Which One of the Disciples Were You That Night?
Imagine walking among the people and seeing the lame walk and the blind regaining their sight. Can you even consider the amazement of seeing Jesus’ friend Lazarus coming forth from his tomb after being dead for several days? As we enter Easter weekend, I have been contemplating which disciple we can most identify with regarding their relationship to Christ. If we are truly honest, I think we can identify with them all to some degree. Sure, the most visible ones of Peter and John are easy, but can you see yourself in the others?
Jesus came into the world by way of a lowly manger. He started his ministry by picking disciples, not from the ruling elite, but from the common Jewish population. What do we know about these men? We glean that several were fisherman. Others were tradesman of some kind. Matthew was a tax collector, the lowest common denominator among the people. Simon the Lesser was a zealot. He was part of the group that wanted to overthrow the Roman government. Judas was chosen as the treasurer. It can be assumed he had some experience in that area. They all left their homes and jobs to follow a carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus walked among them for His three years of ministry. He reached out to the outcasts, the prisoners, the forgotten people of society. He challenged the religious leaders of the day and their hypocrisy. He loved the unloved and diseased. Yet, each one of his disciples listened, learned, and interacted with Him on a daily basis. His movement grew to the point of calling Him the King of the Jews. Unfortunately, the disciples misinterpreted this as a political distinction, rather than a spiritual one.
At the climax of His ministry, Jesus entered Jerusalem in what is now known as “The Triumphal Entry.”
In Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19, Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem, and the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome Him as He triumphantly enters Jerusalem. Yet, just a few days later, all the disciples find themselves in the upper room the night Christ is arrested. I’m sure none of them realized that this would be the last supper together before Jesus died. I have always wondered what the disciples must have thought when Jesus talked about His betrayal and being handed over to the authorities. As believers, it is easy to say with hindsight what we might have done that evening. However, as the evening and scene plays out, I see myself in each of the main characters.
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[quote bar=”true” align=”center”]If we are truly honest, I think we can identify with them all to some degree.[/quote]
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Most of us want to think of ourselves as John, the beloved disciple, the level headed loving member of the group. The rest of us definitely can see ourselves as Peter. He’s the big guy that takes out a couple of guards trying to arrest Jesus in the garden. More importantly, he is constantly asking questions. He doesn’t seem to be getting it. Oh, Peter says the right things a lot of the time, but when it matters in the courtyard as Jesus is being led away, he denies knowing him three times. The others – Phillip, Bartholomew, Andrew, James, Thaddeus and the other James, all scattered and went into hiding. Can you put yourself in their place? I know most people think they couldn’t possibly be like Judas. However, can’t we be just as manipulative? Every time we put ourselves on the throne of our own lives we can be a little like Judas. We can also emulate his behavior when we confess our relationship to Jesus, and then go demonstrate the opposite with our life out in the world. It’s sobering, isn’t it?
Finally, I struggle with Thomas. He is where we get the phrase, “don’t be a doubting Thomas.” So many times, I have struggled with the idea that surely I wouldn’t have doubted that the Lord was alive. Maybe you have, too. Think back to the scene where the disciples are gathered together after all of the other disciples have encountered the risen Lord. Thomas was absent from that first meeting. Thomas had refused to believe Christ was alive until he had proof. I myself am a fixer. I want to say that I constantly walk by faith rather than by sight, but I know deep down that is a struggle for me. I want to see God’s plan and have the answers before I proceed. Yet, our faith walk is about trusting that He is the one in charge of the plan. Our job is to say yes and follow.
We have taken a brief look at several of the disciples and similar attributes we might have in common with them. The resurrection of Jesus changed the disciples from despairing and frightened men into bold proclaimers of the Gospel. Almost all of them were beaten, tortured, crucified, or exiled, in the case of John. As Easter Sunday approaches, what would you have sacrificed as a follower of Jesus back then? What are you willing to sacrifice today?
S. Montgomery