Jesus and Early Disciples
Matthew 4:18-22 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother, Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,: Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.: At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother, John. they were in a boat with their father Zebeedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and followed him.
Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they say him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ” All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I ha e commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Luke 6:12-16 One of those days Jesus went to a mountainside to pray, and spent the ight praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, who he also designated apostles: Simon,(whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Tomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Luke 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Luke 8:34-36 Jesus replied, ” Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 9:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love ne another.”
John 11:47-52 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people that that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.
John 15:16-17 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 2:42-48 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Timothy 2:8-10 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they once too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Jesus collected many men from mostly mundane workers–He was a carpenter, and gathered four fishmen, men who had followed John the Baptist, and so forth. One, who was quite well educated, Matthew, was a tax collector who figured the taxes the Jews owed to the Romans, and laid out the penalties when the taxes were not paid. He was not highly regarded by these men who worked hard for their money to support their families, only to have Matthew giving the majority of it to the Romans. There was also a religious zealot, who had spent years find-tuning his beliefs and body to be a fierce warrior, defending the beliefs of the Jewish people.
In those early days following Jesus’ execution, much of the Bible had been spread by word of mouth by the men and women who had experienced Jesus’ love, care, and presence. They had felt forgiveness of their sins, seen healing both physical and emotional, and learned what non-judgment and love looked and felt like.
Up to this time, the priests, Levites, Pharisees and Sadducees had done all of the teaching. But they were no longer teaching according to God’s mandates. They had added many more “LAWS” and “DICTATES” which they claimed God had decreed, but that was not so. God wanted things simple. He wanted us to have a relationship with Him, not be buried under all sorts of rules and regulations. Should be simple, right? Sounds simple.
But because of our selfish, sinful, prideful nature, it is NOT easy to show love to all other persons, let alone to love God and be entirely obedient to Him. His message was to love Him, not desire anything more than Him, and to love others. Again, that seems on the surface fairly easy. But it is not. Intrinsically, we are born with a desire to have our wants filled and satisfied if not immediately, then it should be soon. We do not like to wait or even worse, to be told “no” you cannot have that.
And with the Roman rule subjecting the Israelis to work, give money to the Empire, and to subject them to a dismal existence, AGAIN with another Empire laying down the laws, this is when God had deemed the time was right to send His Son to save. He chose men, hard working, with mostly little education, who could be changed by His ways, by His message and teaching of love and forgiveness. This quiet, soft spoken man did not seem like the Messiah, the leader they had dreamt of for centuries. Jesus did everything with gentleness, forgiveness, even scolding or rebuking them, they were not made to feel ashamed–they were simply and lovingly, corrected. Yet, although they were somewhat hopeful for a revolution and a means to declare they were now free, something about this Man held them. And over time, they came to believe-to KNOW–He was the Messiah; the prophecies were coming true. This must in time lead to their freedom, their salvation from the Romans, there must be some kind of revolution to come. But that was not God’s design.
As tensions increased, they knew the Romans and the Pharisees wanted Jesus gone. Jesus came to show people a new way. They were never supposed to be oppressed by church leaders, to have heavy burdens placed on them. That was NOT God’s intention. Jesus came and rebuked the Pharisees and other religious men who felt they were higher than others. The chief priest, Caiaphas, proclaimed it was better for one man to die than for the whole community to suffer. He was so wrong! That one death saved the world for any who believe it and cling to the promises.
After, Jesus’s death, He returned to them, spoke with them and continued teaching. although they had all witnessed His death on the cross, He was alive. And they had a mission. They were tell tell all of Jesus, the Son of God, and with His death and Resurrection, for those who believed, THIS was the salvation–eternity in heaven. The disciples were to tell the world with voice and letters, visiting the many different areas, and showing how to live Jesus’ from the disciples to the various churches started for Followers of the Way. These disciples—mostly men, but some women passed the news that Jesus was the Messiah, had performed countless miracles, was killed and three days later rose from the grave and it was then witnessed 40 days after He rose, He ascended into heaven. Many of the men and women had witnessed these events. They preached confessing sins, following Jesus, and spreading His good news—eternal life was available for any who believed in Him, repented of their sins, and followed Him. Theirs was not an easy life. All except one was martyred–skin stripped from body, burning in oil, sawed in half, hung on a cross, beaten, imprisoned and so forth. So not an easy life, but a simple message. He is the Son of God, He died, taking on every sin for all time–past, present and future because He loves us; and if we believe and accept Him as Savior in our hearts, living as much of His message as possible, we will meet Him in eternity and spend forever there.
God Father, Lord, Jesus, and my Holy Spirit thank You for guiding me, correcting and rebuking me, loving me and showing me the Way, the Truth and the Light/Life. I love Your guidance for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
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