JUDAS/THADDAEUS THE FAITHFUL DISCIPLE
John 14:22 (The Master’s Twelve- Part XI)
When we look at
the TV, read daily newspapers, and hear political rhetoric of the candidates
running for the office of the president one can tell that indeed we are living
in perilous times. Let’s not be surprised, these days were predicted by our
Lord and by his Apostles long time ago. When the rest of the world is gripped
in fear and panic, how are we to live as the followers of Christ? What message
can we bring to our neighbors, colleagues and friends who are confused yet searching
for answers to life’s most complex questions?
In order to understand how we
are to live as Disciples of Christ in the last days, and
How to contend for
our holy faith we have been studying the lives of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
In spite of all the ridicule, persecution even to the point of death, the
apostles remained faithful to the gospel that was entrusted to them. Except one,
the rest of them were all commended for their faith. Our present times are somewhat
similar to their times, so by studying their lives we can learn valuable
lessons to live faithfully during difficult times.
So far we have learned about: Peter the Go-Getter;
John the beloved disciple; Andrew the problem solver; James the ambitious but
broken; Philip the skeptic mind; Bartholomew, in whom there is no deceit,
Matthew the Evangelist, and Simon the (zealot) Militant. Last week we learned
about James the less known Apostle and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.
Today we will
learn about another Judas who has a powerful message for us as we face perilous
times. Let’s unfold the life of “Judas
the faithful disciple” Who is Judas also known as Thaddaeus? What was his family background? What was his
early life like? How his life with Jesus was and what were his later years
like? John 14:22
I JUDAS’ EARLY LIFE:
There
are eight men who has the same name Judas in the Newt Testament: 1) Judas
Iscariot who became a traitor (Matthew 10:4); 2) Judas, a brother of Jesus
(Matthew 13:55) 3) Judas, Paul’s host in Damascus (Acts 9:11) 4) Judas, called
Barsabbas a leading Christian in Jerusalem and companion of Paul (Acts 15:22),
5)Judas, a revolutionary leader Acts 5:37 6) Judah, an otherwise unknown person
in the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:30) 7) Judah, a son of Jacob in the genealogy
of Jesus and an ancestor of an Israelite tribe (Matt 1:2; Revelation 7:5 8)
Judas son of James and one of the twelve apostles (Luke 6:16).
For
our study we are looking at the life of Judas son of James one of the twelve
apostles. The name Judas comes from the Hebrew name, Judah which means He (God
be praised). In Lk 6:16, Acts 1:13 we see Judas son of James mentioned whereas
in Matt 10:3, Mk 3:18, he is referred to Thaddaeus. These both are one and the
same. In Greek Thaddaeus means a heart or courageous heart. What do we know
about his background? Nothing much, all we know that Judas was the son of
James. We also know that Judas was an ardent disciple and follower of Christ. Judas
was chosen to be part of Jesus’ apostolic ministry team.
The
Gospel writers sensed the need to indicate when they were talking about Judas
the betrayer of Jesus or Judas the faithful disciple. We know that both
disciples named Judas died violent deaths: the first by his own hands out of
remorse; and the second by the hands of others with whom he was carrying out
Jesus’ command to spread the gospel to the world. What perhaps motivated these
two disciples to reach such tragic end? For Judas Iscariot it may have been
love of money, control and power.
Let’s
discover what has motivated Judas the son of James, as we look at how his life
was influenced by the powerful and compelling teachings of Jesus Christ. We
could only imagine that Judas’ life was transformed as he spent more time with
the lord.
II.
JUDAS’ LIFE WITH JESUS:
Let me set the
scene where Jesus appointed his twelve apostles. As we have already established
that Jesus after spending all night in prayer with the father on the mountain.
When the day came, he called the disciples up to himself. Among them he chose
twelve those he wanted for the sole purpose that they would spend time with him
so that he could send them into the world to preach his words of peace, love,
and hope. (Luke 6: 12-19)
After appointing
them as the apostles Jesus came down the mountain with his twelve apostles. The
scene was electrifying! It was the first
public appearance of Jesus and his twelve together. Can you imagine what must
have been going through Judas and the rest of the apostles when they saw a huge
crowds of disciples, and people from all over the region? People were being healed, demons were coming
out with shrieks, and multitudes were trying to touch Jesus. The gospel writer
Luke describes, “for power was coming from Him and healing them all.” What a
spectacular way to launch out into public ministry through signs and wonders?
What can we learn
from this process of selection, appointment and the display of God’s power? Firstly,
it is God who calls people to follow him and among his followers he would set
aside and assigns them special tasks of carrying the message of the gospel. Secondly,
when we think we are powerfully being used by God, let’s remember it is not our
power but it is the power of God working through us, so let’s be quick to give
him all the glory and praise that is due to his name. Thirdly, God wants the
message of the gospel to spread all over the world.
I am sure these
are some of the things that Jesus wanted his newly appointed apostles to learn
and live by. What do you think, did they live up to the expectations of their
savior, master and Lord? Of course they did.
Because of their faithfulness, and obedience to their call you and I
have the privilege to hear the gospel and to respond to the call of God in our
lives.
Coming back to the
story of Judas the faithful disciple, we don’t hear much coming out of him
except one time he had a profound question to Jesus. This was the moment when
Jesus just disclosed his intentions of leaving his disciples and his earthly
ministry and return to his father, the thought of itself was very troubling to
the disciples. So Jesus encouraged them with these words. “Let not your heart
be troubled, believe in God believe also in Me.”(John 14:1) He went on to say,
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…whoever has my commands
and keeps them is the one who loves me.” Vs 22, “Then Judas (not Judas
Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to
the world?” Vs 23, Jesus replied, In NASB it reads, “Jesus answered and said to
him” “Anyone who loves (continually) Me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them and we will come to
them and make our home with them.” Anyone who does not love me will not obey my
teaching.”
Let’s break this
Q&A session between Judas and Jesus down. What I see playing out here is
that, Jesus encourages us to come to him directly with our questions. He will
answer us directly, but his answer may not always be based on what we want to
know but what we need to know. Jesus wanted Judas and other apostles to know a
key principle of love and obedience.
He wants them to
know that is not enough to know his teachings in the head but keep them in the
heart and obey them. He wanted their love to be expressed just not by words but
through obedience. In simple words, “if we love Jesus we will obey his
teachings. If we are not obeying means, we are not loving Him.
These words of
Jesus must have made a deep impact on Judas, the other apostles and
subsequently on all those who believed their teaching. Jesus is expecting the same kind of love and
obedience from all of us even today. Let’s see how Judas faithfully carried out
the teachings of Christ during his later years in ministry.
III. JUDAS’ LATER YEARS:
Matthew and other
Gospel writers give a vivid description of what were Judas Iscariot’s final
days and moments like before he committed suicide. Whereas when it comes to Judas the faithful
disciple there was nothing much said or written about him except his name was
still included along with the rest of the disciples in Acts 1:13. Judas
followed Jesus closely, witnessed his betrayal, crucifixion, death, burial,
resurrection and even his ascension into heaven. In Acts 1:14, we read, Judas
was among the 120 disciples who were devoted to prayer. While they were praying
in the upper room the Holy Spirit fell upon that group of devoted disciples.
The rest is history recorded in the book of Acts.
The traditional
accounts of Juda’s ministry have him preaching north and east of Jerusalem,
even as far as India. Like fellow
disciple Bartholomew Judas has a strong historic bond with Christianity in
Armenia, an ancient land between the Black and Caspian Seas, spilling down into
what we now call eastern Turkey. Armenia has long been recognized as the first
Christian nation, based on early evangelization and the “official” declaration
by the state designating itself a nation for Christ in the 4th century. But the
source of that early influence for Christ goes back to Judas and then
Bartholomew. Judas/Thaddaeus arrived first and carried on a ministry that
lasted eight years. He was executed as a
martyr with arrows or a javelin sometime around AD 70. Here is another apostle who lived for Christ
and died as a martyr for Christ.
Their lives and
stories are sources of inspiration for us in our journey of faith. The Apostle
Paul, writing to the church in Philippi reminds them saying, “For it has been
granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also suffer
for him.” Philippians 1:29. I wonder how
many of us are willing to risk our lives for what we have believed in. All the
apostles risked their lives even to the point of death. They are our models to
follow.
I started my
message saying that we are indeed living in dangerous times. Christians and
their faith has come under severe attack in our times more than ever. Long time
ago Jesus predicted that these days indeed will come, and it is noted by one of
his apostles Matthew the evangelist in Matt 24:9-13, “Then you will be handed
over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations
because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith…Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands
firm to the end will be saved.”
How can the life
of Judas encourage today in standing firm in our faith? What Judas the faithful
say to us today? Firstly, he might say, “Hold on firmly to your faith, no
matter what don’t let it go? Secondly, don’t hold back from asking questions,
bring your most difficult questions to Jesus and he will answer them for you.
Thirdly, by his own experience he would reiterate and challenge us by the words
spoken by Prophet Samuel long time ago, who said, “Obedience is better than
sacrifice.”
Finally, he may
encourage us with these words. “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of
you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But
encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of
you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original
conviction the very end. Hebrews 3:12-14. Will you stand firm in your faith
till the end? Amen
