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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. ]
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Written by Michelle J. Goff, with her mom, Jocelynn Goff
The oldest daughter of a college professor and elementary teacher, my mom grew up learning through at least two different styles of teaching. Not all teaching was formally imparted, of course. My mom never took a speech class from Dr. Brown at Miami-Dade Community College. She never sat in her mom’s classroom during regular school hours, but she did spend time there after school while her mom prepared for the next day’s instruction.
It is no surprise that my mom became a teacher herself. She is a natural teacher and gifted storyteller. Her students would sit up straighter when she offered a “lagniappe story.” Lagniappe is French for “a little something extra,” which meant that this story would not be on the test!
In contrast, when my granddad would pepper us granddaughters with Bible trivia questions during our Christmas visits, he emphasized those of greater importance by saying, “This one will be on the final exam.” What I most learned from those “tests” was his love for Bible study and his diligent commitment to finding little-known jewels in Scripture.
Years later, our conversations have been more give-and-take. I have shared biblical nuggets of truth that I’ve discovered with a similar passion to share it with others. Similarly, my mom and I have transitioned from being exclusively mother and daughter to being Christian sisters and partners in the gospel. The teaching and learning matured and became more mutual.
As you know, our teaching and learning does not come exclusively through teachers, nor through our families. Prayerfully, we seek to be surrounded by others who will invest in us, as well as those with whom we can build relationship. Pivotal teachers can transform our relationship with a certain subject matter… inspiring us to persevere or give up. Close friends teach us what it means to laugh, as we also learn what it means to forgive. Neighbors teach us kindness as we learn how to be a good neighbor ourselves.
There are also those who teach through their words and actions, unaware of how many are watching, learning from their example. This is especially true of our Christian walks. We must be careful to practice what we preach, and we cannot teach what we have not yet effectively learned.
When I asked my mom about a relationship through which she has taught or learned, A.R. Kepple was the first person that came to mind. His simple teaching was a seed planted and watered, week after week. They met at the Downtown Church of Christ in Kansas City, Missouri, the new congregation her parents helped establish in the early 1960’s.
After teaching the children for 20-30 minutes on Sunday evenings, Brother Kepple would invite 7-year-old Jocelynn to join him on the front row during the songs and sermon. After reminding her to mind her manners, her parents granted permission to sit with this retired preacher in his late 70’s.
Once settled with her feet not quite touching the floor, while waiting for the singing to start, Brother Kepple would open his Bible to Matthew 5 and read, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,” pointing to each sentence as he read them.
“He told me that every time I sat with him, and it made an impression on me and planted a seed in my mind and heart and spirit,” Mom recalled. He lived out the teaching he repeated.
Who is someone through whom you have learned what it means to be a Christian? What has it looked like for you to teach others what it means to follow Christ?