The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - Jesus Instructions to Former Disciples - Part 1

 

TEXT: Matthew 10:1-14 – And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Today we’re continuing our series in Matthew and Jesus is apparently giving instructions to three kinds of Disciples – each living at a different time period. Instructions to:

• ·      To former disciples living in the time He was with them
• ·      To future disciples living during the time of the Great Tribulation
• ·      To faithful disciples living throughout church history.

We will look at the first group today. This first group is who we tend to call the Apostles (verse 2). So, you ask, “What is an Apostle?” The Greek word used here –  Apostolos – means a messenger, one sent forth with orders. What were the requirements to be called an Apostle?

• ·      Chosen by the Lord Himself (Matthew 10:1-2)
• ·      They were endued with the sign gifts showing their authority (Matthew 10:1)
• ·      They were heralds to the kingdom – it is at hand (Matthew 10:17)
• ·      They must have seen the Risen Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1) 

So, with these requirements, it is evident that we do not have Apostles today, however, every one of us is a Disciple. We will do a brief study of the 12 chosen by Jesus. We will consider three of them today, and the remaining ones over the next couple of lessons.

The list begins with Peter – also known as Simon, Simon Peter, or Cephas (Rock), Peter was a gregarious, natural leader, and an obvious spokesperson for the twelve. Peter’s name is mentioned far more in the New Testament than any other of the disciples. He was the older of the two brothers and the only married disciple. (Luke 4:38) His assignment was to bring the Gospel to the circumcised. (Gal. 2:7) Peter is well known for denying Christ three times after Christ was arrested. After his own arrest many years later he requested to be crucified with his head down. He didn’t believe he was worthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. He died a martyr’s death in Rome during the reign of Nero. Some speculate around the same time as Paul was being beheaded.

Next comes Andrew. An early disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew and John, the Son of Zebedee were present when John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35) Andrew was the first to follow Jesus and his enthusiasm was evident as his desire to introduce his older brother to Jesus revealed what was already in his heart—a deep love for God. He was not a dominant person next to his outspoken brother. He was a passionate preacher and shared the gospel boldly and was a significant contributor to the early church. Andrew died a martyr’s death. He faced crucifixion with boldness and courage.

We will finish today with James – the elder brother of John. He is a rather quiet part of the team of disciples in that we don’t read much about him in Scripture. As part of Jesus’ “inner three” he was permitted to be present along with Peter and John when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37), he witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 17:1), and he was in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. (Mark 14:33) James was the first disciple to be martyred (he was beheaded) and the only disciple to have their martyrdom recorded in Scripture. (Acts 12:1-3)

We will continue our view of these disciples tomorrow. Muse over what you can learn from these short descriptions, and apply that to yourself today.