by John MacArthur

"Peter answered and said to Him, 'Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away'"
(Matthew 26:33).

Prior to Jesus' death, Peter's trust in himself rather than God distorted his judgment concerning loyalty to Jesus.

Like a self-willed child, Peter often heard and believed only what he wanted to. He failed to grasp the Lord's warning that his faith would be severely tested. At the Last Supper Jesus told Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat" (Luke 22:31). But Peter was unfazed by these words. Instead, he boasted, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" (v. 33).

Christ in His divine wisdom knew that Peter's claim would not hold true. Therefore, He went further and soberly predicted during the Supper that Peter would soon not only desert His Lord but also deny Him three times. Now in Matthew 26, following Peter's latest outburst of overconfidence, Jesus is constrained to repeat His prediction. Amazingly, Peter did not believe the thrust of Jesus' words. He would rather fool himself and believe that Jesus was mistaken about his faithfulness and loyalty.

In reality, Peter's pride deceptively told him it was impossible for him to deny the Lord. It also deceived him by filling him with a sense of superiority over others and a supreme confidence in his own strength.

Like Peter, we often display our pride and ignorance when we brashly claim great self-confidence about something that turns out just the opposite a short time later. For example, we might presumptuously assert to Christian friends that we always maintain our testimony, no matter what the situation. Then, to our shame, the very next week we lie, cheat, or shade the truth to get ourselves out of a difficult circumstance.

But what a reassurance to know that Jesus was willing to die for proud, thoughtless disciples such as Peter and careless followers such as us. Furthermore, our Lord is constantly in the business of forgiving and restoring those who stumble: "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray that today and every day God would make you more confident in His grace and power and less reliant on your own wisdom.

For Further Study

Read Matthew 16:13-28.
What important principle in verses 24-26 can help you avoid Peter's impulsive mistakes?

Paul was actually born as Saul. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia around A.D. 1–5 in a province in the southeastern corner of modern day Tersous, Turkey. He was of Benjamite lineage and Hebrew ancestry. His parents were Pharisees—fervent Jewish nationalists who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses—who sought to protect their children from "contamination" from the Gentiles. Anything Greek was despised in Saul's household, yet he could speak Greek and passable Latin. His household spoke Aramaic, a derivative of Hebrew, which was the official language of Judea. Saul's family were Roman citizens but viewed Jerusalem as a truly sacred and holy city.

At age thirteen Saul was sent to Palestine to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms and the works of the prophets. His education would continue for five or six years as Saul learned such things as dissecting Scripture. It was during this time that he developed a question-and-answer style known in ancient times as "diatribe." This method of articulation helped rabbis debate the finer points of Jewish law to either defend or prosecute those who broke the law. Saul went on to become a lawyer, and all signs pointed to his becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of 71 men who ruled over Jewish life and religion. Saul was zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism.

Because of his extremism Saul might have been present at the trial of Stephen. He was present for his stoning and death and he held the garments of those who did the stoning (Acts 7:58). In Acts 5:27-42, Peter delivered his defense of the gospel and of Jesus in front of the Sanhedrin, which Saul heard. Gamaliel was also present and delivered a message to calm the council and prevent them from stoning Peter. From that moment on, Saul became even more determined to eradicate Christians as he watched the Sanhedrin flog Peter and the others. Saul became more ruthless in his pursuit of Christians as he believed he was doing it in the name of God. Arguably, there is no one more frightening or more vicious than a religious terrorist, especially when he believes that he is doing the will of the Lord by killing innocent people. This is exactly what Saul of Tarsus was: a religious terrorist. Acts 8:3 states, "He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison."

The pivotal passage in Paul's story is Acts 9:1-22, which recounts Paul's meeting with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, a journey of about 150 miles. Saul was angered by what he had seen and filled with murderous rage against the Christians. Before departing on his journey, he had asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for permission to bring any Christians (followers of "the Way," as they were known) back to Jerusalem to imprison them. On the road Saul was caught up in a bright light from heaven which caused him to fall face down on the ground. He hears the words, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He says, "Who are you Lord?" Jesus answers directly and clearly, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (vv. 4-5). As an aside, this might not have been Saul's first encounter with Jesus, as some scholars suggest that young Saul might have known of Jesus and that he might have actually witnessed His death.

From this moment on, Saul's life was turned upside down. The light of the Lord blinded him, and as he traveled on he had to rely on his companions. As instructed by Jesus, Saul continued to Damascus to make contact with a man named Ananias who was hesitant at first to meet Saul because he knew Saul's reputation as an evil man. But the Lord told Ananias that Saul was a "chosen instrument" to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel (v.15) and would suffer for doing so (v.16). Ananias followed the Lord's instructions and found Saul, on whom he laid hands, and told him of his vision of Jesus Christ. Through prayer, Saul received the Holy Spirit (v.17), regained his sight and was baptized (v.18). Saul immediately went into the synagogues proclaiming Jesus and saying He is the Son of God (v.20). The people were amazed and skeptical, as Saul's reputation was well known. The Jews thought he had come to take away the Christians (v.21). Saul's boldness increased as the Jews living in Damascus were confounded by Saul's arguments proving that Jesus was the Christ (v.22).

As a result of this miraculous transformation, Saul became known as Paul (Acts 13:9). Paul spent time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria and his native Cilicia, and Barnabas enlisted his help to teach those in the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25). Interestingly, the Christians driven out of Palestine by Saul of Tarsus founded this multiracial church (Acts 11:19-21). Paul took his first of three missionary journeys in the late 40s A.D. Paul wrote many of the New Testament books. Most theologians are in agreement that he wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. These 13 "letters" (books) make up the "Pauline Authorship" and are the primary source of his theology. As previously noted, the book of Acts gives us a historical look at Paul's life and times. The Apostle Paul spent his life proclaiming the risen Christ Jesus throughout the Roman world, often at great personal peril (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). It is assumed that Paul died a martyr's death in the mid-to-late 60s A.D. in Rome.

So, what can we learn from the life of the Apostle Paul? First, we learn that God can save anyone. The remarkable story of Paul repeats itself every day as sinful, broken people all over the world are transformed by God's saving grace in Jesus Christ. Some of these people have done despicable things to other human beings, while some just try to live a moral life thinking that God will smile upon them on the day of judgment. When we read the story of Paul and know what he had done, it is difficult for us to believe that God would allow into heaven religious extremists who murder innocent women and children. Today, we might see people on death row as unworthy of redemption because their crimes against humanity are just too great. Yet we live our lives in a sinful manner, expecting that God will be impressed by the fact that we haven't killed anyone. The story of Paul is a story that can be told today—he isn't worthy in our eyes of a second chance, yet to God he is worthy. The truth is that every person matters to God, from the "good, decent," average person to the "wicked, evil" degenerate. Only God can save a soul from hell.

Second, we learn from the life of Paul that anyone can be a humble, powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Arguably, no other human figure in the Bible demonstrated more humility while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as Paul. Acts 20:19 tells us that he "served the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to [him] through the plots of the Jews." In Acts 28:31, Paul shares the good news of Jesus Christ: "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul was not afraid to tell others what the Lord had done for him. This verse is the very definition of Paul's newfound life in Christ. He would spend the rest of his days working tirelessly for the kingdom of God.

Finally, we learn that anyone can surrender completely to God. Paul was fully "sold-out" for God. "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear" (Philippians 1:12-14). Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, yet he was still praising God and sharing the good news. Through his hardships and suffering, Paul knew the outcome of a life well lived for Christ. He had surrendered his life fully, trusting God for everything. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Can we make the same claim?

Recommended Resources: The Great Lives from God's Word Series by Chuck Swindoll and Logos Bible Software.

by Fr. George, Ireland

I have often heard many a people, especially in the West, using the pejorative phrase 'Doubting Thomas' to address St. Thomas, one of the twelve Disciples of Christ. This sarcasm has often pained me for it refers to my forefather. The case in point is the outcome of the encounter of Christ with his well-beloved disciple St. Thomas after the resurrection. It seems to be a deliberate attempt on the part of the Western church to belittle St. Thomas, the patron saint of the Indian Church and the apostle of Christ to India. Was he a doubting person? Was he a kind of person with all sorts of negativity? Did Jesus Christ disdain or reprimand St. Thomas on his genuine doubt? To me, in fact, he was not so. He was indeed, I must say, a man of courage and quixotic. He can best be qualified for the title 'Daring Thomas' rather than 'Doubting Thomas'.

The doubt of St. Thomas is described in the eastern orthodox tradition as "blessed", for it was not a doubt of resistance to truth, but one that desperately desired a truthful answer –a " doubt which gave birth to faith" –when the answer was revealed. In a hymn of the Orthodox Church, Christ says to Thomas, "Your doubt will teach my Passion and Resurrection to all," and we affirm that his doubt "brought the hearts of believers to knowledge". The conversion of Thomas' doubt into faith led him to the clearest confession of Christ's divinity, addressing Jesus as my Lord and my God. (St. John 20:28). Jesus' meeting with St .Thomas happened to be a milestone in the history of Christianity. But for this glorious event, the world would not have known completely of the truth revealed to humanity through the incarnate Christ. The statement, "My Lord and My God", from St. Thomas was so revealing. The Christian understanding of Christ's divinity finds its fullness in this great proclamation of St. Thomas having looked at the risen Christ and hence it happens to be the tap-root of Christology. This profession of faith by St. Thomas turned out to be the key-phrase for the Nicene Creed formulated in 325 CE. On comparison, we can see that there is a degree of depth on theological understanding of the Person Christ in the proclamation made by St. Thomas ("My Lord and My God") rather than the proclamation made by St. Peter ("You are the Christ, the Son of the living God") as recorded on Mathew 16:16.

We read from the holy Bible that St. Thomas dared to be outside when all other disciples hid themselves inside a closed room for fear of the Jews following the death of Christ (John 20: 19). He was, in fact, longing to have a deep and direct knowledge of his master by touching the nail prints on the palms of Jesus Christ for the reason that he might have been more kinaesthetic than auditory and visual. ( In terms of Neuro- Linguistic Programming [NLP]). We all know that senses are the gateway to knowledge. Each person differs in their sense of perceptions. Some people comprehend something profoundly by way of touching rather than by merely seeing or hearing. The importance of using all senses is clear in the verses of St. John, the evangelist. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life – the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifested to us –that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ . And these things we write to you that your joy may be full" (1 John 1: 1-4). It is believed that the present practice of kissing the hands of the priests came into vogue from or has been in tune with this touching of Christ's hands by St. Thomas.

By this very act of touching the wounds of Christ, St. Thomas got the complete healing for his whole being just like the woman who with the issue of blood had been healed( St. Luke 8: 43-48). It was to redeem us from the punishment of our sins that Christ, our Lord and Saviour, came to the world and bore our sins. "Christ himself carried all our sins in his body to the Cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that we have been healed". (Isaiah 53:5, St.Matt8:17, I Peter 2: 24) But one must be receptive and must accept this Salvation of God. (Romans10:9). St. Thomas, in fact, was receiving that Salvation rendered by God by way of touching the crucified and risen Christ. Thus, he was giving us an example how we too can be healed by touching the body of Christ. And this is possible in the present time by touching in faith the holy things like the Altar, Cross, Oil, Priestly Vestments, Relics of Saints, etc in the Church.

With the analytical mind of a scientist, St. Thomas, after having made the observation and experiment, came to the inference that Christ was both full man and full God. This proves beyond doubt that the Christian faith on the resurrection of Christ is based not just on hearsay but a scientific truth leaving not even an iota of falsehood. But at the same time, it was with the innocence and inquisitiveness of an infant that St. Thomas approached the resurrected Christ. The 'infant' in him or his 'child nature', in terms of Transactional analysis, was curious of knowing the truth and exploring his surroundings. It is to be noted that in the biblical perspective as well; every disciple is a child to Christ, our Lord and Father of all. (John 21:5, Luke 10:21, Isaiah 9:6) It was also the fulfillment of his prayer: "Send forth your light and you truth; let them guide me and bring me to your holy mountain and to the place where you dwell. Then I will come to the altar of God, to the God who makes glad my youth; I will give thanks to you with the lyre, O God, my God" (Psalm 43:3-4). Moreover, he might have believed that it was "in Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2: 9) and that it was necessary to go near Him to obtain mercy and grace. (Hebrews 4:16).

This event was, of course, an enrichment of the spirit of the human (Thomas) when the Spirit of the divine (the resurrected Christ) met him in the upper room at Jerusalem and melted into him. This episode obviously speaks of the nature of sensitivity of St. Thomas and the nature of tangibility or palpability (Tactus) of the resurrected body of Christ. In other words, this meeting was the reflection of a deep devotion of a devotee to the Divine. St. Thomas, as an ardent believer, aspired for a personal nexus (a deep and direct one) with God so as to make their relationship stronger, perfect and lively. It is worth mentioning that the appearance of the risen Christ to His disciples for the second time was mainly and exclusively for St. Thomas proving that St. Thomas was so precious in the sight of the Lord Jesus and that He treated everyone equally. What the testimony of the women or the other disciples could not accomplish, the radiant presence of the Risen Christ must certainly have sufficed to do in an instant. St. Thomas was no longer the sceptic, the waverer (Jn14:5), the troubled man (Jn. 11:6). It was an entirely different man who confessed the divinity of Christ, and so wholeheartedly! His cry: "My Lord and my God!" was to be on the lips and hearts of countless future Christians in the presence of the Eucharist, the hidden but living God. St. Thomas' words were the occasion for Jesus to give reassuring praise to the faith of those who ask for no tangible sign.

If we take these verses from the gospel of St. John chapter 20 for granted, there arises a question whether just he alone was a doubting disciple of Christ or was there someone else? What about St. Peter? How about St. John and the rest of all? (Read Luke 24:11, 38, John20:8). Even the priest Zechariah doubted (Luke1:18-20).

St. Thomas deserves to be respected for his faith. He may seem to be a doubter but his doubt had a purpose –he wanted to know the truth and to affirm his faith. He did not idolise his doubts; but gladly believed when given a reason to do so. He expressed his doubts fully and had them answered completely. Doubting was only his way of responding, not his way of life.

His commitment to his vocation is vivid in his venturing a voyage to the Far East. He came all the way from Jerusalem down to India for disseminating the gospel of Christ, and that too at a time when transportation facilities was not so advanced as that of today. It is worth mentioning that he has covered a vast geographical area as part of his mission work with the sole and noble intention of establishing the holy Church for and on behalf of our Lord Jesus. It is a notable fact that there was no one to accompany him or to assist him except the Spirit of God and that too he was having his herculean and tiresome journey all by himself. It is an astonishing fact that he made his marathon missionary journey covering a vast area starting from Jerusalem to Persia, to North India, then to South India and even to the shore of China. This was more than what St. Paul had done. And finally he became a martyr in South India for the sake of his Lord and God Jesus Christ. It is believed that St. Thomas during his missionary work in Persia happened to see the Magi (the wise men from the east who came to see baby Jesus) and baptised them into Christianity.

It is a pity that there is no one in the Christendom to acknowledge his great service rendered for the extension of the Kingdom of God. He is indeed worthy to be called the 'Patron Saint of the Diaspora or the Immigrants'.

As an ardent disciple and a true follower of Christ, he paid the cost of discipleship by relinquishing his personal and earthly security like family and homestead. He even sacrificed the honour due to his parents which he was supposed to render to them. Luke 9:57-62, 14: 25ff speak in detail of the cost of discipleship.

History says that he was first brought to North India as an architect by the merchant Habban, precisely to the place called Taxila in 45 AD, where he converted many including the King Gondaphorus by his sincere and dedicated mission work. After that, he is believed to be taken back to Jerusalem in a whirlwind to have a last glimpse of the mother of God, St.Mary, following her demise. Tradition holds that before his arrival in Jerusalem, the holy body of St. Mary was transported to heaven by the angels. Seeing that glorious event, he prayed to St.Mary to bless him. And it is said that the girdle tied around her loin fell into his hands as a shower of blessing. That girdle is still kept as a holy relic of St.Mary with all reverence in a Syrian Orthodox Church in Holms.

St Peter
St John
St James
St Andrew
St Thomas
St Matthew
St Philip
St James the Less
St Bartholomew
St Simon
St Jude
St Matthias (Judas' replacement)
St Paul

The Lord chose these holy men for their unfeigned love, and gave them eternal glory. Their message goes out through all the earth. Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the end of the world, their message. We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the glorious company of Apostles praise you. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer with God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Christ chose the twelve Apostles. He chooses us too to a sacred calling. His mystical body, His Church, which consists of all members of the human race, albeit, two-thirds of the population of the world are not officially Christians, are part of His Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. That implies that through divine providence, that God permits each of us to experience, we receive the direct means and cause of our calling and vocation. All are called by God to be holy by the Holy Spirit regardless of religion, race or creed. We are all God's children, created and called to be sanctified.

The Apostles started the process from an established ecclesical perspective and we are a continuation of that same process and calling. Sanctification in itself had no beginning; for God is holy from eternity and has always been sanctifying all creation outside of himself starting with the angels to humankind.

Let us listen to one of the Doctors of the Church, St John Chrysostom, who was called the "golden-mouthed" and listen to what he has to say about the Apostles.

"I wish that it were possible to meet with one who could deliver to us the history of the Apostles, not only all they wrote and spoke of, but of the rest of their daily life, even what they ate, when they walked, and where they sat, what they did every day, in what parts they were... where they lodged - to relate everything with minute exactness".

With prayer and the Holy Spirit, God will inform us everything we need to know about the holy Apostles that will enable us to do God's holy will. There is plentiful information and depth in the sacred scripture and especially in the holy gospels that will flood our minds and hearts to the fullest possible degree.

The gospels will tell us very little about the Apostles except perhaps Peter, Paul and John from a surface level. However, the Holy Spirit will enable us to plumb the depths of God. The below is taken from "The Twelve" by C. Bernard Ruffin:

From the writings of Eusebius, however, we are able to glean a small amount of information about the lives of the apostles. Moreover, other writers from the second, third and fourth centuries yield further tidbits of information. Among these were Papias (A.D.60-135A), bishop of Hierapolis (in what is now Turkey), a disciple of St John, whose works, no longer extant, were quoted in fragments by Eusebius and other writers; St Clement of Rome (A.D.30-97), a disciple of Peter and Paul who reigned as pope between A.D.92-101; Iranaeus (c.A.D.120-202), bishop of Lyon (in what is now France); Clement of Alexandria (c. A.D.153-217), an eminent Greek theologian and hymnist; Hippolytus (c.A.D.170-236), a pupil of Irenaeus and author of a number of theological works; Tertullian (c.A.D. 145-221), a Latin-speaking African theologian; Origen (c.A.D.185-254), a celebrated Egyptian teacher, theologian, and ascetic; and St Jerome (c 342-420), the celebrated Italian scholar and translator. The information these first-class scholars were able to gather is, alas, in bits and pieces, but it is all that we have that is reliable.

St Paul is included among the Apostles because he made a great contribution to the early Church as we too can make a tremendous input to the Church today when we allow God to lead us and be guided by the same Holy Spirit.

St Matthias was a chosen apostle in as much as he was Judas Iscariot replacement.

In keeping with the spirit of the gospels that Jesus gave to the Apostles, and to us too, who are likewise called - for all have been sent by the Father, as Jesus- to share that same Holy Spirit to lead and guide all to imitate Jesus' words and works according to our own unique ability, calling and the grace of God.

Many people came to Jesus seeking to be blessed, wanting to see a miracle or receive healing or deliverance. But Jesus didn't come to earth simply to attract large crowds of curiosity seekers or provide temporary blessings. He came to "call sinners to turn from their sins" (Luke 5:32), so people would be eternally blessed. Although it's certainly a blessing to see a miracle or be healed of a sickness, people who are blessed by God only to that degree will still spend eternity in hell when they die. Truly blessed people are those who are eternally blessed.

One day as the curious and blessing seekers were gathering, Jesus took the opportunity to explain what kind of people are eternally blessed of God. In short, they are people who have repented of their sins and have been born again. They are those who have made Jesus their Lord and are destined to spend eternity in God's kingdom. They can be recognized by how they live their lives, and Jesus described them in the first portion of His sermon on the mountainside. These are the people who are eternally blessed. Let's consider how Jesus described them.

First, Jesus said that the person who is eternally blessed of God is one who realizes his spiritual poverty apart from God (see Matthew 5:3). Before anyone can be saved, he must see his need for salvation and the impossibility of saving himself.

Second, Jesus said the person who is eternally blessed of God is one who mourns. What did He mean? Possibly Jesus was referring to the mourning a person experiences during the first stages of his repentance, when he realizes how he has offended God. Jesus taught that unless a person is sorrowful for his sins and repents, he would not get into heaven.

Perhaps Jesus was speaking of the sadness that all true Christians feel when they view the world around them, a world that is in rebellion against God and is so far from His original plan. One day those of us who mourn will be comforted, when God creates a new heaven and earth, a place where everyone will do God's will.

Third, people who are truly and eternally blessed by God are those who are gentle and lowly. One version of the Bible uses the word humble to describe these blessed people. In order to be saved, a person has to humble himself, admitting his helplessness to save himself and depending solely on God's mercy for salvation. True followers of Jesus continue on the path of humility throughout their lives, recognizing their own inadequacy and complete dependence upon God for everything. As Jesus said, one day "the whole earth will belong to them" (Matthew 5:5). Those humble followers of Jesus will one day be the only people who live on the earth, eternally blessed, because God will have condemned everyone who is proud.

Fourth, truly blessed people are those who long for everyone to be obedient to Jesus. True followers of Jesus hate all the disobedience that exists in the world, but they can look forward to the time, according to Jesus' promise, when worldwide righteousness will be a reality. That will happen when Jesus rules the world.

Fifth, truly blessed people are merciful. Born-again people can't help but show mercy to others, because they realize how much mercy God has shown them. They will one day experience the fullness of God's mercy when they enter into God's heavenly kingdom, knowing how unworthy they are of such blessings.

Sixth, truly blessed people have pure hearts. Jesus promised that they would one day see God! All true Christians will experience that indescribable blessing, so Jesus must have been describing another characteristic of all His true followers. They have repented in their hearts of wickedness and evil, and now their hearts' desire is to obey their Lord. People who aren't born again have impure hearts and are motivated by selfishness.

Seventh, people who are truly blessed of God are "peacemakers." Jesus must have been describing another characteristic of all true believers, because He promised that the peacemakers would be called children of God, something that all true believers are. True Christians love people with the love God has deposited within them, and thus they hate discord and strife. They work to maintain harmony in their relationships. People who are full of hatred and are always involved in strife are not really saved. Paul wrote that people whose lifestyles are characterized by hostilities, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, divisions and envy will definitely not inherit the Kingdom of God (see Galatians 5:20-21).

Eighth, the truly blessed person is one who is persecuted because he lives for God. Once again, it's clear Jesus must have been describing another characteristic of all His true followers, because He promised them that the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Anyone who truly believes in Jesus will be persecuted. That doesn't mean he will be put in jail or tortured, but it at least means that he will be hated and talked about by others. Jesus once said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you" (Luke 6:26, NASB). When we are persecuted, Jesus said we should be happy about it, because it indicates we're among the blessed group of people who are going to heaven. Peter wrote, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed , because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you" (1 Peter 4:14, NASB, emphasis added).

Finally, Jesus described His true followers as being the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." In Jesus' time, salt was used primarily as a preservative---to keep foods from going rotten. If it weren't for the followers of Jesus, the world would surely become completely rotten and everything about it would be evil. However, our job is not only to keep the world from going completely rotten, but to work to improve the world by letting our lights shine. We should bring the light of God's truth to people who are living in the lies of darkness so that they can join us and be eternally blessed as well!

Q. Did you notice that most, if not all, of the blessings Jesus promised in today's list are future blessings? And that those who will enjoy those future blessings might suffer some in this life? What does that tell you about God's perspective of our present lives?

A. It tells us that this life is not as important as our future lives. Our present lives are temporary and will end someday, but our future lives will be eternal. Therefore, it is very wise to make temporary sacrifices in this life to enjoy eternal blessings in the next life. A well-known missionary once wrote, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Q. As you read through Jesus' description of a truly blessed person, did you think about your own life? Was Jesus describing you?

Application:

Although people who are not saved might think we're foolish for following Christ, and even though we might suffer temporarily because of it, we know we're truly blessed by God, because we will be citizens of God's kingdom forever.

by Dr. Walter W. Harms

Gospel: John 1:43-51

What do you know about Jesus? He is surely God's Son, his one and only Son. Jesus is God. He is Savior. He died to forgive us of our sins. He will come again to take us to heaven.

What else could we learn about this person we call Jesus? Well, it's part of the reason we have this season of the church year called Epiphany. This is the season when the spotlight is on Jesus, to show him more fully, to reveal perhaps if possible aspects of who he is which we have not seen before, or which perhaps we have forgotten.

The incident of the life of Jesus we read in the Gospel writer, St. John's version of the life of Jesus read for you today, reveals some surprising aspect of this Jesus and a person's relationship with him. We will learn: what it means to follow Jesus.

Jesus is about to leave the northern area of Palestine called Galilee (also the name of the prominent sea in that area) to go other places. Then he finds a person named Philip and says to him: "Follow me." Philip apparently "follows" Jesus because from that time on he is connected to Jesus as one of the 12 persons Jesus called to be his special followers, his disciples.

Here is the first important part of what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus finds the person he wants to follow him. Philip doesn't go looking for a guru. He isn't sifting through all kinds of possible prominent teachers and what they taught in order to "find" which one suits him best. He is "found" by Jesus. Found, discovered, I guess, called, we might say, to be a follower of Jesus.

Jesus finds; Jesus discovers; Jesus calls. Some years ago in Austin, TX (and in other cities in the USA) there was an evangelistic campaign with the title: I FOUND IT!

The implication of that campaign was that you could "find" Jesus if you looked for or recognized him as the person (God? Lord? Boss?)to whom you wanted all along.

That's not the way it is. Jesus finds you. Without Jesus, Christians have always said a person was "lost," not found at all, wandering aimlessly, rudderless in the chaotic sea called life.

Jesus finds Philip and he finds us. He finds us by issuing us a call. That call is to "follow him."

What does it mean, to follow Jesus? It means to leave all other pursuits in life and put him front and center. It means that from now on, this Jesus will be 1 in life, above all other aspects of life. Not one among many in second, third and fourth place, but all other aspects of life we would like to get into, are under, subjected to our following this Jesus.

You may have heard how this plays out: God in first place, family second, church third, self fourth and from there you can pick what is the next. No, no, no! There is no second place in the line up that follows Jesus. He alone, is it!

I do wonder some times whether we "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." I wonder if we believe, that then "all [other] things will be added" that we need to our life. We could well have been lulled, seduced by this world's pleasures and passions to consider ourselves "Christians," followers of Jesus when what we really follow is the agenda set by advertising, portrayal of the "good" life on TV, listened to on the IPODs of our lives streaming their message to our ears and, possibly, hearts?

We are never perfect in following, but even if I have a good road under my auto, I wander some from side to side. But have we gone into the right of way, the oncoming lane, the ditch or taken across the open fields when it comes to "following" Jesus?

A second dramatic aspect of what it means: to follow Jesus, is what Philip did. He did not go to class. He did not get himself baptized. He did not "join" a church. And he certainly did not sign any kind of commitment card.

He found his brother, Nathaniel, and told him about Jesus. In other words, he told what had happened to him to someone he deeply cared for. I want to remind you all that this is the first action of a "follower" of Jesus.

That just blows my mind; does it yours? What do you consider the first action of a follower of Jesus? Go to Church, worship? Teach a class? Make contributions to the church? Try to lead a moral life? Or is it that euphemism, "to spread the Word"?

Usually when we say that, we don't know what we mean and it generally doesn't involve us. "Spreading the Word" usually involves some committee or group or slightly weird group of people who talk Jesus talk all the time! But me? Me tell others about Jesus?

If, and I say, if the standard for following Jesus is precisely this, to tell those we love of Jesus, could you or I or this group of persons even come close to being considered: followers of Jesus?

An important aspect of Philip's telling about Jesus to Nathaniel is that he, Philip, "found" him, just as Jesus had found him. He tells his brother Nate some interesting stuff. He give him the whole philosophic reasons why he, Nate ought to check this Jesus person out. No, Philip tells us what has happened to him.

He (catch this) has "found" the One, Moses and the prophets wrote about. What's that mean? Well, to Philip there was a searching for and a longing to "find" (there's that word again) the One, the promised One these guys long ago wrote about. This Promised One would rescue them from the sterility that worship of God had become. This One would dramatically lead people in new paths. This One would give Philip and all persons hope, joy, real reasons for existence and dealing with other people that wasn't tit for tat and went beyond the "I got this gift for Christmas; I better give a like or better gift to that person."

He had "found" that One in the Person of Jesus who had first of all "found" him!

Terrific news for Philip. He, as a follower of Jesus has to share that life-changing, mind-transforming news with someone, and who better than his brother?

He shared what was good news for him with someone else. That is what it means: to follow Jesus! Is the good news of Jesus "good" enough to share with someone else?

A third aspect of what it means: to follow Jesus is Nate's reaction. The news that Jesus is from that town which had no distinction except that their was only road and it led out of there, brought a reply that Philip is no doubt wrong about this Jesus. Nothing good could come from that backward place.

A real jab, I believe, to Philip and his message. Was Philip for a moment discouraged? Was he tempted to enlarge his message to Nate? Was he tempted to put Nate down for being such a dimwitted person?

No, he does what we should do when we have spoken of what Jesus means to us (he does mean something, doesn't he? Can you put that into words?) and get a neutral or negative reply: Well, come on and see. Don't take my word for it. Make your own judgment. Expose yourself to what I have been exposed to (what I "found" when I was "found"). Make your own decision, but make it on the basis of what you see and hear.

We could well learn from this novice follower of Jesus. What following Jesus means and how to speak to those we care about and love.

Certainly we must remember that what we present to those we want to come and see is something that is worth while coming to see. Just how exciting, encouraging, life-changing is our worship, our friendliness to those who do come at our invitation? Check out the message I present to people. Is Jesus as our gracious Lord and Savior front and center of the message and could this Jesus be a part of the life of the people present?

A final aspect of what it means: to follow Jesus is Nate's meeting with Jesus, an absolutely fascinating and intriguing dialogue.

Nate goes to see Jesus, check him out, check whether Philip's got something here or is he and this Jesus full of beans.

When Jesus sees him, his comment is: "You are a true Israelite. You tell it like it is." What does Jesus mean by this "true Israelite," "nothing false in him?"

Jesus sees in Nate a person who thinks things through. That may be the meaning of Jesus' seeing him under the fig tree, a place to meditate, think things through, get to the real meaning of things. Jesus sees Nate as a person who tells it like he believes or thinks, even though he may be wrong. No weaseling around. No waiting to see what the reaction to might be to what I think before I say more. He speaks his mind.

He does it here: "How'd you know about me?" Jesus answer is: "I know all about you, Nate. I saw what you were about there in your garden meditating before Philip even got to you."

Now anybody who can do that, well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you are dealing with the Son of God, the promised King of God's people Israel! And Nate blurts that out. He tells it like he sees and hear it. You have this experience he is saying and you know you are in the presence of God himself.

To be in the presence of God, is that part of what it means: to follow Jesus? For sure! To have a sense whether we can experientially quantify it or not, that Jesus is the One upon the whole world rests, is to have the true essence of being a follower.

Jesus' statement about what Nate will see in the future is simply that. You are in the presence of God. Long before there was an Israelite in whom there was a lot of deceit, Jacob. He was a sly deceiver and he himself was the victim of many incidences of deceit. After he had deceived his father and as a result his twin brother wanted to kill him, he had to hightail it out of there with only the clothes on his back. On the way to a distant uncle's home, he had a dream. In this dream he saw angels ascending and descending at a place called Bethel. God was in that place. By saying Nate and all of us will see angels doing the same with him, Jesus is saying he is God.

He has come to be Immanuel to us. To bring us the great comfort of knowing that God loves us, will protect us, will guide us and finally bring us back home.

This Jesus asks us to follow him. To follow and see him tell us that disease, sickness, is not what God wants for man, that man cannot please God through some kind of rigorous and meticulous watching for possibilities of stepping over lines drawn by man, that God has to suffer and to die to bring peace between God and man, to give us the assurance that even though he died and was buried and we bury our dead, there is life after dark days of death and there is this Jesus coming for us.

Follow him! Take up your cross and follow him! Go his way of service and love and thus follow him. Know that it will cost you everything, even your life, for finally you will have to commit your life to God, as Jesus did and trust him to wake you up again.

And you will see the angels surrounding him in glory when he comes to take you, his follower, home. Until that time, tell to people you deeply care about to come and see what you have found, after being found by Jesus himself.

That's what it means: to follow Jesus!

Amen.