“Answers for a study in the Gospel of Matthew” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “apologetics” posts on the weekend where the original questions can be found at the bottom of the study, and then answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research, and then check your answers. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper for discussion if you’d like.

2023 Fall – A Case for the Gospels: A study in Matthew

Matthew chapters 8-10:  Jesus’ Miracles and Disciples’ Preparation

BASIC ANSWERS

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

For the answers below, Scripture passages and quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

1.  Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing or reviewing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Answers will vary… 

Read Matthew chapters 8 through 10, then answer the following questions:

2.  (Matthew 8:1-34) In this chapter we see Matthew begin to present some of the many miracles Jesus performed that would point not only to His power and authority, but to His identity.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper; The Centurion’s Faith

8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. ² And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” ³ Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus *said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

⁵ And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, ⁶ and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” ⁷ Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” ¹⁰ Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; ¹² but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the. servant was healed that very moment.

Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

Discipleship Tested

¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. ¹⁹ Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” ²⁰ Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

²³ When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. ²⁵ And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” ²⁶ He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Jesus Casts Out Demons

²⁸ When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. ²⁹ And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. ³¹ The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” ³² And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. ³⁴ And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

Matthew 8:1-34 (NASB)

• How did the leper approach Jesus, how did Jesus respond and why (8:1-4)? Going Deeper: What can you find out about leprosy at this time, how it affected the person with it, and those around them?
  • He asked “Lord, if You are willing, You. Can make me clean.” The way the leper asked for helped showed faith in Jesus’ ability and sovereignty over all things. Jesus showed His power and authority by touching this man, even though his skin was covered with this dreaded disease.
  • From LAB: “Leprosy was a terrifying disease because there was no cure in Jesus day. The Greek word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar diseases and forms were contagious. If a person contracted the disease they were banished from their home and city, sent to live in a community with other lepers until they either got better or died. The Law required a healed leper to be examined by the priest and Jesus wanted this man to give his story firsthand to the priest to prove that he was completely healed and restored (by Jesus’ authority).
  • Sin is often compared to leprosy in that it is an incurable disease leading to death, except by the touch of Jesus which we receive when we put our trust, faith and belief in Him.

• Jesus goes on to heal a Roman Centurion’s servant. How did this man approach Jesus and what was Jesus’ response to him (8:5-13)? Going Deeper: What is a Roman Centurion?
  • This man also approached Jesus with humility and honor, and asked Him to heal his servant who was “lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” He said he was not worthy (admittance of sin) for Jesus to come to his house, but he trusted that Jesus could heal with just His Word, and Jesus did. Jesus also commended this man for his faith, even more so than anyone in Israel.
  • A Roman Centurion is a Gentile (non-Jewish) official of Rome, usually a career military officer with control over 100 soldiers. There are several mentions of Centurions in the New Testament narrative.
  • From LAB: “Roman soldiers, of all people, were hated by the Jews for their oppression control, and ridicule. Yet this man’s faith put to shame the stagnant piety of many of the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew emphasizes this universal theme, from the Old Testament, of salvation for everyone who will believe and accept Jesus’ Gospel message.”

• Discuss: There are a few more miracles that Jesus performs in this chapter. What are these other miracles and what might be significant about them (8:14-34)?
  • Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law; He healed many others who demon possessed and ill; He calmed the storm when the Disciples thought they were perishing; and He healed demon possessed men in the tombs of the Gadarenes.
  • All of these miracles give evidence to Jesus’ Deity and authority over His Creation. Authority over illness and disease; authority over the spiritual world; authority over the weather and seas.
  • Jesus shows, yet again that He was fulfilling prophecy “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases” (8:17).

3.  (Matthew 9:1-17) Jesus is becoming more active with miracles and teachings among the people, and the religious leaders are taking notice.

9 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

² And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” ³ And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” ⁴ And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? ⁶ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He *said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷ And he got up and went home. ⁸ But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew Called

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

¹⁰ Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. ¹⁷ Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Matthew 9:1-17 (NASB)

• In the first part of this chapter Jesus heals a paralytic (cross-reference this story for more detail in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26). What are the two things Jesus said to him, and what do those two things tell us about who Jesus is (9:1-8)?
  • Jesus, upon seeing the faith of the friends of the paralytic and the paralytic himself, told him first “your sins are forgiven” and second “pick up your bed and go home.”
  • Jesus worked in this manner for a couple of reasons:
    • To show His authority, as God, to forgive sins Jesus made that statement first – this is unseen in the statement as no one could literally “see” sins being forgiven and the religious leaders were accusing Him of blasphemy because they knew only God could forgive sins
    • To prove His authority, as God, Jesus healed the man – again, only God could have authority over something like being paralyzed, but this could literally been “seen” by all who were present.
    • Imagine the physical aspect of this healing (withered limbs, atrophied muscles, and nerves that would need to be reactivated) – all immediately happening – This show Jesus’ authority over His creation (the biology and chemistry of the human body).

• The religious leaders are becoming increasingly more critical of Jesus. What did these leaders say about Jesus eating at Matthew’s house, and how did Jesus respond (9:9-13)?
  • This is where we find the call of Matthew, the author of this Gospel.
  • Matthew was a notorious tax collector, despised by most people, yet Jesus called him and he answered Jesus call, along with others whom the religious leaders deemed as sinners (tax collectors were known for adding to the taxes to benefit themselves, cheating people out of their hard-earned money), and they were appalled that Jesus would dine and spend time with them.
  • In verses 12 and 13, Jesus said that it was not the healthy that needed a physician (referring to sinners as the sick and Himself as physician); and He showed them, and us, God’s great love in that He desires compassion [from religious leaders] not sacrifices [from the sinners] and He went on to show them that offer, ultimately in His own sacrifice for us all on that cross.

• What did Jesus say to John’s disciples about fasting, and what do you think He was referencing (9:14-17)?
  • Jesus was teaching about His coming destination (death and resurrection) in that while He was here His Disciples could celebrate with Him, but after His death there would be a time for fasting and mourning.
  • From LAB: “In these days, wine was not kept in glass bottles but in goatskins sewn around the edges to form watertight bags. New wine expanded as it fermented, stretching its wineskin. After the wine had aged, the stretched skin would burst if more new wine was poured into it. Jesus did not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism with its rules and traditions because His new message would have damaged it. He brought a new message and therefore needed a new way of preserving it.”
  • This is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in the New Covenant of Jesus and this New Message, the Gospel, will always remain new because it must be accepted and applied in every. Generation. It is up to us to keep it and preserve for our next generation by using packaging that will not be like the old package, but a better and more complete fulfillment.

4.  (Matthew 9:18-38) Jesus continues His miracle work with specific healings that point to His Messiahship.

Miracles of Healing

¹⁸ While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

²⁰ And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; ²¹ for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” ²² But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

²³ When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, ²⁴ He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶ This news spread throughout all that land.

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ²⁸ When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus *said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” ³⁰ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

³² As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. ³³ After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” ³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

³⁵ Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

³⁶ Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Matthew 9:18-38 (NASB)

• What are the next two miracles Jesus performs, what do they show His authority over (9:18-26)?
  • Jesus miracles have now become increasingly more profound as he heals a woman’s twelve years of bleeding who simply touched His garment in a crowd, and then restores a synagogue leader’s daughter, who had just died, back to life.
  • These miracles again show Jesus’ Deity and authority over His creation, in particular human creation, and specifically over disease and death. These biochemical miracles go beyond any possible coincidence or scientific explanations, except to prove that Jesus is God!

• The next two miracles include the healing of the blind, mute and demon possessed. How were the people responding to these miracles, how were the Pharisees responding and why (9:27-34)?
  • The people in general, were amazed and saying “nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel,” and they were following Him, with larger and larger crowds.
  • Jesus warned some that He was healing to not tell people, but they went out and spread the news about Him throughout the land – From LAB: “Jesus told them not to tell because He did not want to be known only as a “miracle worker” – He healed because He had compassion on people, but He also wanted to bring spiritual healing to a sin-sick world.”
  • The Pharisees, in contrast, were saying “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” Jesus had answered this accusation before by showing if that was true, then Satan was destroying his own kingdom, and He also asked them by what authority did their people cast out demons as well – showing their ignorance to logic and truth.

• How did Jesus feel about the people as He traveled through all the villages and cities, and what did He tell His Disciples (9:35-38)?
  • “Jesus felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (v. 35)
  • Jesus told His Disciples that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” and this still applies today as so many people are searching for God (truth). Jesus also said “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His Harvest” so, just as He asked them to do, we should be praying for the same (and therefore, we should all get in the game and be part of the Great Commission!)

5.  (Matthew 10:1-42) In this next section we find Jesus preparing and commissioning His Disciples.

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; ⁶ but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. ⁹ Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, ¹⁰ or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. ¹¹ And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. ¹² As you enter the house, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. ¹⁴ Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

A Hard Road before Them

¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²³ “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

²⁶ “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. ²⁸ Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

³² “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁹ He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Matthew 10:1-42 (NASB)

• First, Jesus gives His Disciples some specific instructions before sending them out. Make a list of what Jesus gave them authority over and what He told them to do (10:1-15).
  • Jesus gave His Disciples authority over: casting out unclean spirits and healing every kind of disease and sickness saying “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, cast out demons.”
  • Jesus told them: Do not go to the Gentiles; do not enter the cities of Samaria; go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel – in other words, Jesus sent them only to their fellow Jews to preach that the Kingdom of God was at hand.
  • Jesus also told them: Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belt; or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff.
  • Finally, He gave them the command to stay with worthy people in each city, and to give their house a greeting and blessing of peace; but if unworthy shake off the dust from their feet because it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city or place.
• Discuss and apply: Jesus also prepares His Disciples for persecution (10:16-31). What are some of the things Jesus warned His disciples about, and what are some things Jesus said His Disciples should know in that would help us when we are feeling persecuted or fearful?
  • Jesus told His Disciples to be shrewd as serpents, innocent as doves because they would be like sheep in the midst of wolves; handed over to the courts, brought before governors and kings, scourged in their synagogues – all for Jesus’ sake (the sake of preaching the Gospel).
  • We should always be prepared for persecution (even from those who may be close to us) as we live out and share our Christian faith, knowing that Jesus is with us always. He tells His Disciples the following (and this applies to us today as well):
    • Do not worry about what to say or do in tough situation because the Holy Spirit will speak through us and for us
    • That we should endure (trust in the LORD) until the end, because He is faithful
    • That we should want to become more and more like our teacher (Jesus)
    • Do not fear because all things will come to light with patience
    • Proclaim the truth of the Gospel – stay committed to God
    • Do not fear those who can kill the body but not the soul; it is more important to fear God who is responsible for both our bodies and souls
    • Remember that God loves us so much more than even a sparrow whom He loves and He knows us intimately (numbering the very hairs of our heads!)

• Cross-reference and discuss: From the Old Testament, read the prophecy in Micah 7:6-8. In this last section (10:32-42) we find Jesus teaching about a Disciple’s higher calling. What are some of the things He says that shows how important it is for followers of Christ to be completely committed with no room for compromise (what, in particular, stands out to you)?

“For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household. ⁷ But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. ⁸ Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.”  Micah 7:6-8 (NASB) 

• • Jesus makes reference to the Old Testament prophet Micah in order to show His followers the cost of following Him without compromise.
  • Jesus said that we may lose family relationships, friends, our job and even our life for His Name – but the temporary loss of comforts here will ultimately result in eternal rewards in the kingdom to come – Heaven.
  • Jesus said that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword which will culminate in His second coming, and we are to remain faithful to Him until that time.
  • Jesus also tells us that those who do receive our message about the Gospel will also receive the inheritance of the promise of the reward in Heaven! Therefore, it is up to us to be God’s ambassadors here in an effort bring others to the Kingdom – this then is the true purpose of a Disciple of Jesus!

Extra Credit:

List the names of the twelve disciples, include other names that they go by, and any additional information that you might have the time or desire to research.

1. Simon (also known as Peter and Cephas)
2. Andrew (Simon’s brother)
3. James (John’s brother and son of Zebedee)
4. John (James’ brother and son of Zebedee)
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew (also known as Nathaniel)
7. Thomas
8. Matthew (also known as Levi – the Tax Collector)
9. James (the son of Alphaeus, also known as James the lesser)
10. Thaddaeus (also known as Judas, son of James)
11. Simon (known as the Zealot)
12. Judas Iscariot (the betrayer)

Answers will vary for researching a specific Disciple in more depth…

The following is an example of researching James, the brother of John: From gotquestions.org

“Jesus had two disciples named James: James the son of Zebedee and James the son of Alphaeus. Another James, the half-brother of Jesus, was never one of the twelve disciples but was a leader in the early church of Jerusalem (Acts 15:13) and wrote the epistle of James. One of the Twelve, James the son of Alphaeus, is called James the Less (or the Younger) in Mark 15:40, where we also learn that his mother’s name was Mary. Scripture does not record much more about James the son of Alphaeus, so we’ll focus on the other disciple, James the son of Zebedee, in this article.

When Jesus called James to follow Him, he was in a boat mending fishing nets with his father, Zebedee, and his brother, John. “[Jesus] called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:21–22). From then on, James was in full-time ministry with Jesus.

James was one of Jesus’ “inner circle.” James, John, and Peter are frequently mentioned together as the only apostles to witness some of Jesus’ miracles: the raising of a young girl from the dead (Mark 5), for example. Jesus took James up a mountain along with Peter and John, where James saw Jesus’ transfiguration and watched Him talk with Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:1–9). James, along with John, Peter, and Andrew, privately asked Jesus for clarity after He told the disciples the temple would be destroyed (Mark 13:2–3). Because of their desire to understand Jesus’ words better, the four received some prophetic words from their Lord regarding the near future and also the end times (Mark 13:5–37).

James and his brother, John, were given a nickname by Jesus, who called the two “Boanerges,” which means “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). This name gives us a clue to James’ personality. Both he and his brother were characterized by zeal, passion, and ambition.

James and John asked Jesus to let them sit on either side of Him in His kingdom (Mark 10:37), and Jesus told them that wasn’t a request He could grant. Then He prophesied about their future—James and John would suffer persecution just as He would (Mark 10:39). Jesus handled the brothers’ audacious request graciously, turning it into a lesson in humility for all the disciples (verses 42–45). The other ten disciples weren’t very happy with the brothers because of their brazenness—and probably because they wanted those positions of honor in the kingdom for themselves (verse 41).

Later, James and John showed their zealous, thunderous personalities when Jesus sent messengers before Him into a Samaritan village. The people of the village refused to welcome Jesus, however, because they knew He was journeying to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–53). James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy the village (verse 54). This impetuous, vindictive desire earned Jesus’ rebuke, and He reminded the sons of thunder that His mission was to save lives, not destroy them.

Scripture doesn’t record any specifics about James’ activities following Jesus’ resurrection other than he went fishing with some of the other disciples on the Sea of Galilee, witnessed another miraculous draught of fish (John 21:1–11), and had breakfast on the shore with the resurrected Christ. After the ascension of Christ, James was present on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and did his part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Given James’ outspoken nature, he was probably a bold witness for the Lord and led many to faith.

As Jesus had predicted, James experienced persecution soon after the church began. King Herod decided to arrest some believers, and he had James killed (Acts 12:2). James thus became the first apostle to be martyred.

The life of James the apostle shows us that Jesus knows our nature: He identified James as a “son of thunder” right away. Also, Jesus patiently works with us to conform us to His will, just as He did with James. We also learn from the life of James that courage in our service to Christ is a valuable asset in spreading the gospel—although it can make us the target of persecution. At the same time, boldness should not be allowed to descend into brashness. Our zeal must be tempered with grace, and impetuosity must be curtailed by a steady commitment to the will of God.”

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Gospels!”

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15