Understanding the Twelve-Conclusion
We have reached the end of our study of the twelve men who so closely followed after Jesus Christ. The goal of this study was to see that they were ordinary men just like all who have placed their faith in the work of Jesus Christ. While their works to share the gospel led to the church growing the way that it has, these men were not extraordinary, there wasn’t anything that seperated them from the born-again Christians today, and yet they still have lessons to teach us about walking and living out our faith.
First we looked at Peter, the man who showed us that we can come to God with our questions and live with courage, seeking to live as Christ lived. Peter shows us that our strength is not within ourselves, but in Jesus Christ.
After Peter, we looked to Andrew. Andrew can teach believers today that you don’t need to be loud to lead others to Christ. Sometimes all you need is the willingness to bring them to Jesus and allow Him to mold others into who He needs them to be.
James’ shows us that not all disciples walked quietly amongst the people. Some proudly stood up and demanded that their voices be heard in order to bring those around them to Jesus Christ. To be the first to be martyred, to attract the notice of Herod, James had to be active in sharing the gospel. He was loud and boisterous to attract notice, he was ambitious to share the gospel, and he sought to show everyone that the only true justice comes from God. James is an encouragement that we need today to stand up unafraid to share God’s word.
The second half of the sons of thunder is John, who is well known for his books in the Bible. John shows us that by willing to follow Him, we can share the gospel beyond what we could ever imagine.
Next we looked to Philip who remains a lesson for believers today the importance of taking the step of having knowledge of scripture, and truly living for Jesus Christ.
Nathanael appears to be a quiet, straightforward man whose Church ministry was devoted to God. His quick acknowledgement of who Jesus was led to a wonderful promise. Nathanael serves to remind us that having a firm foundation in the faith leads to a great reward.
Matthew is an example for us today that, despite what our background is, we can be of use to God and to spread His word. Matthew also serves as a reminder that worldly riches will not provide the comfort that we seek; we need to listen, and when Jesus calls us, we need to be willing to lay aside everything to follow Him.
Despite only being mentioned by his name, James had a lasting impact in sharing the gospel. He is a lesson to believers today that while we need to have knowledge of scripture, we cannot keep it to ourselves. I am sure that James had many deeds, questions, or remarks during his time with Jesus, but none of these are recorded. This is because for James, the focus is not on what he did for Christ, but what Christ used him for.
Judas, son of James represents for believers today that we are free to come before Jesus to ask our questions. Jesus wants us near to Him, we do not need to be afraid of Jesus not answering us.
We then learned a lesson from Judas Iscariot. Today, believers need to pay attention to the lesson that Judas provides. First, it is frightening to realise that there are those who walk with Jesus, and yet they don’t actually know Him. Churches today are filled with those like Judas; they claim to follow Jesus but are as unsaved as the person who never steps foot into a church. It is why we as believers need to be on the alert; we need to call out sinful behaviour to either correct a born-again believer or to identify someone who is false. Secondly, while we cannot be saved based on our own actions, we have the free will to choose to accomplish God’s will or allow another to rise up to accomplish it. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God did not wish for even Judas Iscariot to perish; however, due to his own choice not to follow God, Judas found his name not in the Lamb’s book of Life.
Simon the Zealot is one of the least discussed disciples. Yet, his title helps identify the true compassion and desire he had for Jesus Christ. This desire, without question, continued because Simon was identified as the “Zealot” after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Simon was a deeply motivated and compassionate scripture-seeking follower of God, who only wished to have the spiritual gifts to glorify God and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Finally, we looked at Thomas, whose last passage in scripture gave him his well-known nickname. For the believers today, he serves to show that we need to be strong in our faith in the face of challenges. We need to have a close relationship with Jesus so that we can come to Him and ask for His direction and guidance. Finally, Thomas serves as a lesson that it is okay for us to ask for a clear sign of what God has for us.
Each of these twelve men had an important lesson to teach the believers of today and the believers to come. While they are not extraordinary and set apart compared to the rest of mankind, their lessons serve as an encouragement on what we should be doing.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex