and practice over time [06:12]. Who are you intentionally learning from by watching how they follow Jesus? Who might be watching you?
2. Following Jesus requires daily decisions to put his will above our own comfort, reputation, or desires [25:32]. What is one area of your life where you’re currently facing the choice between obedience and convenience?
3. A full understanding of Jesus includes seeing him as Prophet, King, and Savior—not just one of these [21:39]. Which aspect of Jesus’ identity do you most easily overlook, and how might that affect your daily walk with him?
4. God multiplies what is offered to him in faith and obedience [19:22]. What is one resource—time, skill, money, or compassion—that you’ve been hesitant to give? What would it look like to offer it to God this week?
5. Jesus calls his followers to a life of humility and service, where the “least” are considered the greatest [28:56]. How can you intentionally serve or honor someone this week who might otherwise be overlooked?
6. The Great Commission isn’t just about making converts but about teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded—a lifelong process [37:05]. Who is one person you can encourage or help grow in their understanding of Jesus’ teachings?
7. Many people claim to follow Jesus but are more influenced by political, cultural, or social trends [33:32]. What’s one way you’ve noticed yourself valuing someone else’s voice over Jesus’ words recently? How can you recenter your life on his teaching?