The Forgotten Disciples

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If someone was to ask you to name the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, how far could you get on the list? Many of us could think of Simon Peter, the outspoken fisherman who denied Jesus. Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus, would also probably come to mind in light of his treacherous act. We may think of Matthew and John, since they both wrote a Gospel account. (And, no, just in case you were wondering, the other two Gospel writers, Mark and Luke, were not two of the disciples.) The other two names that might come to mind may be Andrew, the one who introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus and James, the brother of John.

If you named those six, you get to advance to the head of the class, because you have named more than most of the rest of us. But there are six more men on the list, whose names are more difficult to recall. Since little was written about them, their names tend to fade into obscurity in our memories.

But here’s the thing: the very fact that Jesus chose them to be His disciples tells us that He could entrust them to carry out His mission to make disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit. They weren’t “superstars;” they were more like the rest of us. They were flawed, quirky, imperfect sinners. They didn’t merit salvation. Nothing about them qualified them to be apostles, other than the grace that Jesus extended to them. When He met them, He didn’t see them for who they were, He saw them for who they would become in Him. As Jesus said to Nathanael the day they first met, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the One who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”(1)

So, let’s take a moment to look at those remaining six:

Philip

The day after Andrew brought Simon Peter to meet Jesus, we read that Jesus “found” Philip as He was traveling to Galilee. It is highly probable that Andrew and John were traveling with Jesus. Philip was from Bethsaida (Andrew and Peter’s hometown). Philip was more than likely a fellow fisherman, and a friend of Andrew’s. Quite possibly, Andrew helped Jesus “find” Philip, just as he had helped Simon Peter “find” Jesus the day before. And i love that Scripture records that Jesus found Philip(2) and Philip found Jesus.(3) That is such a great picture of salvation – when we were dead in our sin Jesus “found” us, and as we repented and surrendered our lives to Him, we “found” Him.

The other great picture is – that just like Andrew – on that very same day – Philip went to find his friend, Nathanael – to introduce him to Jesus. He didn’t require six weeks of training on how to tell people about Jesus – he just went out and immediately introduced his friend to the One he had met that very day.

Philip was a part of the growing entourage that witnessed Jesus transform the water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. So it was appropriate that the Master turned to him the day when a great crowd was before them, and asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”(4) What had he learned from the miracle in Cana? Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”(5) Wrong answer! But Jesus lovingly again taught him – as well as the rest of the disciples and the multitude – that He is Lord over all – and He is our sufficiency!

Bartholomew (aka Nathanael)

We read in John 1 that when Philip came to Nathanael (aka Bartholomew) to tell him about Jesus, Nathanael’s immediate reply was “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see for yourself.” To Nathanael’s credit, he did just that. And as they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel — a man of complete integrity.” To which Nathanael replied, “How do you know about me?” Jesus answered, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then in a reaction very similar to the Samaritan woman at the well, Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God — the King of Israel!” To which Jesus replied, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Immediately Nathanael left where he was to follow Jesus – and he apparently never looked back.(6)

Thomas (aka Didymus – “the twin”)

After learning that Lazarus has died, Jesus declared, “Let’s go see him.” Despite the fact that Jesus and all the disciples knew the Pharisees were determined to stone Him, He was resolved to go to Bethany. At that moment, Thomas was the bravest one in the group. He said, “Let’s go, too – and die with Jesus.”(7)

Not long after that – the disciples were gathered in the upper room – as Jesus assured them, “…I am going to prepare a place for you…. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” None of the disciples understood what Jesus was talking about. Again, it was Thomas who courageously spoke up and said, “We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?”(8)

But he is best known for his statement to the other disciples after the risen Christ had appeared to them in his absence. “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.”(9) From that moment, he became “Doubting Thomas” – to this day defined as “a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience.” His skepticism and faithlessness robbed him of joy for eight long days before Jesus again stood among them, this time including Thomas. And Jesus admonished him with a truth that we would do well to embrace – don’t believe because you see; believe because of Who I am and what I have said.”(10)

James – son of Alphaeus (aka Clopas)

This James also came to be known as James the Less, making a distinction between him and James, the son of Zebedee, and James, the half-brother of Jesus. But like the sons of Zebedee, following Jesus was apparently a family affair for James. His mother Mary was one of the women who traveled with the disciples. She was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified,(11) and she was one of the women who came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body.(12) Her husband, Alphaeus (also known as Clopas) was probably one of the two men to whom Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus.(13)

Simon the Zealot

The only thing we know about Simon is that he was zealous – but we don’t know for sure whether his zeal was directed toward his faith in Christ, or the political movement of the day to be freed from the rule of Rome, or both. If the latter is the case, more than likely he was the second apostle carrying a sword that night at the Garden of Gethsemane. Either case would have given him a unique perspective as a disciple of Christ. And he is another reminder to each of us that followers of Christ come from all circles and all backgrounds.

Judas (aka Thaddeus)

We know the least about this Judas (not to be confused with Iscariot). Many believe he was the brother of James the Less, and was therefore another son of Clopas. He appears to be the apostle that spoke up that night as they gathered with Jesus for the Last Supper. All of them knew that Jesus was the Messiah. And He had just told them that He was going to die, and that one of them would betray Him, one would deny Him, and all would abandon Him. So Judas spoke out with a question that must have been on all of their minds, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”(14) Or in other words, “Jesus, why don’t You publicly declare Yourself to be the Messiah so that the people will follow YOU?” Though they had been with Jesus for the last three years, they were still a few days away from truly understanding His mission.

Just like the others, these six fled and deserted Jesus at the time of His arrest. After His crucifixion, they all huddled together in fear. But as the resurrected Christ appeared before them, their eyes were finally opened, and they truly believed!

A few weeks later, they were all gathered in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them. They became fully empowered that day for the mission to which their Lord had called them. Scripture records the journey of some of the disciples after that day and historians bear witness to the others. Each of these men were true to their Master’s command to go out into the world and make disciples:

Philip went to Carthage, and then Asia Minor.

Nathanael went to Armenia, Ethiopia and Southern Arabia.

Thomas went to Syria, and then to what is now India.

James the Less went to Syria.

Simon the Zealot went to northern Africa and parts of Europe.

Judas, the brother of James the less, preached in Armenia and Persia.

And, as a result, the Gospel began to spread to the ends of the earth.

If you have stuck with me through this long post – here’s the point: Not one of them was anyone special on their own merit. They were ordinary people – just like the rest of us. But as they walked with the Master, He transformed them into His image and empowered them for His mission.

Most of us will probably fall into the category of being a forgotten disciple! But that’s okay, because it’s not about us. It never has been, because it’s all about Jesus! He’ll do the same thing in us and through us – that He did through these six – if we, too, will choose to follow Him!

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This post is adapted from Walking With The Master, chapter 20, entitled “All the Rest”. This fourth book in theLessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print and for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.

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(1) John 1:51

(2) John 1:43

(3) John 1:45

(4) John 6:5

(5) John 6:7

(6) John 1:46-50

(7) John 11:1-16

(8) John 14:2-5

(9) John 20:25

(10) John 20:29 (paraphrase)

(11) Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, John 19:25