Are you a zealot?

We got up to five, maybe six disciples last week. And then I got distracted. I know we're trying to follow the New Testament stories sequentially, but I want to know who the other six/seven disciples were and where they came from. Otherwise I'm going to keep imagining they're all there when half of them are missing. So we're taking a detour to satisfy curiosity in our Bible study this week. We're going to look at some rebels, tax-collectors and party-goers, as well as fishermen and students... Which might you identify with?

(10)Rebels, Tax-Collectors and Partygoers

The Jewish Gospels are much more concerned with organizing stories by content than by timing, but it’s hard not to wonder where the other disciples came from after reading John’s account of Jesus near Jerusalem. So far we have John, maybe James, Andrew and Simon, and Philip and Nathaniel. What type of people are they? How long would you expect them to stick around Jerusalem?

The next events in John’s Gospel are:

1.       The Wedding Feast at Cana (Galilee, probably between Nazareth and Capernaum)

2.       Cleansing the Temple (back in Jerusalem)

3.       Meeting Nicodemus (not one of the twelve, but still a follower, Jerusalem)

4.       Meeting a Samaritan woman (also not one of the twelve, on the road from Jerusalem to Nazareth)

Meanwhile Matthew, Mark and Luke jump straight into Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee (leaving the Temple story until the end of Jesus’ ministry). We’ll read all these stories soon, but first…

1.       How would you connect these stories, into one storyline? Would you guess that the order might be for emphasis rather than for timing? Does it matter that we can’t be sure what happened when?

2.       Why might it be good to read the stories of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman one after the other?

3.       Why might it be good to read about the wedding feast and the ruined Temple at the same place in the book?

4.       How does the story of Jesus’ cleansing the Temple read differently if we imagine it at the start or the end of his ministry?

We’ll start looking at these stories next week, but first, what about those other six disciples? Can you think of their names? Are their names even consistent across the gospels? (Read Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16)

If you’re like me, you’re probably being very non-Western at this point and wondering where those other named disciples came from. So let’s take a brief digression through names, times and places.

1.       At some point, Jesus has to go through Samaria, heading for Galilee from Jerusalem. He meets a Samaritan woman, as told in John. He might also meet some rather rough bandits and zealots. One of Jesus’ disciples is called Simon the Zealot. Read Luke 6:12-16. What are you zealous for?

2.       Another possible bandit is Judas Iscariot, though he might have been sent by Jewish authorities to spy on Jesus. Why might Jesus choose someone who was going to betray him? Have you ever betrayed Him?

3.       Meanwhile those first four/five disciples have travelled back to Galilee, perhaps attending the wedding of one of Nathaniel’s relatives on the way. Read John 21:2. How easily do you invite Jesus to your family events?

4.       Read Matthew 4:18-22. How quickly do we stop what we’re doing and follow God’s plan?

5.       Entering or leaving Capernaum, Jesus sees a tax collector called Matthew (son of Alphaeus) going about his business (checking imports, exports, paid and unpaid bills at the city gates). Read Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:14. How important are rules, taxes, and a well-regulated society to you?

6.       Read Mark 3:13-19. When the disciples are gathered at Jesus’ feet for the Sermon on the Mount, one is named James son of Alphaeus. Could he be Matthew/Levi’s brother? How many sets of siblings does that make (and we haven’t even looked at Thomas yet)? Does a call have to come straight from God, or can others call us to service?

7.       Judas/Thaddeus is remembered as the son/brother of James (Read Jude 1) which might make him Matthew/Levi’s brother/nephew. Which family members are you praying for, that they too might follow Him?

8.       Thomas is called the Twin (Read John 11:16). Some traditions suggest one of Jesus’ female followers was Thomas’ twin, unnamed because the women weren’t initially named. One tradition even says he’s the twin of us all because he doubted. Which leads to today’s final question: Which disciple do you most identify with? Why?