12 Disciples

The twelve disciples were Simon (also known as Peter), Andrew, James (Andrew’s brother), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Jude, Simon (Zealot), James of Alphaeus, and Judas (traitor) who was later replaced by the faithful Matthias.  All of these men came from different backrounds.  For example, Simon Peter was an average fisherman until Jesus came to him.  “He (Jesus) called out to them, ‘Friends haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered.  He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” ~John 21:5-6.  Andrew and James were also fishermen; however they were not as old as Simon Peter.  In fact, all the disciples except Simon Peter were under the age of 20 when Jesus called them to be his disciples. 

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All twelve disciples had to leave behind a lot in order to follow Jesus.  Keep in mind that many of these disciples were teens, and had to leave behind families, work, and entire lifestyles.  Thinking about it now, I don’t know if I could have left all that I know for a man claiming to be God. I’d have to have tons and tons of faith and probably see him do miracles with my own eyes.  It’s hard to imagine life without my siblings, the comfort of my own bed, the general familiarity with what to expect on a day to day basis, and even if I’m going to wake up alive the next morning.  With big change often comes big opposition, as the disciples soon found out. 

               After Jesus was killed, rose again, and returned back to heaven 40 days later, all of the disciples died a martyr’s death except Judas the traitor and John.  Shortly after receiving his reward for betraying Jesus, Judas hung himself without ever spending the money.  Simon Peter was hung on a cross upside down, Matthew was nailed to the ground with short spears and beheaded, John was boiled in a huge thing of boiling oil but survived to die a peaceful death, Bartholomew was flayed to death by a whip, Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece, Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India, Mattias was stoned and then beheaded, James was beheaded, Philip, Jude, and Simon were crucified, and James (son of Aphaeus) was either crucified or stoned to death.  Although it’s very gruesome to think about, I think it’s necessary to know what kind of sacrifice these teenagers gave towards what they believed to be the one true way to heaven.  These 11 guys endured horrible pain and suffering to bring the good news to the entire world.  If people won’t listen to what they have to say, then I don’t know how else to get their attention. 

Paul

Saul, later known as Paul, was and is the greatest missionary to live after the resurrection of Jesus along with my role model.  Paul wrote many letters which were later compiled into books named after those they were written to.  Paul was the author of Romans, 1^st and 2^nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians, 1^st and 2^nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon for a grand total of 13 out of 27 books in the New Testament.    Almost half the entire New Testament!  The Holy Spirit truly did a work through him.

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A little background is necessary in order to show the complete transformation of this amazing disciple.  Saul was one of the first persecutors of the church before he became a great missionary.  Acts 9:1-2 shows a little piece of his life, “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.  He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”  In verse three, Jesus comes to him in the form of a light and tells Saul to stop hunting down his people.  Saul is blinded for the remaining three days of the journey.  Once in Damascus, Saul met with a saint named Ananias who healed and baptized Saul after receiving a vision.   Now Ananias was very aware of what Saul had been doing to saints in Jerusalem, but God told him in verse 15, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”  It’s amazing to think that God planned to use Saul for his glory from the very start.

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Saul became so on fire for God that he had numerous attacks on his life.  Even only a month or so after his conversion, the Jewish leaders conspired to kill him.  “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.  After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him.” ~Acts 9:22-23; “He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.” ~Acts 9:29.  It became so unsafe for him that the other followers of Christ had to send him off to Tarsus so he wouldn’t get killed!  It was probably safer for him to be a persecutor of the Church than a convert for it, but I think that the more he was prosecuted, the stronger the missionary he became.  He even stood up against the council at Jerusalem for the gentiles (non-Jews) to become saved as well.  Of course, he was also thrown into prison a few times, and even shipwrecked in a prison transfer.  Through it all he maintained his evangelistic out-look on life.  For example, while in prison Paul often would witness to the guards that were keeping him. 

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Paul fought for God until the bitter end.  Paul died a sinner’s death much like Christ’s on the cross.  However, to keep Christ’s death on the cross holy, Paul requested to be hung upside down on his cross.  1 Corinthians 1:13 refers to Paul’s death as a crucifixion, confirming that even in his dying moments, Paul’s ministry to God and the spreading of Jesus’ great gift came before himself.

Mary the mother of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

             An unheard debate goes on in Christian circles over Mary, mostly in regards to Catholicism.  In order to address the issue of many believing Mary has more authority over Jesus, I’ve decided to write about what makes Mary a true hero.  I would like to point out in advance that although I believe Mary was indeed a very godly woman, she was certainly not above Jesus in anyway according to the Bible.  

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                The birth of Jesus was a very big thing, and it couldn’t have happened through any person- the woman carrying the son of God had to be a virgin and a godly woman pledged to be married.  Guess who was the prime candidate?  However, Mary was scared that she had done something awful, and the angel had to reassured her she had done nothing wrong and even “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).  The angel went on to tell the young Mary “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” ~ Luke 1:31.  That’s crazy, having a kid before you were married was a sin and heavily frowned upon in society.  In verse 34, Mary questioned the angel asking how she can have a child if she’s a virgin, somewhat doubtful of how this will all work out. “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” ~ Luke 1:35.  This shows without a doubt that Mary was not divine, but indeed ‘power of the Most High’ overshadowed her, making Jesus of divine nature and therefore of greater authority than Mary. 

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Now the best feature of Mary, in my opinion at least, is how humble she was.  God performed a miracle through her, and yet Luke 2:19 says “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”   Mary herself writes a song in Luke 1:46-56, and thanks God for being mindful of her.  In John 11:32, her humbleness is seen again when she addresses her son, Jesus, after Lazarus had died: “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”  Not only was Mary humble, she was also extremely loyal.  She was one of few believers present at Jesus’ crucifixion, and went to his tomb after he had died.  This shows a great deal about her character and just the pureness of her faith.  It’s incredible to read about such a devote follower as Mary, who had faith in Jesus from the moment he was born.   

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The Magi: Matthew 2:1-16

             Jesus’ birth was not very well known throughout the kingdom or even Bethlehem.  How then did these three Magi, or wise men, come to know about him? Kind of strange to think about, but according to the Bible they followed a star in the east: Matthew 2:2 “and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’”  Now in those days, stars held significant information about the present and the future so, when they told King Herod this you can imagine he took what they said seriously.  Verse 3 says “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all of Jerusalem with him.”  This new king of the Jews not only threatened the rule of Herod, but also the authority of the Pharisees, the religious people of the times. 

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                Being the sneaky man he was, Herod told the Magi to send a report to him so he could worship the child as well and sent them on their way.  When the Magi headed toward Bethlehem as Herod instructed, they saw the star in the east and “when they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2:10)  This verse shows the genuine joy they had in visiting the King.  Matthew 2:11 says, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of frankincense and of myrrh.”  Now to truly demonstrate the value of these gifts I asked my grandma who sells essential oils the relative pricing of these items today.  Gold prices change daily, but a 15mL bottle of frankincense is roughly $90 retail and a 15mL bottle of myrrh is about $85!  Keep in mind they’re bringing these gifts to a two year old at this time. 

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In fact it was a two year journey to Bethlehem for the Magi.  I take 18 hour car drives with my family to Kentucky every year to visit my dad’s family, but two years is way, way, way too long to be traveling, and on a camel or donkey no less.  All this to visit a two year old whom the stars told you would be the king of the Jews.  The Magi weren’t even Jewish!  Matthew 2:12 says, “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”  Now this was odd as well, why would they not go back to Herod?  Well remember Herod’s throne is being questioned.  Matthew 2:16 paints an awful picture, “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave the orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”  Thankfully, Joseph had been warned in a dream to escape to Egypt before Herod found out (vs 13).   And so the Magi begin the hatred of the Pharisees and Roman officials towards Jesus the Christ.

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Samson the Mighty Warrior: Judges 16

             Samson had some major issues even with the incredible strength God gave him.  Even by today’s low standards, his life was a total mess.  When Samson was probably in his early twenties, he slept with a prostitute and ended up falling in love with her.  Now this prostitute, otherwise known as Delilah, was a Philistine.  Israel and Philistine were something like arch enemies, a lot like the Vikings versus the Packers but with an actual reason for hating each other and tons more bloodshed.  In other words, this was not only a big no-no; it was dangerous for all parties involved.  It’s not like Samson had a bad upbringing, as most kids do who take this path, he had a loving family who was very church oriented. 

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Samson’s choice had all the serious consequences our parents warned us about.  Delilah ended up spending her entire time with Samson trying to find his weakness.  You see, Samson almost had a price on his head.  He had a horrible temper, and was known for killing hundreds if not thousands of Philistines.  Judges 16:5 says, “The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, ‘See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him.  Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.’”  It sounds like Samson was pretty much a dead man after Delilah found out his secret.  “So he told her everything.  ‘No razor has ever been used on my head’, he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth.  If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.’…Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza.  Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.” ~Judges 16: 17, 21.  But this was not the last the Philistines heard of from Samson.

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Some many years later Samson was an entertainer of some sorts for the rulers of Philistine who despised him greatly.  Samson still had no strength, but he knew there was a God and his faith was stronger in his dying moments than in his entire life.  Samson was a very smart man, and at his final performance, Samson told the servant who was guiding him to lead him to the two central pillars of the building they were in so he could lean against them.  Judges 16:27 says that the temple was filled with all the rulers of the Philistines, and even on the roof of the building there were about three thousand men and women.  In my opinion Samson’s strongest moment was in his desperate prayer to God.  “Then Samson prayed to the LORD, ‘O Sovereign LORD, remember me.  O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.’” ~Judges 16:28. 

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Samson’s faith in his dying breath can be felt off the pages, and truly inspires me.  It sends the message that anything can be done through faith.  Most don’t realize that it’s been about twenty years since Samson has had any strength, and now he calls upon a God whom he’s never been truly devoted to.  Judges 16:30 is my favorite verse in the entire story of Samson: “Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’  Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it.  Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.’”   Not all heroes were warriors of mere strength.

Gideon and the battle of 300~ Judges 6-8

        Before getting into the actual battle, I’d like to begin with a little backround on Gideon himself.  Believe it or not, Gideon was just a normal guy living in rough times for his people.  In Judges 6:11 we learn that Gideon was “threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites”, showing how impoverished these people must have been.  Gideon belonged to the weakest clan in Manasseh, and was the youngest in his family (vs 15), not exactly the warrior type.   In spite of all this, the angel of God came down and told Gideon he was to save Israel, and even called him a mighty warrior.  At this point Gideon was shocked that God wanted to use him of all the people in Israel!  He basically tells God he’s got the wrong guy: “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” ~Judges 6:15.  The angel of God responds saying “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”  Not only was God claiming to use him to redeem Israel, he’s claiming to be with Gideon.  After this it’s clear Gideon begins to trust God.  I mean, the God of the universe was going to be with him how could he not trust he’d win? 

            Gideon begins his preparations in verse 34 after the Midianites, Amaletkites, and other eastern peoples joined forces and camped in the Valley of Jezreel, which was on the same side of the Jordan as the Israelites.  “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites (his clan) to follow him.  He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.” ~Judges 6:34-35.  At this point Gideon has 32,000 troops in his army compared to the hundreds of thousands he’s facing.  This is where Gideon’s preparations end and God’s begin. 

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            I know if I was Gideon, I’d be thinking “how in the world am I supposed to defeat this highly trained army with only 32 thousand farmers?”  But God tells Gideon in Judges 7:2 “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands.”  What??? This must have come as a big shock, but Gideon does as God says.  He tells the ‘soldiers’ that anyone who is scared can leave and go back home.  Twenty-two thousand men left.  Twenty-two thousand.  This leaves only ten thousand left.  “But the LORD said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men.’”  Keep in mind at this point the odd are 10:1 against Gideon, and still, he does as God commands.  Now this is interesting, the next test had to do with how the men drank their water from the stream.  Judges 7:6-7 says, “Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths.  All the rest got down on their knees to drink.  The LORD said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.’”  I know when I first read that I thought, “Why would that even matter?” but my youth pastor helped me out.  He pointed out that those lapping the water up to their mouths were focused and on task.  He related the kneeling down to drink as to worshipping the water, or in a bigger sense, their needs.  They were in a scorching desert afterall.  Also, in other translations, this “kneeling down” was actually a kind of running to the water and dropping their bags and weapons on their way.  So, God only chose the most focused warriors to save Israel. 

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            The initial battle itself is very much a miracle.  In fact, the three hundred of them did very little fighting until later.  The weapons of this battle were a torch enclosed by a jar and some trumpeters.  Now I should explain the significance of these items.  You see, in those days a trumpet call announced the charge of a unit (roughly 1,000 soldiers each) and a torch would have been the signal to set off an attack.  So, by having every soldier blow a trumpet after surrounding the camp, those inside the camp thought they were surrounded by 300,000 soldiers at least.  The jars being broken and the men shouting led to mass confusion.  “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.” ~Judges 7:22.  The Midianite army pretty much killed itself, with the exception of maybe a few thousand that were rounded up by Gideon and other Israelite leaders who agreed to help.  Judges 8:10 tells of the sheer numbers that were killed: “…a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.”  And with that, it’s clear there was much more than a small army of 300 men on Gideon’s side:  there was an all powerful God.

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