Intro: Here we see the 12 called the “disciples of Christ.”

Defined: a student, a learner, a follower, from a root word indicating thought accompanied by endeavor. It denotes more than an intellectual agreement and intimates the presence of a devoted adherence to a particular lifestyle or code of ethics that has been learned in the time of study. A Disciple is a student, but he is so much more. He is a student, and he is an active practicer of the preaching he studies and believes.

So we may safely say that there are and were more than twelve disciples. These 12 were the most influential and closest disciples of Christ and are most closely defined in the name apostle (Luke 6:13 “And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.”). Apostle means “one sent forth,” but it is specifically defined as an office of the early church as one who had continued with the apostles and specifically had seen the risen Christ so as to serve as a messenger sent to declare the resurrection. There are persons who loosely use the title apostle today, but none of us have seen the risen Christ with a natural eye, and as such we do not qualify for the office. There were only a few apostles, but there are many disciples, and I am glad to be one of them.

The use of the Word:

• It is used only once in the Old Testament, Isaiah 8:16 “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” It is largely a New Testament Term.
• It is used to describe the followers of John the Baptist, Matthew 9:14
• It is used to describe the followers of the Pharisees, Matthew 22:16, they came to Jesus along with the Herodians to try and get Jesus to say something against paying tribute. Jesus warned his disciples about the doctrine of these men, Mark 8:15 “And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
• It is used to describe the followers of Moses, John 9:28, but these men were doubters of the Christ of whom Moses spake, prophesied, and pointed to.
• It is certainly used to describe the followers of Christ. There are several different senses in which this is used:

A.    Those who followed him to see what he would do, for they were curious, Luke 6:17 “And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;” But these folk could not be true disciples when requirements were placed on them, John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

B.     Those who believed him secretly, John 19:38 “And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews…” Are you a secret disciple? Do people know about your faith?

C.    Those who were the twelve apostles, Matthew 10:1, Luke 22:11 he sought to eat the Passover with his “disciples”, which were only the twelve.

1.      Simon Peter, a disciple of John the Baptist was first introduced to Jesus by Andrew his brother (John 1:40-42). Called from the fishing boats to by Christ to become a fisher of men (Mark 1:16-18). Peter had already been a disciple of Christ, but he was the first to be called for an apostle. Jesus showed him later in the same story how powerful that he was as they brought in the drought of fish after a failure to catch anything all night. He sinned in denying Christ, but he was restored as an apostle and disciple (John 21:19, 22, Jesus tells him, “Follow me.”). We are taught that Peter was crucified, following in the steps of Christ unto death, but Peter requested to be crucified upside down.

2.      Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, Was pointed to Christ by John the Baptist (John 1:35-40). Andrew was the only one of the twelve that exhibited faith in Christ to feed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes (John 6:5-9). Andrew with Phillip was the first to recognize Christ’s ministry to the Gentiles as he sought Christ an audience with the Greeks (John 12:20-22). Andrew was crucified.

3.      James, the Son of Zebedee, his mother was Salome, a witness of the resurrection and a minister to the needs of Christ during his ministry. He is never mentioned apart from his brother John in the scripture, and together they are called the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). They were fiery as they asked Jesus to call down fire on the ones that rejected his Word (Luke 9:51-56). Together they sought to sit at the right and left of Christ as the most important members of his kingdom (Matthew 20:21-23). They were two of his inner circle of Apostles: Peter, James, and John. These were present on the Mount of Transfiguration, the raising of Jarius’ daughter, and the Garden of Gethsemane.

4.      John, the Beloved of Christ. He may have been the only one to hear the Lord’s heart beat. He appears to have been the very best friend of the man Jesus. He was the only one of the apostles recorded to have been at the crucifixion. He was the first apostle to arrive at the empty tomb of Christ. He was the only apostle to die of natural causes. He wrote the Gospel of John, the I, II, & III Epistles of John, and the Revelation. He too had been a fisherman with his brother James, and they may have partnered with Andrew and Peter considering the place where each docked their boats.

5.      Philip, “lover of horses.” Met Christ during the days of John the Baptist, and he quickly brought to Christ his friend Nathaniel (John 1:43-51). Philip was one of the apostles present in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 1:13).

6.      Bartholomew/ Nathaniel, when Philip witnessed to him said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” But Jesus said of him that he had seen him while he was sitting under the fig tree. He believed and followed Jesus. He saw Jesus after the Resurrection in the enclosed room (John 21). He is a type or example of a true Jew, and “Israelite indeed” for when he had heard of the Messiah he believed (John 1:47).

7.      Thomas, Didymus, Best known as a doubter of the resurrection. Christ made of him a believer (John 20:28). Thomas was the one apostle who appeared willing to die for Christ in the dangers of Jerusalem (John 11:16). Thomas was the one who asked the Lord in John 14, “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” He was one of six disciples that went fishing together in John 21 after the resurrection when Christ had them cast their nets on the other side.

8.      Matthew/Levi, the Publican, Tax collectors were lumped together with harlots (Matthew 21:31), Gentiles (Matthew 18:17), and often times sinners (Matthew 9:10). He is widely considered the author of the gospel of Matthew, which if it were not written entirely by him was probably compiled from his record of the events of Christ. This Gospel is the most extensive and prominent of all. It contains more detail concerning the Messiah as a fulfillment of the law than the other Gospels.

9.      James the Son of Alphaeus, James the less. His father is often called Cleopas. Cleopas is believed to have been the brother of Joseph, the earthly caretaker of Christ and husband of Mary. Therefore, it is more than a possibility that James the less was a cousin of sorts to Christ. James’ mother was seen at the foot of the cross and at the tomb on resurrection morning.

10.  Lebbaeus/ Thaddaeus/ Judas the son of James, Nothing else is known of him.

11.  Simon the Canaanite/ Zelotes. He was a member of a fanatical Jewish sect called the Zealots. They despised Roman rule and opposed all foreign occupation of Israel. Little else is known of him

12.  Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. The only apostle not from Galilee. He was from Southern Judah. He was the keeper of the bag (John 12:6). He sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Matt 26:14-16). He kissed Jesus to betray him. Jesus said of him that he would have been better off to have never been born. He attempted to return the blood money to the priests in guilt, but they used it to buy a potter’s field to bury strangers in. Judas hanged himself (Matt 27:5).

How Do I Become A Disciple?

• Believe on Him and Confess him as Lord in your life, Acts 6:1-7 speak of the throng of the believers as disciples. Acts 14:20 describes the church members as disciples, and Paul confirmed these disciples by their faith in verse 22 and abode long with these disciples in verse 28. The Gentile believers were confirmed as disciples by what Peter said at the conference in Jerusalem concerning circumcision in Acts 15:10 “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” The Greek Believers were called disciples in Acts 19:1, so we find that to be a disciple, you must be a believer in Christ.
• To Be A Disciple Indeed, Jesus said, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32. A true disciple is more than a believer, but he is a practicer of the truths of God.
• The Evidence of Discipleship is Love For the Brethren, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35. John wrote of this in I John 3:14 “We know we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.”
• The Glory of a Disciple is Fruit, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:8. The love of the Gospel and the Lord will bring about a witness that causes others to want to be saved. This is the way the disciple glorifies God (Matthew 5:13).

Are you a disciple of the Lord? Are you a follower of Christ? Paul was so certain of his discipleship that he commanded others to be followers of him, disciples of him, that they may be followers of Christ:

• I Cor 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
• I Cor 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
• Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
• Phil 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
• I Thess 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

How confident are you in your discipleship?