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Devotion – Choosing the Apostles

Jesus was very strategic in choosing his apostles. While other rabbis would have chosen the best of the best, Jesus chose ordinary and even despised men to form his inner group. In this devotion, we will look at Jesus’ choices and try to determine what criteria He used to select each one.

As a group, read the following Scriptures and answer the questions below.

o Luke 6:12-16 (Jesus chooses the twelve apostles)

o Ephesians 2:19-22 (the foundation of the Church)

1. How important was it that Jesus choose the right people to be His apostles? How do you know?

2. Now review the descriptions on the next two pages about the contributions and sacrifices of each of the apostles. Based on what you know about their roles and ultimate contribution, what criteria do you think Jesus used in selecting each one? Why do you think He used that criteria?

|James | |

|Andrew | |

|Philip | |

|Bartholomew | |

|Matthew | |

|Thomas | |

|James, the Less | |

|Simon, the Zealot | |

|Thaddaeus | |

|Judas, the Traitor | |

|John | |

|Peter | |

Contributions and Sacrifices of the Apostles

The Bible only tells us about what happened with a few of the apostles. Most of what we know comes from historians who wrote about the time of Jesus and the beginning of the Christian Church. Here’s what we know.

o James – he was one of the “Sons of Thunder” and one of Jesus’ closest friends on earth, but he became the first Apostle to become a martyr. Herod Agrippa I had James arrested, and when he saw that the Jewish leaders hated James, he had him beheaded. This made Herod so popular that he thought he might do the same thing to Peter, but Peter was freed from Herod’s jail by an angel.

o Andrew – he was the Apostle who was always bringing people to Jesus. He brought Peter, he brought the young boy with the loaves and the fishes, and he brought some Greeks to Jesus. After Jesus rose to heaven, Andrew took the Gospel north into Russia and then into Scotland. After angering a Roman governor by leading his wife to Christ, he was crucified in Greece on an X-shaped cross. Instead of nailing him to the cross, they tied him to it so that it would take longer for him to die.

o Philip – he was the one who didn’t think Jesus could feed the 5,000. Eight years after James was put to death, Philip was stoned to death at Heliopolis in Asia Minor.

o Bartholomew – he ministered in Persia, India and Armenia, and tradition says that he was tied up in a sack and thrown into the sea.

o Matthew – he was a tax collector and the most hated of all Jews, but after following Jesus, he wrote his Gospel for the Jewish people. Though we don’t have reliable records, it is believed that Matthew was burned at the stake.

o Thomas – he was the Apostle who doubted that Jesus had returned from the grave and said he would have to put his finger into the nail scars before he believed, but when Jesus appeared to him, he made the strongest proclamation that Jesus is God. (“My Lord and my God!”) Thomas carried the Gospel to India, and he died when he was run through with a spear.

o James, the Less – we think that James took the Gospel to Syria and Persia, but we are not entirely sure how he died. It was either by stoning, beating or crucifixion.

o Simon, the Zealot – he started as a dangerous terrorist, who probably participated in attacks on the Romans and on tax collectors, but after following Jesus, his heart was changed. He took the Gospel as far as the British Isles and was killed for his beliefs, though we don’t know how.

o Thaddaeus - his name means something like “momma’s boy,” but he really grew up while following Jesus. We think he took the Gospel to Mesopotamia, near Turkey, and he once healed the king of the city of Edessa. He was clubbed to death for his faith.

o Judas, the Traitor – He never believed that Jesus was God, so Judas has the saddest story of all. He sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and then had an attack of his conscience. He hung himself from a weak tree limb that broke and dropped him on some jagged rocks, where his guts spilled out. Out of the Twelve, he was the only one who died for his lack of faith.

o John – he was James’ brother and another “Son of Thunder.” He, too, was one of Jesus’ closest friends on earth. He is actually the only apostle who wasn’t killed for his faith in Jesus. He lived many years, but it had to be sad for him to hear that all his closest friends were killed. John pastored a church in a city called Ephesus, but then the Roman Emperor Domitian got angry with him and sent him to live on an island for prisoners (Patmos off the west coast of Turkey). He had to live in a cave, but there he was able to do some writing. During his lifetime, he wrote one of the Gospels, three letters that we find in the Bible and the last book of the Bible (Revelation), which tells about when Jesus will come again.

o Peter – he had the most dramatic transformation after following Jesus. Simon eventually earned his name, that means “listens and obeys.” And he also earned his name of Peter, which means “rock,” because Peter became a solid leader who led the early church. Peter preached powerfully at Pentecost and led 3,000 people to the Lord. He was so powerful spiritually that people were healed when just his shadow fell on them. He raised Dorcas from the dead, introduced the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to the Gospel and wrote two books of the New Testament. Peter and his wife were both crucified for their beliefs, but Peter begged to be crucified upside down, because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way Jesus did.

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