Disciples – A learner, pupil. The name was given to those who followed Jesus during his three years of ministry. While Jesus had many disciples, He called twelve men to be his closest followers. They left their jobs and their families to follow Jesus. For three years, the Twelve were constantly with Jesus listening to His teachings and watching Him perform miracles. The Twelve did not just listen and watch Jesus. They were sent out by Jesus to spread His teachings to people. Moreover, Jesus gave them authority to perform miracles (heal the sick, cast out demons, etc. – Matthew 10:1.) Discipleship is not just about listening, it also involves doing and applying what you have heard. Why twelve disciples? Why not seven or twenty-seven? Tradition equates the number of disciples with the number of tribes of Israel – twelve. Leadership experts say that twelve is an ideal number for training. Of the Twelve, three (Peter, James, and John) were regularly present at major miraculous events at Jesus’ request. Who were the Twelve Disciples?
1. Simon Peter – Occupation: fisherman. The most outspoken of the Twelve which oftentimes got him into trouble. He was the leader of the Twelve. Jesus named Peter
leader of the Church.
2. John – Occupation: fisherman. Brother of James and son of Zebedee. John and Jesus had a very close relationship. John is referred to in the Gospels as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” He was the only disciple to witness Jesus’ crucifixion. While on the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John. He is the author of the Gospel of John; I, II, and III John; and the Book of Revelation.
3. James – Occupation: fisherman. Brother of John and son of Zebedee. Jesus gave James and John the nickname “son of Thunder” perhaps because of their temperament. See Luke 9:51-54.
4. Andrew - Occupation: fisherman. Brother of Simon Peter. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist before becoming a disciple of Jesus. He introduced Peter to Jesus.
5. Philip – Occupation: probably fisherman. One of the first disciples called by Jesus – read John 1:43-44.
6. Matthew – Occupation: tax collector. Also called Levi. Probably the most educated of the Twelve. Tax collector was one the most wealthy occupations in Jesus’ day and also the most hated by Jewish society. Tax collectors collected revenue for the hated Roman empire. They had a reputation of being corrupt taking more from the people than they were supposed to. Matthew left a life of wealth and comfort for one of poverty and discomfort. Matthew was probably not well received by the other disciples after he accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. Matthew is the author of the Gospel of Matthew.
7. Thomas – Also called Didymus (Greek – “twin”) Occupation: unknown. He is most famous for doubting Jesus’ resurrection. Read John 20:25-28. This is the origin of the phrase “doubting Thomas.”
8. Simon the Zealot – Occupation: unknown. Before becoming a disciple of Jesus, Simon was part of a movement that advocated the violent overthrow of the Roman empire known as the Zealots. They were looking for a warrior Messiah who would lead the Jews in a violent struggle against Rome to win Jewish independence and reestablish the kingdom of David. There were perhaps many Zealots like Simon who saw Jesus as a potential candidate to be the Messiah because of his references to God establishing His kingdom on earth. But when they realized Jesus spoke of a spiritual kingdom and not a political kingdom many Zealots stopped following Jesus. Simon did not and became one of the Twelve.
The next three disciples we don’t know anything about except their names.
9. Bartholomew
10. James, son of Alphaeus
11. Judas also called Thaddeus
12. Judas Iscariot – The betrayer. The son of perdition (utter destruction, ruin.) His name is synonymous with betrayal. Judas Iscariot was the treasurer of the Twelve. He kept the money given to Jesus to support his ministry or to be distributed to people in need. Judas regularly stole from the money placed in his care for his own selfish purposes.
The Twelve were men from different social backgrounds, different occupations, different education levels, different temperaments, and different motivations for following Jesus. During their three years with Jesus, they did not always get along with one another. They questioned Jesus’ teachings. At times, they competed with one another for Jesus’ favor. After three years of following Jesus, eleven of the twelve would become a cohesive group with a single purpose – to spread the Gospel to the world.
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