The Master's Men—part 2

Andrew, James The Son of Zebedee, John (10:2b)

and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
(10'.2b)

     Along with Peter, the leading disciple (the foremost, or "first," v.
10'.2a), these three men composed Jesus' inner circle of four. Like Peter, they
do not appear on the surface to be ideal candidates for becoming apostles and
the foundation of the church. Yet from the accounts of these men both in the
gospels and the rest of the New Testament, we learn that God is able to use in
His service any kind of person who submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
     The apostles, and especially these four who are the best known of them, are
often looked on as "stained glass saints." They have been frequently portrayed
with halos above their heads and benign expressions on their faces. Not only
children but cathedrals, chapels, cities, and towns are named after them. Their
names are often preceded by Saint, adding to the notion that they were on a
completely different plane of spiritual existence from other human beings,
including other Christians.
     But although they had an uncommon calling, the apostles were common men,
much like the rest of us. They were saints only in the sense that every believer
is a saint, made holy unto God through the imparted righteousness of Jesus
Christ and awaiting the full perfection of sainthood in heaven (Rom. 1'.7; 1
Cor. 1'.2', Phtl.3'.12-14; Heb. 11:4$Jude 14). Until then, they, like all
saints, had to live with the weakness of their humanness.

Andrew

     Andrew was Peter's brother, and his name means "manly." Like his
brother, he was a native of Bethsaida (John 1:44) and was a fisherman on the Sea
of Galilee. Even before he met Jesus, Andrew was a godly, dedicated Jew. He and
John were disciples of John the Baptist, and when that prophet declared of
Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" they left the Baptist and began to follow
Jesus (John 1:36-37). Andrew then "found first his own brother Simon, and said
to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which translated means Christ)" (v. a1).
Peter and Andrew lived together (Mark 1:29) and doubtlessly shared everything
with each other. It was therefore compelling for Andrew to share with Peter the
most important discovery of his life.
     Subsequent to his confession of Jesus as the Messiah, however, Andrew had
returned to his fishing. A while later, as Jesus was "walking by the Sea of
Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to
them Follow Me, and l will make you fishers of men"'(Matt.4:18-19). It was at
this time that Jesus actually called the two men into discipleship training, and
from that point on these two brothers, along with the other two brothers, James
and John, became Jesus' most intimate friends. But though he was greatly
respected by his fellow disciples and is always spoken of favorably in the few
accounts in which he is mentioned, Andrew was apparently never quite as close to
the Lord as the other three and is usually referred to as Peter's brother.
     In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) Andrew is not
mentioned except in the lists of the twelve disciples. And in only three
accounts in John's gospel do we find any information about him more than his
name.
     First, John tells us of Andrew's previous discipleship to John the Baptist,
his confession of Jesus as the Messiah, and his reporting to Peter his discovery
and introducing him to the Lord (John 1'.37-42). From his first encounter with
Jesus, Andrew demonstrated an eagerness to introduce others to His Lord, and the
desire to witness characterized his entire ministry.
     Second, John tells us of Andrew's involvement in Jesus' feeding the five
thousand on the far side of the Sea of Galilee. When Philip expressed
bewilderment at Jesus' question, "'Where are we to buy bread, that these may
eat?' ... Andrew Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, 'There is a lad here who
has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many
people?"'(John 6.5-9). He, too, was puzzled about Jesus question, but he did as
much as he could in response to it and located some food. The barley loaves were
rather small, much like biscuits or large crackers, and were often eaten with
fish preserved by pickling so that they could be carried to work as a lunch or
on trips away from home. Andrew's bringing the boy to Jesus suggests that he
believed his Master could somehow make more of this small amount of food.
     Third, John depicts Andrew bringing others to the Lord. When some God
fearing Gentiles came to Philip asking to see Jesus, "Philip came and told
Andrew; Andrew and Philip came, and they told Jesus" (John 12'.20-22). Although
Philip himself was one of the twelve, he apparently felt less than comfortable
approaching Jesus alone and asked Andrew to accompany him.
     From these three accounts we can discern several insights into the
character of Andrew. First of all we see his openness and lack of prejudice. He
knew that the disciples' first priority, but not their only task, was to take
the gospel to their fellow Jews, "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt.
'10:6). But he also must have known that the person to whom Jesus Himself first
revealed His messiahship was a half-breed Samaritan woman, who trusted in Him
and, like Andrew immediately began telling others of Him (John 4:25- 29, 4A-42).
     Andrew was also characterized by simple but strong faith. We do not know
what was in his mind when he brought the boy with the loaves and fish to Jesus,
but he obviously believed Jesus could make use of the boy and his food. He had
seen Jesus make wine, and he probably saw no reason why He could not multiply
food as well.
     Andrew also appears to have been humble. Throughout his ministry he was
known primarily as Peter's brother, and he was never as intimate with Jesus or
used by Him as publicly or dramatically as was his brother. And though he was
part of the inner circle, Andrew seemed always to be in the shadow of Peter,
James, and John. Yet there is no indication that he ever resented his position
or function. He was content simply to belong to and serve Jesus, and no doubt to
the end of his life was in awe of the fact that he was called to be an apostle
at all. He cared more for his Lord and His work than he did for his own welfare
or advantage, and he willingly sacrificed his own interests and comfort for the
sake of others coming to the Lord. He showed nothing of the self-will and
self-interest seen at times in Peter, James, and John.
     Andrew is the model for all Christians who labor quietly in humble places
and positions. He did not try to please men but God, and had no interest in
building a reputation for himself.

He would gladly have taken for himself Christina Rossetti's words:
     Give me the lowest place;
     Not that I dare ask for that lowest place,
     But Thou hast died that I might live
     And share Thy glory by thy side.
     Give me the lowest place;
     Or if for me the lowest place is too high,
     Then make one more low
     Where I may sit and see my God and love Him so.
     (Cited in Herberl Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible Grand
      Rapids: Zondervan, 19721, p 54 )

     Andrew was that rare person who is willing to take second place, who is
perfectly content to be in support of the more noticeable and acclaimed ministry
of others, if that is where God wants him to be. He does not mind being hidden,
so long as the Lord's work is done. Here is the person that all leaders depend
on and who are the backbone of every ministry. The cause of Christ is greatly
dependent on the self-forgetting souls who are satisfied to occupy a small
sphere in an obscure place, free from self-seeking ambition. Andrew was told
that one day he would sit on one of the apostolic thrones and judge the twelve
tribes of lsrael (Matt. 19:28). But for him that unique honor was not cause for
boasting but for humble awe and wonder.
The Scotsman Daniel Mclean wrote of Andrew, the patron saint of
Scotland:
     Gathering together the traces of character found in Scripture [about
Andrew], we find neither the writer of an Epistle, nor the founder of a Church,
nor a leading figure in the Apostolic Age, but simply ... an intimate disciple
of Jesus Christ, ever anxious that others should know the spring of spiritual
joy and share the blessing he so highly prized. A man of very moderate
endowment, who scarcely redeemed his early promise, simple minded and
sympathetic, without either dramatic power or heroic spirit, yet with that
clinging confidence in Christ that brought him into that inner circle of the
Twelve; a man of deep religious feeling with little power of expression,
magnetic more than electric, better suited for the quiet walks of life than the
stirring thoroughfares. Andrew is the apostle of the private life-the disciple
of the hearth. (Cited in Lockyer, All the Apostles, pp. 55-56)
     God uses people like Andrew and only He can calculate their
effectiveness. Sometimes it takes an Andrew to reach a Peter. An obscure
Methodist preacher of the eighteenth century named Thomas Mitchell was an
Andrew. His obituary read, "Thomas Mitchell, an old soldier of Jesus Christ, a
man of slender abilities as a preacher, and who enjoyed only a very defective
education." Yet one of his friends wrote of him: "His earnest and loving work
caused him to lead many people to Christ." Though a man of "slender abilities"
and "defective education," he Was nevertheless God's means of bringing to Christ
the great preacher Thomas Olivers.
     Thomas Mitchell went to a little village in Lincolnshire, where he arose
each morning at five o'clock to preach in the open air, as John Wesley often
did. His preaching was so fiery that he was arrested and attacked by a mob as he
was taken to the public house for a hearing before the village curate. The crowd
convinced the curate to let them throw Mitchell into a filthy, slimy pond. Each
time he managed to crawl out, the mob threw him back in. He was then painted
from head to foot with white paint and taken again to the public house. After a
long debate about what to do with him, they decided to drown him. He was thrown
into a small lake outside the town, and each time he came to the surface, a man
with a long pole would push him under again. Eventually he was taken out, more
dead than alive. He was tirelessly cared for by a godly old lady of the village,
but when the mob found out that he was recovering, they threatened to rend him
limb from limb unless he promised never to preach again. He refused to make such
a promise but somehow managed to escape the threatened punishment. He later
wrote of the incident, "All the time God kept me in perfect peace and I was able
to pray for my enemies." For the rest of his life he continued to minister in
obscure faithfulness. But by God's standards and in God's power, he was far from
being "a man of slender abilities." So was Andrew.

James the Son of Zebedee

     The third man named in Matthew's list of the first four disciples is James
the son of Zebedee. ln the gospel accounts, James never appears apart from his
brother John, and during the three years of training under Jesus they were
inseparable. Because James is always mentioned first, he was probably the older
and more dynamic of the two. The brothers were fishing partners with their
father, Zebedee, who was apparently fairly well-to-do, because he employed hired
servants in his business (Mark 1:20).
     Because so little is said of him, James appears in the gospels more as a
silhouette than a detailed portrait. Jesus referred to James and John as
"Boanerges, which means, 'Sons of Thunder,"' (Mark 3:17) and from that
descriptive name alone we can assume James was passionate, zealous, fervent, and
aggressive.
     As Passion Week approached, Jesus sent several disciples ahead to
make arrangements for lodging. Because they were traveling from Galilee, they
would need to spend a night in Samaria on the way to Jerusalem. Jews and
Samaritans had great religious and racial animosity for one another, and when
the Samaritans refused to give accommodations to Jesus "because He was
journeying with His face toward Jerusalem," James and John said to Him, "Lord,
do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" (Luke
9:52-54). The two brothers may have believed that the repentant Samaritan woman
at Sychar and the others there who had trusted in Jesus as the Messiah were
barely worthy of salvation (see John 4.25-42). But a Samaritan who refused even
to provide the Lord a night's lodging was, in their view, worthy only of instant
execution. At that point James and John were hateful and intolerant, and their
volatile and vengeful temperaments clouded over what they had heard Jesus teach
and seen Him do. He therefore "turned and rebuked them, [and said, 'You do not
know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy
men's lives, but to save them']" Luke 9:55-56.
     James had much zeal but little sensitivity. In his resentment of the
Samaritans rejection of Jesus he reflected a commendable commitment. It is good
for God's people to become incensed when He is dishonored and vilified (cf. Ps.
69:9', John2'.13-17). Jesus Himself was angered when His Father's house was
profaned (MatL21'.12-13) and when hardness of head made His opponents criticize
even His healing the diseased and afflicted on the Sabbath (Luke 13:15-16). But
Jesus did not return evil for evil (1 Pet. 2:23), and He forbids His followers
to do so (Matt. 5:38-42).
     When the mother of James and John, doubtlessly at their urging, asked Jesus
to grant them seats on either side of His throne in the kingdom, the Lord asked
them, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" Without
hesitation they replied confidently, "We are able" (Matt. 20'.21-22). Whether
they instigated their other's request or not, they obviously thought it was
perfectly appropriate. They had no reservations about their deserving the honor
or their ability to meet any demands it might make of them.
     From a human standpoint James and John displayed more natural
reliability than Peter. They were not as vacillating and were not given to
compromise or equivocation, But they were brazenly ambitious. The two who
vengefully wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans are now seen also as
self-serving place seekers, stalking the Lord for His patronage-unashamed of
using their mother to gain their personal ends and oblivious of the fact that
they were demeaning Christ and His kingdom.
     When Herod wanted to attack and destroy the infant church, he singled out
James for arrest and execution. The fact that he chose James first suggests that
this apostle may have been more publicly noticeable and influential than even
Peter or John. lt was only after he saw that the murder of James pleased the
Jews that Herod "proceeded to arrest Peter also" (Acts 12:1-3). At least in the
king's eyes, James seemed to be the most dangerous. He was probably thunderous
and unrelenting in his ministry, and because of it became the first apostolic
martyr.
     Zeal is a great virtue, and the Lord needs those who are fearlessly
aggressive. But zeal is also prone to be brash, loveless, insensitive, and
lacking in wisdom. Insensitivity   can destroy a ministry, and James had to
learn to bridle his ambition and to love.
     Some pastors who are orthodox in doctrine and morally upstanding are utterly
insensitive to their congregations and their own families. The
nineteenth-century writer Henrik lbsen told of a Norwegian pastor who diligently
followed the motto "All or nothing." He was stern and uncompromising in
everything he said and did. He zealously wanted to advance the kingdom of
Christ, but he had no regard for the feelings of fellow believers. He wanted to
uphold God's standards of truth and holiness, but he was blind to His standards
of love and kindness.
     He was especially hard on his own family. When his little girl became
seriously ill, he refused to take her out of the cold Norwegian climate to a
warmer place, even though the doctor warned that not to do so would cost her
life. The pastor responded with his usual "All or nothing," and the girl soon
died. Because the mother had found no love in her husband, her life had been
completely centered in her little daughter. When the daughter died, the mother
was so distraught and shattered that she would sit for hours fondling the
clothes of her baby girl, trying to feed her starved heart with the empty
garments. After a few days her husband took the clothes away and gave them to a
poor woman on the street. The wife had hidden one little bonnet as a last
reminder, but her husband soon found that and gave it away-after giving the
grieving mother a lecture on "All or nothing." In a few months the mother also
died, a victim more of her husband's misguided zeal than of her daughter's
untimely death.
     The great evangelist Billy Sunday saw thousands of souls converted to Jesus
Christ, but every one of his children died in unbelief, because he had had no
time for them . Zeal without love is cruel and destructive. A person with
flaming passion and enthusiasm for the Lord's work but who tends to be
intolerant and impatient is doubtlessly more usable than a lukewarm,
uncommitted, and compromising person, who the Lord said is fit only to be spat
out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). But intolerance and insensitivity are a
tragic barrier to effective ministry and are never justified. Without love, the
most dynamic and dedicated zeal-even in the Lord's own work-is nothing (1 Cor.
13:1-3).
     Jesus bridled James's zeal and channeled His servant's energy into fruitful
ministry. James and John did indeed drink their Master's cup, as He had
predicted (Matt. 20.23). For John the cup was a long Life of rejection and a
death in exile. For James it was a short bright flame that brought martyrdom. An
ancient Roman coin depicted an ox facing both an altar and a plow with
the inscription "Ready for either." That should be the attitude of every
believer. James gave his life for the Lord as a brief and dying sacrifice,
whereas John gave his as a long and living sacrifice of service.

John

     The last disciple mentioned in the first group is John, the brother of
James. Unlike Andrew and James, John is one of the most prominent disciples in
the New Testament. He not only figures prominently in the gospel accounts but
wrote one of the gospels himself, as well as three epistles and the book of
Revelation.
     Because of his eventual gentleness and self-effacing attitude, we are
sometimes inclined to think of John as being naturally retiring and mild
mannered, perhaps even somewhat effeminate. But in his early years he was fully
as much a "Son of Thunder" as James. He joined his brother in wanting to call
down fire on the unbelieving Samaritans and in seeking a position next to the
Lord in the kingdom. Like James, he was naturally intolerant, ambitious,
zealous, and explosive, though perhaps not as much so.
     It is interesting that the only time John is mentioned alone in the gospels
is in an unfavorable light. On one occasion he came to Jesus and reported,
"Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder
him because he was not following us" (Mark 9.38). John appears prejudiced and
sectarian, and he did not look favorably on those who were not affiliated with
his own group, even if they were faithfully doing the Lord's work.
     Christians are justified in breaking fellowship with fellow believers who
teach false doctrine and persist in immoral living; in fact are commanded to do
so (Rom. 16:17-18; 1 Cor.5:9-1 1;Gal. 1:B; 2 Thess.3.6, 14). But exclusivism or
sectarianism based on form, culture, status, race, color, wealth, appearance, or
any other such superficiality is anathema to the Lord, in whom "there is neither
Jew nor Greek, ... slave nor freeman,... male nor female; for [we] are all one
in Christ Jesus" Gal. 3:28.
     Throughout his life, John remained uncompromising in doctrine and in
standards of morality, but the Holy Spirit developed in him an unparalleled
capacity for love, so much so that he is often called the apostle of love. It is
apparent from his epistles that he did not slip into the foolish and tolerant
sentimentality that often masquerades as love. During the rest of his life,
which lasted until near the turn of the second century, he lost none of his
intolerance for falsehood and immorality. Love without certain standards or
strong convictions is as much a spiritual disaster as zeal without sensitivity.
The Lord knew that, as far as the human author was concerned, the apostle who
became the most powerful advocate of love would have to be a man who was also
uncompromising of truth. Otherwise his love would take him down the road of
destructive sentimentalism that is traveled by so many in the name of Christ.
     In his five New Testament books John uses forms of the word love eighty
times and witness or its synonyms some seventy times. He was always a witness to
the truth and ever a teacher of love. Truth guarded his love, and love
surrounded his truth.
     John was also a discoverer, a seeker for truth. He was the first to
recognize the Lord on the shore of Galilee and was the first disciple to see the
risen Christ. lt was to him that the Lord entrusted the revelation of future
events in the Apocalypse. John did not lean on Jesus breast (John 13:23) because
of maudlin sentimentality but because he had an insatiable hunger for Christ's
truth and fellowship. He wanted to gather every word that came
from his Master's lips and to bask continually in the warmth of His love.
     That John's love was controlled by God's truth is nowhere seen more clearly
than in his three epistles, in which his exhortations for love are always
balanced by commands for truth and righteousness. He denounced the antichrist
and those who sided with him. He rebuked the unloving and the disobedient. lt
was John that Jesus inspired to record His most sobering distinction between the
saved and the unsaved, declaring that the one is the child of God and the other
the child of Satan (John 8'.41-44). Again and again John appealed to various
witnesses to the truth he taught. He spoke of the witness of John the Baptist
(John 1:7-B; 3.26), the witness of the miracles (John 5:36), the witness of the
apostles (15'.27), the witness of the Father (5:37), of the Son (18.37), and of
the Holy Spirit and the water and blood (1 John 5:B).
     But throughout his teaching John's heart of love and compassion is
revealed, and the reflection of his great capacity not only to teach but to
exemplify love is manifest. People who love greatly can also be loved greatly,
because they are eager to receive it as well as give it. John continually took
in the love of Christ and continually gave it out. He so identified with
Christ's love that he referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (John
13'.23', 19:26',20:2',21'.7,20). John could claim no greater honor for himself
than being the apostle whom Jesus loved.
     Tradition tells us that John did not leave the city of Jerusalem until Mary
the mother of Jesus died, because the Lord had entrusted her into his care (John
19:26). The Lord said to Peter, "Tend My sheep" (John21'.17); but to John He
said, in effect, "Take care of My mother." John had a special love that Jesus
knew would lead this disciple to treat Mary as his own mother. John's teaching
on love might be summarized in ten truths that run through his writings. He
taught that God is a God of love (1 John 4.8, '16), that God  loves His Son
(John 3:35,5.2A) and is loved by His Son (14.31), that God
loved the disciples (16:27', 17'.23), that God loves all men (3:16), that Christ
loved the disciples (13:34), that He loves all believers (1 John 3:1), that He
expects all men to love Him (John 14:15,21), that believers in Him should love
one another (13.34; 1 John 4'.11 , 21), and that love fulfills all the
commandments (14'.23,1 John 5:3).
     From the lives of these three men, as from the lives of the other disciples,
it becomes obvious that the Lord uses a variety of people. Andrew was humble,
gentle, and inconspicuous. He saw the individual more than the crowd. He was not
a dynamic evangelist, but he continually brought people to Jesus Christ. James,
like Peter; was dynamic, bold, and a natural leader. He initiated, took charge,
and moved ahead; but he could also be self-willed, self-assured, prejudiced, and
ambitious. John was also a son of thunder, but of a milder sort. He was a truth
seeker who was sensitive to those to whom he taught the truth.
     Jesus transformed all three into effective fishers of men and foundation
layers of His church, and all three suffered for their faithfulness. Tradition
says that Andrew led the wife of a provincial governor to Christ and that when
she refused to recant her faith the governor had Andrew crucified on an X-shaped
cross-which subsequently became his symbol in church lore. He is said to have
hung on the cross in agony for two days, preaching the gospel to those who
passed by for as long as he was able.
     According to tradition, when James had been sentenced to death and was about
to be beheaded, the Roman soldier who guarded him was so
impressed with his courage and constancy of spirit that he knelt at the
apostle's feet, begging forgiveness for the rough treatment he had given him and
for his part in the execution. James is said to have lifted the man up, embraced
and kissed him, and said, "Peace, my Son. Peace to you and the pardon of your
faults." The soldier is said to have been so moved by James's compassion that he
publicly confessed Christ and was beheaded alongside the apostle.
     Scripture reports that John was banished to the small and barren Isle of
Patmos in the Aegean Sea, off the west coast of Asia Minor. He died about A.D.
98, during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Some sources suggest that those who knew
him well said their reminder of John was the echo of a
constant phrase that was on his lips: "My little children, love one another" cf.
1 John 3:1 1 , 14 4'.7 , 11, 20-21.
     These were three men with ordinary temperaments, ordinary strengths and
weaknesses, and ordinary struggles. Yet in the power of Christ they were
transformed into men that turned the world upside down. It was not what they
were in themselves but what they were sovereignly and willingly made to' become
that rendered them such powerful instruments in the Master's hands. The
fishermen of Galilee became fishers of men on a vast scale, and in God's power
they gathered thousands of souls into the church and played a vital part in the
salvation of millions more. Through the testimony of their lives and writings,
those fishermen are still casting their nets into the sea of mankind and
bringing multitud

The Master's Men—part 5

           Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael) (10:3a)

Philip and Bartholomew; (10:3a)

Philip

     The second group of four disciples begins with Philip, as it does in the
other listings (Mark 3:18; Luke 6.14; Acts 1 :13), probably indicating he was
its leader. This Philip is not to be confused with the deacon who became a
prominent evangelist in the early days of the church (See Acts 6:5',8'.4- 13,
26-40).
     All of the twelve were Jews, but many used both Greek and Jewish
names. lt is not known what this disciple's Jewish name was, because Philip (a
Greek name meaning "lover of horses") is the only name used of him in the New
Testament. lt was possibly due to his name that the Greeks who wanted to see
Jesus came to Philip first (John 12:20-21).
     Philip's home town was the northern Galilee town of Bethsaida, where Peter
and Andrew also lived. Because they were all God-fearing Jews and probably were
all fishermen (see John 21'.2-3), it seems certain that Peter, Andrew, Philip
and Bartholomew not only were acquaintances but were close friends even before
Jesus called them.
     As with Andrew the first three gospels make no mention of Philip except in
listings of the apostles, and all that is revealed about him is found in the
fourth gospel.
     It can be surmised from John's account that Philip was already a devout man.
The day after Jesus called Peter and Andrew, "He purposed to go forth into
Galilee, and He found Philip, and Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me"' (John 1'.43).
Although John, Andrew and Peter had taken up with Jesus as soon as they realized
He was the Messiah (vv. 35-42), Philip was the first person to whom the Lord
expressly said, "Follow Me."
     God had already given Philip a seeking hear1. Salvation is always on the
sovereign Lord's initiative, and no one comes to Jesus Christ unless God the
Father-draws him (John 6:44, 65). But God planted the desire in Phillip's heart
to find the Messiah even before Jesus called him. Philip therefore said to
Nathanael (or Bartholomew), "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also
the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (1'.45). From the
perspective of divine sovereignty, the Lord found Philip, but from the
perspective of human understanding and volition, Philip had found the Lord. Both
the divine and human wills will be in accord when salvation takes place. Jesus
came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and it is those who truly seek Him
who find Him (Luke 7:7-8; cf. Jer. 29:'13). God seeks and finds the hearts of
those who genuinely seek Him.
     From his comments to Nathanael, it seems that Philip must have been
diligently studying the Scriptures to learn God's will and plan. God's promised
Messiah was central on his mind, and when he was introduced to the Messiah, he
immediately acknowledged and accepted Him. Using His written Word, God had
prepared Philip's heart. From the scriptural record we know of no human agent
who was instrumental in Philip's calling or commitment. Jesus simply walked up
to Him and said, "Follow Me." Philip's heart and eyes and ears were spiritually
attuned, and when he heard Jesus' call he knew it was from God. We can only
imagine the excitement and joy that filled his soul at that moment.
     The genuineness of Philip's faith is seen not only in the fact that he
immediately recognized and accepted the Messiah but in the reality that he also
promptly began to serve Christ by telling others of Him. As soon as Jesus called
him, Philip found Nathanael and told him he had found the Messiah.
     One of the certain marks of genuine conversion is the desire to tell others
of the Savior. The new believer who is baptized as a public testimony of his new
relationship to Jesus Christ often has a spontaneous desire to use that occasion
to witness for the Lord. The believer who has not left his first love for the
Lord inevitably has a loving desire to witness to those who do not know Him.
     Because Philip already cared about his friend Nathanael, it was natural to
communicate to him the most profound and joyous discovery of his life. ln every
Iisting of the twelve, Philip and Nathanael are together, and it is likely
they had been close friends for many years before they met Jesus.
     Second, we learn from John's gospel that Philip had a practical, analytical
mind. When Jesus faced the great crowd of people who had followed Him to the far
side of the Sea of Galilee, He knew they were tired and hungry and that few of
them had made provision for eating. He therefore "said to Philip, 'Where are we
to buy bread, that these may eat?"' (John 6.5). Philip had seen Jesus perform
many miracles, including the turning of water into wine (John 2'.1-11), but at
this time his only thoughts were of the practical problems involved in Jesus
suggestion. ln addition to the 5,000 men (6:10), it is not unrealistic to assume
that there were an equal number of women and several times that many children.
     Judging from Philip's response, it may have been that he was normally in
charge of getting food for Jesus and his fellow disciples, just as Judas was in
charge of the group's money. He therefore would have known how much food they
usually ate and how much it cost. But Jesus had a special purpose in asking
Philip about the food. "And this He was saying to test him; for He Himself knew
what He was intending to do" (v 6) lf Jesus had asked about buying food only for
the thirteen men in their own group, the answer would have been simple and
practical, and Philip could quickly have given the answer. But he should have
realized that, in His asking about feeding the entire multitude, Jesus' question
went far beyond the practical and implied the impossible.
     But Philip took the question at its practical face value and immediately
began to calculate an answer based on his own experience. Making a rough
estimate, he concluded that "two hundred denarii worth of bread is not
sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little" (v 7) A denarii
represented the daily wage of an average Palestinian worker, and even if two
hundred of them were collected from the crowd or taken from the disciples'
treasury, that amount could not buy enough bread even to give the multitude a
snack.
     Philip's response was sincere, but it revealed a lack of consideration for
Jesus' supernatural provision. He was face to face with the Son of God, but he
could see no further than the practical, physical dilemma. There was no prospect
of a solution from the human standpoint, and that is all he considered. He was
so engrossed in the material situation that he completely lost sight of God's
power.
     It has been noted that the supreme essential of a great leader is a sense of
the possible. Like most people, however-including perhaps most believers-Philip
only had a sense of the impossible. He did not yet understand that "with God all
things are possible" Matt. 19:26; cf. Mark 9:23.
     It would seem that, after having seen Jesus perform so many miracles,
Philip's immediate response would have been, "Lord, You made the water into
wine, stilled the storm, and have healed every kind of disease. Why bother
trying to buy so much food when all You have to do is say the word and create
the food necessary to feed all these people?"
     Philip failed Jesus' test of faith because he was too taken up with his own
understanding and abilities. He was methodical and full of practical common
sense; but those virtues, helpful as they often are, can be an obstacle to the
immeasurably greater virtue of trusting God for what is impractical. Facts and
figures are a poor substitute for faith.
     Third, we learn from John's gospel that Philip was not forceful and was
inclined to be indecisive. Although he was not a member of the inner circle,
Philip had access to Jesus on his own. But when "certain Greeks among those who
were going up to worship at the feast ... came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida
of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus,"' Philip
decided to take them first to Andrew (12.2A-22).
     Philip knew that Jesus healed the Gentile centurion's servant and
accepted the half-Gentile Samaritans who came to Him for salvation, yet he seems
to have been uncertain about whether it was proper to introduce these Gentiles
to the Lord. He may have been thinking of the temporary instruction Jesus gave
when He first sent the disciples out on their own: "Do not go in the way of the
Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost
sheep of the house of lsrael" (Matt. 10:5-6). Natural Jewish prejudice made that
an easy command to obey, and Philip may have thought the restriction was still
in effect. But he did not ignore the Greeks' request and at least made the
effort to consult Andrew
     Fourth, we discover from John's gospel that Philip lacked spiritual
perception. This deficiency was evident in his failing Jesus' test in regard to
feeding the multitude, and it was even more pronounced when, almost three years
later, he said to Jesus at the Last Supper, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is
enough for us" (John 14:8). lt must have grieved Jesus deeply to hear such a
question, and He replied, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not
come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the-Father; how do you say,
'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father
is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but
the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and
the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves" (vv. 9-1
1).
     After three years of learning at Jesus' feet, Philip's spiritual perception
still seemed almost nil. Neither Jesus' words nor His works had brought Philip
to the understanding that Jesus and His Father were one. After gazing for three
years into the only face of God men will ever see, he still did not comprehend
who he was seeing, He had missed the main truth of Jesus' teaching, that He was
God incarnate.
     Yet the Lord used that man of limited vision and trust. Philip was slow to
understand and slow to trust. He was more at home with physical facts than with
spiritual truth. Yet, along with the other apostles, Jesus assured him of a
throne from which he would judge the twelve tribes of lsrael (Matt. 19.28).
Philip was pessimistic, insecure, analytical, and slow to learn; but tradition
tells us that he ultimately gave his life as a martyr for the Lord he so often
disappointed and who so patiently taught and retaught him. lt is reported that
he was stripped naked, hung upside down by his feet, and pierced with sharp
stakes in his ankles and thighs, causing him slowly to bleed to death. He is
said to have asked not to be shrouded with linen after he was dead, because he
felt unworthy to be buried as was his Lord.

Bartholomew (Nathanael )

     Bartholomew means "Son [Aramaic, bar] of Tolmai." He was much
different from Philip, his close friend and companion with whom he is always
paired in the New Testament. The first three gospels refer to him only as
Bartholomew but John always as Nathanael, which may have been his first name.
The short account of John 1:45-51 is the only place this apostle is mentioned in
the New Testament outside the four listings of the twelve.
     Bartholomew came from Cana of Galilee and was brought to the Lord by his
friend Philip. As soon as Philip discovered Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah,
he "found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law
and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph"' (John 1:45).
     Philip's words imply that, like himself, Nathanael was a student of
Scripture, a seeker after divine truth and well acquainted with the messianic
prophecies of the Old Testament. A further implication seems to be that these
two men were partners in Scripture study, having examined the Old Testament
together for many years. ln any case, it is clear from Philip's statement that
he knew Nathanael would immediately know whom he was talking about. They both
hungered for God's truth and earnestly sought the coming of the anticipated
Messiah.
     But Nathanael was affected by prejudice. lnstead of judging Jesus by what He
said and did, Nathanael stumbled over the fact that He was from Nazareth, a town
with a notably unsavory reputation. lt was an unrefined, rowdy place that hosted
many foreign travelers. Nathanael's question, "Carl any good thing come out of
Nazareth?" (v.46), was probably a common expression of derision among the Jews
of Galilee.
     Prejudice is an unwarranted generalization based on feelings of
superiority, and it can be a powerful obstacle to the truth. Herbert Lockyer
points out that in his allegory The Holy War, John Bunyan depicts Christ (called
Emmanuel) invading and holding the life of a person (represented as the town
Mansoul). During the course of the siege on Mansoul, Emmanuel's forces attack
Eargate. But Diabolus (Satan) sets up a formidable guard called "Old Mr.
Prejudice, an angry and ill-conditioned fellow who has under his power sixty
deaf men" All the Apostles of the Bible [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 19721, p 60
     The nature of prejudice is to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to any truth
that does not fit its preconceived and cherished ideas. Consequently, it is a
common and powerful weapon of Satan. By appealing to various prejudices he often
succeeds in getting a person to reject the gospel even before learning what it
is really about. The prejudices of their man-made traditions blinded many Jews
to the true teaching of their Scriptures and thereby led them to reject Jesus as
the Messiah-despite His dear demonstrations of divine power and fulfillment of
Old Testament prophecy.
     Fortunately, Nathanael's prejudice was tempered by his genuine desire to
know God's truth. He agreed to Philip's suggestion ("Come and see") and went to
meet Jesus for himself (v. 46b-47 a).
     From the mouth of Jesus we learn still other characteristics of Nathanael.
As Nathanael approached, Jesus said, "Behold an lsraelite indeed, in whom is no
guile (v. 47 b Alethos ("indeed") was a word of strong affirmation by which
Jesus declared Nathanael to be the kind of man God intended His chosen people to
be. He was a Jew in the truest spiritual sense, "a Jew who is one inwardly, ...
fwhose] praise is not from men, but from God" (Rom. 2'.29). He was not merely a
physical descendant of Abraham but, more important, a Jew in the true covenant
with God, a spiritual descendant, a child of promise (See Rom. 9:6-8).
     Not only was Nathanael a genuine, spiritual Jew but he was, by the Lord's
own testimony, a man "in whom is no guile!" (John 1:47c) He was a genuine Jew
and a genuine person. He had no deceit or duplicity, no hypocrisy or phoniness.
That characteristic alone set him far apart from most of his countrymen,
especially the self- righteous and hypocritlcal scribes and Pharisees, whose
very names Jesus used as synonyms for religious and moral hypocrisy (Matt.
23:13-15 , 23, 25, 27).
     Nathanael had reflected the common prejudice of the time, but his heart was
right and won out over his head. His prejudice was not strong and it quickly
withered in the light of truth. What an astoundingly wonderful commendation to
be described by the Lord Himself as "an lsraelite indeed, in whom is no guile
     Nathanael's response to Jesus' commendation reflected its
appropriateness. He did not swell up with pride at the compliment but
wondered how Jesus could speak with such certainty about the inner life of a
person He had never met. "How do You know me?" he asked (John 1:48). "How do You
know what I am really like on the inside?" he was asking. "How do You know that
I truly seek to follow God and that my life is not hypocritical?" Because of his
genuine humility, Nathanael may have been inclined to doubt Jesus' judgment and
think His comments were mere flattery.
     But Jesus' next words removed any doubts Nathanael may have had. ' When
Jesus said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw
you," Nathanael knew he stood in the presence of omniscience. He declared,
"Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of lsrael" (vv. 48b-4e).
     Because fig trees of that region could become quite large, they were often
planted near a house to provide shade, comfort, and a place of retreat from
household activities. Nathanael must have been meditating and praying in the
shade of such a tree before Philip came to him.
     ln any case, Jesus not only saw where Nathanael was sitting but knew what he
was thinking. "l saw you in your secret place of retreat," Jesus said, in
effect, "and I even saw what was in your heart." Nathanael's prayers were
answered and his searching for the Messiah was over. Because his heart was
divinely prepared to seek the Messiah, he immediately acknowledged Him when they
met, just as the godly Simeon and Anna recognized even the infant Jesus as the
Son of God (Luke 2:25-38).
     Jesus continued His attestation of Nathanael's faith. "Because I said to you
that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe?" (John 1:50), is better
translated as a statement of fact (as in the NIV). Both Jesus and Nathanael knew
it was the manifestation of omniscience that convinced Nathanael of Jesus'
messiahship. Because of Nathanael's faith, Jesus went on to say, "'You shall see
greater things than these.' And He said to him, 'Truly, truly, I
say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man."' (vv. 50b-51). This
demonstration of Jesus' omniscience would come to seem small to Nathanael in
comparison to the wonders of divine power he would soon begin to witness.
     It may be that Nathanael came to understand Jesus' glory as well as any of
the other apostles. We know nothing else of the man than what is found in that
one brief account. But it seems reasonable to assume that he was among the most
dependable and teachable of the twelve. There is no record of his questioning
Jesus or arguing with Him or even misunderstanding Him.
     The New Testament says nothing of his ministry or his death, and even
tradition has little to offer about him. But it is apparent from the Lord's own
words that, like David, Nathanael was a man after God's own heart.

Dears,

  Often I come across clients who are desperately looking out for a perfect partner in their lives and lead a sad existence because of the heartbreaks they go through in this search. Recently I did aura session with a young lady who had tried to attempt suicide because her lover left her. After the session, I went into deep soul search trying to understand what made her think of doing this and how can a person come out of throes of pain and agony to discover Joy within them.

How do you create a life of joy? First, let's understand that joy is a state of being. It's deeper and fuller and longer lasting than happiness. Happiness is an emotion that is often fleeting and dependent on an outside circumstance or event like good food, a new car, sex, hobby etc . Joy comes from within; it isn't dependent on anything going on outside of you.

Joy is a spring that comes forth from within when you align with your soul. It is something you experience when your Sacral/Swathisthana chakra is fully balanced.. Swathisthana.. when the soul sits in the body and experiences the Taste of "Being".. For this call your soul to you right now. All you need to do is think of it, and invite it to join you in eternal bliss.  Some people imagine their soul as an enormous light, surrounding and penetrating their physical body like a sphere of light all around them. Allow the union to open you to a new level of joy, your soul's joy.

Sense how beautiful and perfect you are as a soul; how full of joy and love. The world of the soul does not know sorrow or pain. It knows only love, joy, and bliss. You can bring your soul's joy into your daily life. You can stop struggling. You can trust that the universe is perfect and that it is always working for you. Joy comes when you understand that everything that happens in your life is brought to you by your soul and Higher Self to assist you in growing stronger and in evolving.

Your attitude determines how you experience the world. Attitudes are magnetic and every moment you spend in joy magnetizes another moment of joy. Acknowledge the joy you already have in your life, and you will feel it even more often.

Joy is a feeling in the present moment, not something you will have in the future.

Know that the universe is always working for you. Recognize that everything that is happening in your life is for your higher good, even if you cannot understand why.

Let go of being a victim, and know that everything that is happening is something you have drawn to yourself to help you become stronger, more whole, and closer to your soul. Stop blaming others or the universe. Instead, affirm that you are the creator of your life, and that you can create any life you want for yourself.

Take a situation you dislike and say, "In some way I don't yet perceive, this situation will give me many wonderful opportunities to grow and bring me many blessings." As you say this, you create it as so.

Your soul loves and accepts you unconditionally, it sees the beauty and perfection of your being.

You can have more joy by giving yourself freedom. Freedom is an inner feeling. It is the ability to choose what you want. It is the knowledge that you are the captain of the ship. Freedom is knowing that you own your own life, that you are the one in charge and you can steer it in any course that you choose too.. and you will choose abundance in all dimensions. Trust yourself and Trust your Creator that future holds great promises.  

You can learn to create joy in your life by feeling inner peace. Each time when you choose to feel good about yourself, even when someone is criticizing you, putting you down, or acting in a way that you used to respond to with pain, you are choosing joy. Each time you do you create freedom in your life by freeing yourself from these "external Triggers" and in time these will fade away when they see they have no effect on you.

Now sit up straight and stop hunching and have a grin on your face and breathe deeply in and out.. . When emotions affect on physical body and vice versa.. this act will immediately uplift your emotions.  Now Visualise what would you like to Create.. be as vivid as possible about your dreams. Now once you've created this picture act as if it's already achieved. With enough practice you will begin living out the life you truly desire with ease. If that doesn't put a smile on your face, then I suggest professional help...seriously.

Soul Contracts can be wonderful, loving connections between people that help create growth, transformation, and even access to unconditional love. (Laaaaa! Can you hear the birds tweeting and the harps playing?) People always want to know what the Soul Contract is between themselves and their partner, brother, mother, best friend… After all, once you know the Soul Contract, you're on track to creating a more successful relationship.

Unfortunately, Soul Contracts can also act as painful blocks that stop people from being able to achieve their dreams, have a wonderful marriage, find a best friend, or even become successful in business. When a Soul Contract is blocking the way, it is disheartening – and always confusing. I've met many a person who has tried every "thing" they could think of to find their "true love" or to make their business a great success – and yet, nothing worked. In situations like this, it's often a Soul Contract that is standing in the way.

Below, I've listed five common Soul Contracts that people often don't realize they have. Perhaps you recognize some of these within yourself? Perhaps it's time to take some action (I'll show you how to do that as well!).

5. Soul Contract of Martyrdom
Do you find that it's a lot easier to say "yes" than it is to say "no"? Do you put your own needs or desires aside to help other people (or animals!) – even when it is really inconvenient to you? Do you feel like you're a good person or a better person if you sacrifice your own needs in some way to make someone else happy? If you answered yes to any of these, you are probably a) feeling pretty frustrated with your life, b) feeling that other people don't appreciate you, or  c) feeling tired and drained.

You probably also feel that being called "selfish" is the worst type of insult, and you most likely make decisions constructed to ensure that no one can ever apply that label to you. This is how the Martyrdom Soul Contract often manifests… and it's not pretty. Once you've broken this soul-level agreement, it won't mean you'll never help another person. Rather, it will allow you to make better decisions about who to help and when – and also about how to continue to take care of yourself while giving to others. A much more balanced way to live for sure!

4. Soul Contract of Loyalty
Do you stand by your friend, lover, parent, boss etc. no matter what they do or how they treat you? Have you ever heard yourself saying "yes, she's pretty mean but family is family" or "I have no choice, he's my boss"? The Loyalty Soul Contract will often help a person create a situation in which they are walked all over by those they love and where a person feels helpless or trapped when considering changing or leaving the relationship because they don't want to abandon the other person.

When a Soul Contract of this nature is finally released, you'll be able to make changes in your relationships (personal or professional) even if those changes are something you've struggled with for years, such as leaving your husband or quitting your job. The "hold" that those people have over you will be gone!

3. Soul Contract of Loneliness
Have you been looking for your Soul-Mate throughout your life only to have one relationship after another result in failure, dis-ease, sadness and heartbreak? Have you tried blind dates, online dating, or settling for someone who isn't "it"? While there are many different contracts that could be standing in the way of finding love, the Soul Contract of Loneliness can be one of the most difficult to handle. When your soul is adhering to this type of agreement, even when you've found someone wonderful – you still feel alone, separate and unsupported. Release this contract and you're finally able to "feel" the support and love that is out there – whereas WITH this contract, it's like it doesn't exist (even though it often already does).

2. Soul Contract of Anxiety
If you are someone who always feels anxious, nervous or worried – your soul might be holding you to this type of contract. Do you wait for the other shoe to drop? When money is coming in, do you count the days until "you know" it will go out again? When one of your worries alleviates, do you quickly replace it with another thing to worry about? You may be thinking this is normal human nature, but it isn't! In many cases, it's a contract that you took out some time in a past life that your soul still believes is valid.

Why would you ever make such a commitment? Perhaps you felt that if you wrapped yourself in a blanket of anxiety, it would heighten your awareness so that nothing could ever get by you and surprise or hurt you again? (I've found with my clients that this is a common reason!)  Filtering life through a blanket of anxiety is not fun for you (obviously) or for the people around you. When you release this commitment, you'll find that you are more able to be in touch with your intuition (anxiety blocks us from our intuition) so you are more easily and naturally kept up to date by your own gut on what is coming down the pike for you. A much more enjoyable way to stay aware for sure!

1. Soul Contract: Rocking the Boat
Are you someone who is afraid to be seen as marching to your own drummer? Someone who doesn't break rules or rock the boat? Someone who might not even want others to know you're reading this website? This is a very common agreement that we humans tend to commit ourselves to as a way of protection. By standing in the background and blending in, you run less risk of being ostracized, penalized or pointed out. While this might have seemed like a good idea during a past life when you were still reeling from being made fun of for something that you did, the current reality means that it will become difficult to build a business, become an expert, write a book and more because you must stand out in order to do these things!

When you release this Soul Contract from your life, things really begin to open up. So much of what each person has come here to do is dependent on being able to blaze your own path. When you finally let go of this soul-level agreement, it's like "ta-da!" -- the lights turn on, your work is highlighted and things move forward.

How to Get Started Releasing & Clearing These Contracts
So what do you do if you realize that perhaps you've been unknowingly running up against a Soul Contract that you no longer want? How can you break it?

First, you have to realize that you can't just break ANY Soul Contract that you want. It doesn't work that way. You first must do the work to understand how this agreement has both served and hindered you. It's like your understanding is loosening the tooth so that it can be pulled.

Your second step is awareness. Spend time witnessing the Soul Contract and understanding how it's been rearing its ugly head in your life. For example, if martyrdom is the issue, take a few weeks to notice when you're giving up your own needs for those of another person. You'll start to see patterns in your behavior; and as they emerge, it will become easier and easier for you recognize those times when you tend to sacrifice for others. This takes some time, so don't expect to get it perfectly right away.

After you've mastered the awareness portion, a new piece will emerge: the awareness of the contract will bring about a moment of clarity. If you normally say  "Yes! I'll take your Grandma to the grocery store on Sunday so you can stay in and watch football," you'll now find that there is a small pause just before you give your answer. Within that pause you have created an opportunity: "Do I want to follow the same pattern or do I want to make a different decision this time?" Sometimes you will make the same decision and you will see the same results – but the more aware you are, the more you'll be able to make a healthier choice.

Once you feel you've really got a handle on this contract, you understand where it shows up and how it's affecting your life. After you've been working on making some different decisions, you can speed up and deepen the release by writing about it (automatic writing can be very effective!), addressing it in a therapy session, or doing Soul Contract work with a trained professional on this subject.

There is no right or wrong decision here, only what works. It's a process – a process of realizing the Soul Contract is there, becoming aware of the pattern and how it shows up in your life, and then taking action steps to finally release it from your life. It's one of the most empowering things you can do as a human!

Shift your stress

The most common complaint that we hear from people is that they are anxious.  We can find one of ten people around us may be at work, at the store, where ever we go in your daily life is over stressed at any given moment for any reason.  Anxiety is the state of mind that creates stress caused chemical changes in the mind and the physical body.  Scientists agree that stress causes actual chemical changes in the brain and these changes can influence the state of your health.  The impact that stress has on our overall health is been constantly researched by scientists.  Stress could be a contributing factor in everything from backaches, colds, infections,  gastrointestinal disorders , sexual dysfunctions and …so …on.   We should admit that we all get anxious and get stressed at one point or the other.  There is the difference only in the level and the types of anxiety.

 I would like to share my experience how I deal with anxiety or stress. The first thing to do is to try to get calm.  Worrying and panicking only makes everything worse.  Create a different state of yourself.  A simple tool I use is turning on a quiet, calming piece of music ( which ever you feel is your choice whether jazz, western, classical or instrumental ) while sitting upright in a chair, back straight and feet firmly planted on the floor. I slowly begin to breathe deeply from my belly in and out, very slowly, again and again.  Between the sounds of music and my deep breaths, I begin to feel better,  very important is that I should be present and enjoy the moment. By doing this I feel lighter and less anxious in a matter of seconds.

Breathing is a way of bringing new energy into the body.  It's clearing and cleansing.  As my breathing gets deeper I feel calmer and my anxiety begins to move further away.  Holding onto this state, I go for a shift in the visuals, may be a lift up from my working chair, or a peep through the window to instantly lift my spirits.

This stress busting method really works much more effective with the Rudraksha in my body.  As science has proved that Rudraksha has a property to calm down our emotional states.  Hence Rudraksha helps in calming down our anxiety and in addition to that it aids in clarity of thoughts,  that leads to  good decision making.  All it takes is 16 seconds to shift your energy.  Begin with just 16 seconds and change your vibration.  So if you are feeling anxious or worried and need to calm down, try these simple steps and see for yourself how breathing and  Rudraksha can change your day! And shift your stress!

That's it.

The Master's Men—part 4&5
Thomas, Matthew (10:3b)

Thomas and Matthew the tax-gatherer; (10:3b)

     As in the other lists of disciples, these two men are in the second group of
four, although the order of their names varies (See Mark 3:18; Luke
6:15; Acts 1 :13).

Thomas

     Probably since the first century, Thomas has been known primarily, if not
almost exclusively, for his doubt; and "doubting Thomas" has long been an
epithet for skeptics. But a careful look at the gospel accounts reveals this
disciple was a man of great faith and dedication.
     As with several other apostles, all that is known of him besides his name is
found in John's gospel. While Jesus was ministering on the other side of the
Jordan River near Jericho, the report came that Lazarus had died. On hearing the
news, Jesus said to His disciples, "l am glad for your sakes that I was not
there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him" (John 1 1 :15). Even after
witnessing so many miracles, including the raising of the dead, the twelve were
still lacking in faith, and Jesus determined to perform this last great miracle
for their benefit. He had already decided to go back to Judea, despite reminders
by the disciples that it would cost His life (vv. 7-8). Because Bethany was a
near suburb of Jerusalem, for Jesus to go there was almost as dangerous as His
going into Jerusalem. Fully realizing the danger for all of them, "Thomas
therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, 'Let us also go,
that we may die with Him"' (v. 16).
     Thomas, and doubtlessly the other disciples as well, believed that, because
of the hostility of the Jewish establishment, going to Jerusalem would be
virtual suicide. But he took the initiative to encourage the twelve to go with
Jesus and suffer the consequences with Him. He was obviously pessimistic about
the outcome of the trip, but the pessimism makes his act all the more
courageous. As a pessimist, he expected the worst possible consequences; yet he
was willing to go. An optimist would have needed less courage, because he would
have expected less danger. Thomas was willing to pay the ultimate price for the
sake of His Lord. Such unreserved willingness to die for Christ was hardly the
mark of a doubter. Thomas was willing to die for Christ because he totally
believed in Him. Thomas was perhaps equaled only by John in his utter and
unwavering devotion to Jesus. He had such an intense love for the Lord that he
could not endure existence without Him. lf Jesus was determined to go to
Jerusalem and certain death, so was Thomas, because the alternative of living
without Him was unthinkable.
     Herbert Lockyer has commented: "Like those brave knights in attendance upon
the blind King John of Bohemia who rode into the battle of Cr6cy with their
bridles intertwined with that of their master, resolved to share his fate,
whatever it might be ... so Thomas, come life, come death, was resolved not to
forsake his Lord, seeing he was bound to Him by a deep and enthusiastic love"
All the Apostles of the Bible [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972], p.178.
     Thomas had no illusions. He saw the jaws of death and did not flinch. He
would rather face death than face disloyalty to Christ.
     ln the Upper Room following the Last Supper, Jesus urged the disciples not
to be troubled in heart and assured them that He was going to prepare a heavenly
place for them and would come again and receive them to Himself, in order that
they might forever be with Him. He then said, "And you know the way where I am
going" (John 14.1-4). Puzzled at this, Thomas asked, "Lord, we do not know where
You are going, how do we know the way?" (v. 5).
     Only a few days earlier Thomas had declared his determination to die with
Christ if necessary. His devotion to Christ was unqualified, but like the other
disciples he had almost no understanding of Jesus' death, resurrection, and
ascension, for which his Master had been preparing him for three years. Thomas
had little comprehension of what Jesus had just said, apparently assuming Jesus
was only talking about taking a long journey to a distant country. He was
bewildered, saddened, and anxious. Again the disciple's pessimism and also his
love are revealed. His pessimism made him fear that he might somehow be
permanently separated from his Lord, and his love for his Lord made that fear
unbearable, Understanding Thomas's heart as well as his words, Jesus said, "l am
the way, and the truth, and the life." (v. 6) "lf you know Me," Jesus was
saying, "you know the way And if you are in Me, you are in the way. Your only
concern is to be with Me, and I will take you wherever I go."
     The third text in which John tells us about Thomas is by far the best known.
When Jesus was crucified and buried, all of Thomas's worst fears had seemed to
come true. Jesus had been killed, but the disciples were spared. Their Master
was gone, and they were left alone, leaderless and helpless. For Thomas it was
worse than death, which he had been perfectly willing to accept. He felt
forsaken, rejected, and probably even betrayed. From his perspective, his worst
pessimism had been vindicated. Jesus promises had been empty-sincere and well
meaning, no doubt, but nevertheless empty. Because he loved Jesus so much, the
feeling of rejection was all the more deep and painful. The deepest hurt is
potentiated by the greatest love.
     When the other disciples told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he probably
felt like salt had been poured into his wounds. He was in no mood for fantasies
about His departed Lord. lt was unbearably painful trying to adjust to Jesus'
death, and he had no desire to be shattered by more false hopes. When Thomas
heard that Jesus was raised from the dead and alive, he declared, "Unless I
shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the
place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" John
20:25.
     A person who is depressed, especially if he is naturally pessimistic, is
hard to convince that anything will ever be right again. Because he is convinced
his plight is permanent, the idea of improvement not only seems unrealistic but
can be very irritating. To the person confirmed in hopelessness, even the idea
of hope can be an offense.
     But Thomas's attitude was basically no different from that of the other
disciples. They, too, were incredulous when first told of Jesus' resurrection.
When Peter and John ran to the tomb and found it empty as Mary had said, "as yet
they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead"
(John 20:9). Even with evidence of the resurrection, they did not search for a
risen Lord but went back home (v. 10). When Christ appeared to the ten disciples
(Judas was dead, and Thomas was elsewhere), who
huddled behind closed doors "for fear of the Jews," they were not certain that
it was the flesh and blood Jesus until after He "showed them both His hands and
His side" (vv. 19-20). Nor had the two disciples to whom Jesus appeared on the
Emmaus road believed the reports of His resurrection (Luke 24.21-24). None of
the disciples believed Jesus was alive until they saw Him in person.
     Because they all doubted His promise to rise on the third day, Jesus allowed
Thomas to remain in his doubt for another eight days. When He then appeared
again to the disciples, He singled out this dear soul who loved him enough to
die for Him and who was now utterly shattered in spirit. "Reach here your
finger, and see My hands," He said to Thomas, "and reach here your hand, and put
it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing" (John 20'.26-27 ). ln
one of the greatest confessions ever made, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my
God!" Now all doubt was gone and he knew with full certainty that Jesus was God,
that Jesus was Lord, and that Jesus was alive! The Lord then gently rebuked
Thomas, saying, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they
who did not see, and yet believed" (vv. 28-29). But His rebuke was fully as much
of the other disciples as of Thomas, because his doubt, though openly declared,
had been no greater than theirs.
     lf Jesus is not God and is not alive, the gospel is a foolish and futile
deception, the furthest thing from good news. "lf Christ has not been raised,"
Paul told the Corinthian skeptics, "your faith is worthless; you are still in
your sins. lf we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most
to be pitied" 1 Cor. 15'.17, 19.
     Tradition holds that Thomas preached as far away as lndia, and the Mar Thoma
Church, which still exists in southwest lndia and bears his name, traces its
origin to him. He is said to have had died from a spear being thrust through
him, a fitting death for the one who insisted on placing his hand in the spear
wound of his Lord.

Matthew

     Because he wrote the first gospel, Matthew is one of the best known
apostles. But the New Testament reveals very few details of his life or
ministry.
     Before his conversion and call to discipleship, Matthew collected taxes for
Rome (Matt. 9:9). lt was not an occupation to be proud of, and one would think
he would have wanted to dissociate himself from the stigma as much as possible.
Yet when he wrote the gospel some thirty years later, he still referred to
himself as the tax-gatherer.
     As discussed previously in more detail (see chap. 6), tax-gatherers were
considered traitors, the most hated members of Jewish society. They were often
more despised than the occupying rulers and soldiers, because they betrayed and
financially oppressed their own people. They were legal extortioners who
extracted as much money as they could from both citizen and foreigner with the
full authority and protection of Rome.
     They were so despicable and vile that the Jewish Talmud said, "lt is
righteous to lie and deceive a tax collector." Tax collectors were not permitted
to testify in Jewish courts, because they were notorious liars and accepted
bribes as a normal part of life. They were cut off from the rest of Jewish life
and were forbidden to worship in the Temple or even in a synagogue. In Jesus'
parable, the tax collector who came to the Temple to pray stood "some distance
away" (Luke 18:13) not only because he felt unworthy but because he was not
allowed to enter.
     Matthew was hardly proud of what he had been, but he seems to have
cherished the description as a reminder of his own great unworthiness and of
Christ's great grace. He saw himself as the vilest sinner, saved only by the
incomparable mercy of his Lord.
     Even from the little information given about him, it is evident Matthew was
a man of faith. When he got up from his tax table and began to follow Jesus, he
burned his bridges behind him. Tax collecting was a lucrative occupation, and
many opportunists were doubtlessly eager to take Matthew's place. And once he
forsook his privileged position, the Roman officials would not have granted it
to him again. The disciples who were fishermen could always return to fishing,
as many of them did after the crucifixion; but there could be no returning to
tax collecting for Matthew
     In the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew's leaving his tax office
to follow Jesus did little to elevate his standing. Casting his lot with Jesus
did not increase Matthew's popularity, but it greatly increased his danger.
There is little doubt that Matthew faced something of the true cost of
discipleship before any of the other apostles.
     Matthew was not only faithful but humble. ln his own gospel (and even in the
other three) he is faceless and absolutely voiceless during his time of training
under Jesus. He asks no questions and makes no comments. He appears directly in
no narrative. Only from Mark (2.15) and Luke (5:29) do we learn that the banquet
Jesus ate with "tax-gatherers and sinners" was in Matthew's house. ln his own
account, the fact that he was responsible for it is only implied (Matt. 9:10).
He was eager and overjoyed for his friends and
former associates to meet Jesus, but he calls no attention to his own role in
the banquet.
     It may be that his humility was born out of his overwhelming sense of
sinfulness. He saw God's grace as so superabundant that he felt unworthy to say
a word. He was the silent disciple, until the Holy Spirit led him to pick up his
pen and write the opening book of the New Testament-twenty-eight powerful
chapters on the majesty, might, and glory of the King of kings.
     The fact that Matthew is also referred to as Levi indicates his Jewish
heritage. We have no idea what his biblical training may have been, but Matthew
quotes the Old Testament more often than the other three gospel writers
combined-and quotes from all three parts of it (the law the prophets, and the
writings, or Hagiographa). Since it is highly unlikely he studied Scripture
while he was a tax collector, he gained. his biblical knowledge either in his
youth or after he became an apostle.
     Matthew had a loving heart for the lost. As soon as he was saved his first
concern was to tell others of that great news and invite them to share in it. He
was ashamed of his own previous life of sin; but he was not ashamed to be seen
eating with his former associates who were despised by society and living under
God's judgment, because they needed the Savior just as he had.
     He sensed personal sinfulness as perhaps none of his fellow disciples did,
because he had been greedily and unashamedly involved in extortion, deception,
graft, and probably blasphemy and every form of immorality. But now, like the
woman taken in adultery, because he was forgiven much, he loved much (see Luke
7.42-43, 47).The genuineness of his love for the Lord is proved in his concern
for the salvation of his friends.
     God took that outcast sinner and transformed him into a man of great faith,
humility, and compassion. He turned him from a man who extorted to one who gave,
from one who destroyed lives to one who brought the way of eternal life.

The Master's Men—part 5

James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus (Judas the son of James), Simon the Zealot
(10:3c-4a)


     These men are the first three in the third group of four apostles and are
the least known of the twelve. Most of what we know of them is inferred from
their names or descriptive identities or is gleaned from church tradition.
Except for one short question posed to Jesus by Thaddaeus, the Bible tells us
nothing about their individual characters, personalities, abilities, or
accomplishments, either during their three years of training under Jesus or
during their ministry in the early church.

James the Son of Alphaeus

     The first-named of these unknown apostles is James, who is distinguished
from the other apostle James (the son of Zebedee, v. 2) and from James the half
brother of Jesus by being identified as the son of Alphaeus. ln Mark 15:40  he
is referred to as "the Less." Mikros ("less") can also mean smaller or younger.
Used in the sense of smaller, the name may have been another means of
distinguishing him from James the son of Zebedee, who was clearly larger in
influence and position and possibly also in physical stature. ln the sense of
younger, it may have indicated his youthfulness in comparison to the other
James.
     As just mentioned, this James was considerably less than James the son of
Zebedee in the realm of influence. He may have had outstanding traits such as
boldness or courage, but, if so, he would likely have been called "the Bold" or
something similar, rather than "the Less." He could have been older than the
other James; but if that were true, he would probably have been called "the
Elder," since that description would have been less confusing and more
respectful of his age. It is also possible, of course, that he was smaller in
stature. But the most probable meaning of "the Less" would seem to be that of
youthfulness, coupled with that of his subordinate position in leadership.
     Because Matthew's father was also named Alphaeus (spelled Alpheus
in Mark 2:14), James and Matthew may have been brothers. Or this James
may have been a cousin of Jesus. Clopas was a form of Alphaeus, and if
Jesus' "mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas" (John 19:25), was James's
mother, he would have been Jesus' first cousin. That possibility is also
supported by Mark 15:40, which tells us that the mother of James the Less was
named Mary. lt is possible that he was both Matthew's brother and Jesus' cousin.
ln either case or both, this James's low profile testifies to his humility,
since there is no indication that he tried to take personal advantage of any
such relationship.
     James was not distinguished as a gifted leader, either before or after his
calling and training. We can assume he faithfully fulfilled the Lord's work
during his ministry, and we know that he will one day sit on a heavenly throne
and join the other twelve in judging the twelve tribes of lsrael (Matt. 19:28).
But his apostleship had no relationship to outstanding ability or achievement.
He was an unextraordinary man, used in unextraordinary ways to help fulfill the
extraordinary task of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
        After 2,000 years, James the son of Alphaeus remains obscure. We do not
know a single word he spoke or a single thing he did. The early church Fathers
claimed that he preached in Persia (modern lran) and was crucified there as a
martyr for the gospel. lf that is true, one can only wonder what would have
happened to that country and to world history had those people responded
favorably to the gospel.

Thaddaeus (Judas the Son of James)

     The second apostle listed in the third group is Thaddaeus. Based on less
reliable Greek manuscripts, the Authorized text reads, "Labbaeus, whose surname
was Thaddaeus." From Luke 6.16 and Acts 1:13 we learn that he was also called
Judas the son of James. lt is likely that Judas was his original name and that
Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus were descriptive names, somewhat like nicknames, added by
his family or friends.
     Thaddaeus comes from the Hebrew word shad, which refers to a female breast.
The name means "breast child," and was probably a common colloquialism for the
youngest child of a family, the permanent "baby" of the family who was the last
to be nursed by his mother.
     Although the name Lebbaeus is not found in what are considered the
superior Greek manuscripts, and is therefore not in most modern translations, it
may well have been one of this apostle's names. lt is based on the Hebrew Jeb
("heart") and means "heart child," which suggests he was known for his
generosity, love, and courage.
     On the night before His arrest and trial, Jesus said, "He who has My
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be
loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him" (John
14'.21). At that time Thaddaeus spoke his only words recorded in Scripture:
"Judas (not lscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are
going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?"' (v. 22).
     Judas (Thaddeus) obviously was thinking only of outward, visible
disclosure, and he wondered how Jesus could manifest Himself to those who loved
Him without also manifesting Himself to everyone else. Like most Jews of his
day, he was looking for Christ to establish an earthly kingdom. How he wondered,
could the Messiah sit on the throne of David and rule the entire earth without
manifesting Himself to His subjects? Thaddeus may also have wondered why Jesus
would disclose Himself to a small group of insignificant men and not to the
great religious leaders in Jerusalem and the powerful political leaders in Rome.
     Jesus did not rebuke Thaddeus for his misunderstanding, which he
sincerely and humbly expressed. ln light of common Jewish expectations, the
question was appropriate and insightful, and it gave Jesus the opportunity to
further explain what He meant. He proceeded to reiterate what He had just said
and added the negative side of the truth: "lf anyone loves Me, he will keep My
word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode
with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you
hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me" (John 14'.23-24). Christ was not
at that time establishing His earthly kingdom, and the disclosure He was then
making was of His divinity and authority as spiritual Lord and Savior. That
disclosure can only be recognized by those who trust and love Him, and the
genuineness of such trust and love is evidenced by obedience to His Word.
Manifestation is limited to reception.
     A radio or television broadcast can have a great range, reaching virtually
the entire globe by use of satellites. But its programs are only "disclosed" to
those who have proper receivers. The rest of the world has no awareness of the
broadcast, although its electronic waves completely surround them.
     Henry David Thoreau once observed that "it takes two people to speak the
truth, the one who says it and the one who hears it." Those who will not listen
to the gospel cannot hear it, no matter how clearly and forcefully it may be
proclaimed. Jesus Christ was God incarnate, yet "He was in the world, and the
world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own,
and those who were His own did not receive Him" (John 1:10-1 1). During His
three years of ministry, countless thousands of people-mostly God's chosen
people, the Jews-saw and heard Jesus. Yet only a few had more than passing
interest in who He really was or in what He said. The god of this world so
blinded their minds that when they looked they could not see (2 Cor. 4.4).
     Someone has commented that if you tore a beautiful hymn out of a hymnal and
threw it down on the sidewalk, you could expect many different reactions from
those who saw it. A dog would sniff at it and then go his way. A street cleaner
would pick it up and throw it in the trash. A greedy person might pick it up
expecting to find a valuable document of some sort. An English teacher might
read it and admire its literary quality. But a spiritually-minded believer who
picked it up and read it would have his soul blessed. The content would have
been the same for all those who came in contact with it, but its meaning and
value could only be understood by a person receptive to its godly truth.
     Only those whose hearts are purified by love and who walk in obedience to
God's Word can perceive Christ's truth, beauty, and glory. Thaddaeus was such a
person.
     Tradition holds that Thaddaeus was specially blessed with the gift of
healing and that through him the Lord healed many hundreds of people in Syria.
He is said to have healed the king of that country and won him to the Lord. The
supposed conversion threw the land into such turmoil that the king's unbelieving
nephew had Thaddaeus bludgeoned to death with a club, which became the symbol
for that apostle.

Simon the Zealot

     The third name in the third group is Simon the Zealot. The King James
Version's "Simon the Canaanite" is based on an unfortunate transliteration of
kananaios, which was derived from the Hebrew qanna, meaning "jealous" or
"zealous." lt is the equivalent of the Greek z€lot6s ("zealot"), a description
Luke uses of this Simon (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Zealot may have signified his
membership in the radical party of Zealots whose members were determined to
throw off the yoke of Rome by force. The Zealots developed during the Maccabean
period, when the Jews, under Judas Maccabaeus, revolted against their Greek
conquerors. During the time of Christ, another Judas (a common Jewish name of
that period) was the outstanding Zealot leader.
     The Zealots were one of four dominant religious parties in Judah (along with
the Pharisees Sadducees, and Essenes) but were for the most part motivated more
by politics than religion. They were primarily guerrilla fighters who made
surprise attacks on Roman posts and patrols and then escaped to the hills or
mountains. Sometimes they resorted to terrorism, and the Jewish historian
Josephus called them sicarii(Latin, "daggermen") because of their frequent
assassinations. The heroic defenders of the great Herodian fortress at Masada
were Jewish Zealots led by Eleazar. When that brave group fell to Flavius Silva
in n.o. 72 after a seven-month siege, the Zealots disappeared from history.
     lf Simon was that sort of Zealot, he was a man of intense dedication and
perhaps violent passion. His always being listed next to Judas lscariot may
suggest that those men were somewhat two of a kind, whose primary concern about
the Messiah was earthly and material rather than spiritual. But whatever
motivations they may originally have had in common soon vanished, as Judas
became more confirmed in his rejection of Jesus and Simon more confirmed in his
devotion to Him.
     Apparently throughout their ministries, James the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus and Simon the Zealot remained unknown even to most of the
church. But they joined the ranks of the unnamed Old Testament saints who
"experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death
with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute,
afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in
deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these ...
gained approval through their faith." (Heb. 1 1:36-39)

HISTORICAL BOOKS


MATTHEW: PRESENCE – JESUS AS KING – TO THE JEWS

Key Scripture: Matthew 4:17  From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Mark: presence – Jesus as a servant – to the Romans

Key Scripture: Mark 10:45  For even the Son of man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Luke: presence – Jesus as perfect man – to the Greeks

Key Scripture: Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was
lost."

John: presence – Jesus as God – to all mankind

Key Scripture: John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his
name.

ACTS: CHURCHES - STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS

CHAPTERS 1-7
JERUSALEM -  KEY PERSON - PETER - TO THE JEWS

CHAPTERS 8-12
JUDEA & SAMARTA - KEY PERSON - PHILLIP - TO THE SAMARITANS

Chapters 13-28
GENTLES  -  KEY PERSON - PUAL - TO END OF THE EARTH

Key Scripture: Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
Samaria, and the ends of the earth."

The Master's Men—part 6

Judas (10:4b) and Judas lscariot, the one who betrayed Him. (A.4b)

     Among the twelve apostles, one stands out against the backdrop of the others
as a lonely, tragic misfit, the epitome of human disaster. He is the vilest,
most wicked man in Scripture. ln the lists of apostles he is always named last
and, with the exception of Acts 1 :13, is always identified as Jesus' betrayer.
For 2,000 years the name Judas lscariot has been a byword for treachery.
     Forty verses in the New Testament mention the betrayal of Jesus, and each of
them is a reminder of Judas's incredible sin. After the description of his death
and his replacement among the twelve in Acts 1, his name is never again
mentioned in Scripture, ln Dante's lnferno Judas occupies the lowest level of
hell, which he shares with Lucifer, Satan himself.

His Name

     Judas was a common name in New Testament times and was a second
name for one of the other apostles, Thaddaeus. It is a personalized form of
Judah, the southern kingdom during the Jewish monarchy and the Roman province of
Judea during the time of Christ, Some scholars believe the name means "Yahweh
(or Jehovah) leads," and others believe it refers to one who is the object of
praise. With either meaning, it was a tragic misnomer in the case of Judas
lscariot. No human being has ever been less directed by the Lord or less worthy
of praise.
     lscariot means "man of Kerioth," ? small town in Judea, about twenty-three
miles south of Jerusalem and some seven miles from Hebron. Judas is the only
apostle whose name includes a geographical identification, possibly because he
was the only Judean among the twelve. All the others, including Jesus, were from
Galilee in the north. Judean Jews generally felt superior to the Jews of
Galilee; and although Judas himself was from a rural village, he probably did
not fit well into the apostolic band.

His Call

     Judas is always listed among the twelve apostles, but his specific call is
not recorded in the gospels. He first appears in Matthew's listing, with no
indication as to where or how Jesus called him. Obviously he was attracted to
Jesus, and he stayed with Him until the end of His ministry, far past the time
when many of the other false disciples had left Him (See John 6:66).
     There is no evidence that Judas ever had a spiritual interest in Jesus, lt
is likely that, from the beginning, he expected Jesus to become a powerful
religious and political leader and wanted to use the association with Him for
selfish reasons. He recognized Jesus' obvious miracle-working power as well as
His great influence over the multitudes. But he was not interested in the coming
of the kingdom for Christ's sake, or even for the sake of his fellow Jews, -but
only for the sake of whatever personal gain he might derive from being in the
Messiah's inner circle of leadership. Although he was motivated totally by
selfishness, he nevertheless followed the Lord in a halfhearted way-until he was
finally convinced that Jesus' plans for the kingdom were diametrically opposed
to his own.
     Christ chose Judas intentionally and specifically, "for Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray
Him" (John-6:64). Although the disciples did not at the time understand what He
meant, Jesus alluded to His betrayal a year or more before it occurred. "Did I
Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" Jesus told
them soon after the false disciples at Capernaum turned away from Him. John
explains that "He meant Judas the son of Simon lscariot, for he, one of the
twelve, was going to betray Him" (vv. 70-71)'
     David predicted Christ's betrayal a thousand years before the fact. "Even my
close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread," he wrote, "has lifted up his
heel against me" (Ps. 41.9; cf . 55'.12-15,20-21). Although that passage
primarily referred to David, its greater significance applied to Jesus Christ,
as He Himself declared (John 13:18).
     Zechariah even predicted the exact price of betrayal. "And I said to them,
'lf it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!' So they
weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the Lord said to me,
'Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.'
So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house
of the Lord" (Zech, 11'.12-13). At the Lord's command, the prophet had
shepherded the Lord's people (vv. 4-11), and the wages they paid Zechariah
represented the "magnificent price" at which their descendants would value the
Messiah Himself.
     ln His high priestly prayer, Jesus said to His Father, speaking of the
twelve, "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast
given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of
perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). Luther
translated "son of perdition" as "lost child," that is, a child whose nature and
intention is to be continually wayward and lost. Jesus lost none of the twelve
except the one who was confirmed in his sin and refused to be saved. He chose
Judas in order to fulfill Scripture, knowing that Judas would reject that
choice.
     At the Last Supper Jesus said, "Behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is
with Me on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been
determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayedl" (Luke22'.21-22)'
Although our finite human minds cannot understand it, God had predetermined the
betrayal, though, at the same time, Judas was held fully responsible for it,
because it was by his own choice.
     ln Judas's rejection of Christ there is the same apparent paradox of divine
sovereignty and human will that exists in the process of salvation. Although a
person must receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior with an act of his will
(John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 1:16) every believer who does so was chosen to be saved
even before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; cf. Acts 13:48). Ln the same
way, Judas had the opportunity to accept or reject Christ in regard to
salvation, although Christ planned from the beginning for the disbelief and
rejection that would characterize this disciple. Those seemingly conflicting
truths-just as others found in Scripture-are resolved only in the mind of God.
The Bible is clear that Jesus extended to Judas the opportunity for salvation to
the extent that his unbelief was his own choice and fault (cf. Matt. 23:37; John
5:40). Judas chose to reject and betray Christ. That is why Christ did not label
him as a victim of sovereign decree but "a devil" (John 6:70) and made clear
that he did what he did not because God made him do it but rather Satan (John
13:27).
     God also predetermined Judas's successor among the twelve from the
beginning. Just before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit led Peter to explain to the
apostles who remained, "lt is therefore necessary that of the men who have
accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us
–beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from
us-one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection" (Acts
1'.21-22). Out of the disciples who met that qualification, the eleven then
chose "two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and
Matthias. And they prayed, and said, 'Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all
men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to occupy this ministry and
apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.' And they drew
lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven
apostles" (vv. 23-26). Both God's sovereign, predetermined choice and the human
choice of the apostles were involved in the selection of Matthias.
     A few days later; on the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the crowd in
Jerusalem, "Men of lsrael, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man
attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed
through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-this Man, delivered up by
the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the
hands of godless men and put Him to death" (2'.22-23). God sovereignly
predetermined Jesus' crucifixion, but the unbelieving Jews were responsible for
sending Him to the cross. lt was God's predetermined will to send His Son to
die, and it was rebellious man's determined will to put Him to death.

His Character

     Judas's outward personality must have been commendable or at least
acceptable. Before the actual betrayal, none of the other disciples accused
Judas of any wrongdoing or criticized him for any deficiency. When after three
years of training them Jesus predicted that one of the twelve would betray him,
the other eleven had no idea who it might be. At first, "being deeply grieved,
they each one began to say to Him, 'surely not I' Lord?"' (Matt' ZA..ZZ). Then
"they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was
going to do this thing." But they soon lost sight of the betrayal and began to
discuss not who was the worst among them but rather "which one of them was
regarded to be greatest" (Luke22'.23-24). ln any case, Judas was no more suspect
than any of the others. ln answer to John's question "Lord, who is it?" Jesus
replied, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him"
(John 13:25-26). Jesus then gave the morsel to Judas, saying, "What you do, do
quickly" Still the others had no idea the traitor was Judas. "No one of those
reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him," that is,
to Judas (vv.27-28).
     Because he was never suspected by the other disciples, Judas must have been
a remarkable hypocrite. He had even been selected treasurer of the group and was
perfectly trusted (John '13:29). lt is probable that, like most of the other
disciples, he had led a respectable, religious life before Jesus called him.
Perhaps he had not been an extortioner and traitor to his own people like
Matthew or a hot-blooded revolutionary and possible assassin like Simon the
Zealot, although his coming from Kerioth of Judea might have obscured his
background to the other disciples, who were Galileans.
     Judas apparently guarded what he said. His only recorded words were spoken
near the end of Jesus' ministry, when he objected to Mary's anointing Jesus'
feet with expensive ointment. "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred
denarii, and given to poor people?" he asked (John 12:5). "Now he said this,"
John explains, "not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was
a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it" (v
6), Under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, John was given that insight which he
recorded when writing the gospel decades later; but at the time of the incident
he had no awareness of Judas's ulterior motive.
     Judas was no more naturally sinful than any other person ever born. He was
made of the same stuff as the other apostles, with no less common goodness and
no more innate sinfulness. But the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay,
and Judas's choice not to trust in Jesus became more and more hardened and fixed
as he continued to resist the Lord's love and Word,
     Judas was probably one of the youngest disciples and likely an outwardly
devout and patriotic Jew. Though not as radical as Simon the Zealot, he was
anxious for the Roman yoke to be thrown off and expected Jesus to usher in the
messianic kingdom that would accomplish that. Rome would be overthrown, and
God's people would be reestablished in peace and prosperity
     But Judas was first of all a materialist, as his stealing bears witness. He
wanted the earthly benefits of a restored Jewish kingdom but had no interest in
personal righteousness or regeneration. He was perfectly satisfied with himself
and came to Jesus solely for material advantage, not for spiritual blessing.
Jesus gave him every opportunity to renounce his self-life and seek God's
forgiveness and salvation, but Judas refused. The Lord gave the parables of the
unjust steward and the wedding garments, but Judas did not apply the truths to
himself. The Lord taught much about the dangers of greed and iove of money and
even warned the twelve that one of them was a devil, but Judas would not listen.
He did not argue with Christ, as Peter and some of the others did and, in fact,
probably openly acted as if he agreed with Him. But the response of his heart
was continual rejection. Jesus chose Judas because the betrayal was in God's
plan and was prophesied in the Old Testament; yet Jesus gave Judas every
opportunity not to fulfill that prophecy
     Judas was in the third group of four disciples-with James the son of
Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot-indicating he was among the disciples
who were least intimate with Jesus. lt is likely he was on the fringe even of
his own subgroup, participating no more than necessary, and that from the
sidelines. lt is doubtful he was close to any of the others. He was thought to
be honest, but he developed no close friendships or intimate relationships. He
was a loner.
     ln the Orient, a host would always offer an honored guest the first sop,
which consisted of a morsel of bread dipped in a syrup-like mixture of fruit and
nuts. At the Last Supper Jesus offered the first sop to Judas. Yet at the very
moment the Lord extended special honor to Judas, "Satan then entered into him"
(John 13:27) To the very end Jesus loved Judas, but he would have none of what
He offered him.

His Progressive Rejection

     Judas did not begin his discipleship intending to betray Jesus. He was in
full sympathy with what he thought was Jesus' purpose and plan and was ready to
support Him. After each miracle Judas may have expected Jesus to announce His
kingship and begin a campaign against Rome, whose vast army, great as it was,
would have been no match for Jesus' supernatural power. Judas kept hanging on
and hanging on, expecting Jesus to fulfill his dreams of defeating the despised
oppressor. Like a gambler who thinks every loss puts him that much closer to
winning, Judas perhaps thought that every failure of Jesus to use His power
against Rome brought that ultimate and inevitable goal a bit closer.
     For three years Judas hoped, and at the triumphal entry into Jerusalem he
must have thought the time had finally come. Obviously, Judas reasoned, Jesus
had been building up to a grand climax, waiting for the crowds to fully
recognize His messiahship and His right to the throne of David. He would ascend
His throne by popular demand, and the Lion of Judah would at last expel and
destroy the eagle of Rome.
     But when Jesus rejected the crowd's crown and instead began to teach even
more earnestly about His imminent arrest and death, it was Judas's hopes and
expectations that were expelled and destroyed. He was devastated that Jesus
could build up to such a perfect opportunity and intentionally let it slip
through His hands. He must have thought Jesus mad to willingly allow Himself to
be mistreated and even killed, when with one word He could destroy any opponent.
Now he knew beyond doubt that, whatever Jesus intended to do, it had no
relationship to his own motives and plans.
     Judas started at the same place as the other disciples. But they trusted in
Jesus and were saved, and as they surrendered more and more to His control, they
grew away from their old ways. They, too, were sinful, worldly, selfish,
unloving, and materialistic. But they submitted to Jesus, and He changed them.
Judas, however, never advanced beyond crass materialism. He refused to trust
Jesus and more and more resisted His Lordship. Eventually he was confirmed in
his own way to the point that he permanently closed the door to God's grace.
Like Faust, he irretrievably sold his soul to the devil.
     When Jesus turned His back on the crown offered by the multitude, Judas
turned his back on Jesus. He could no longer restrain his vile, wretched motives
for self-glory and gain. He had given a glimpse of his true self when he showed
more concern for the money "wasted" on perfume to anoint Jesus than concern for
the Lord's imminent arrest and death, which the disciples by now knew awaited
Him in Jerusalem (John 1 1 .16).
     Judas's fascination on with Jesus had turned first to disappointment and
finally to hatred. He had never loved Jesus but only sought to use Him. He had
never loved his fellow disciples but rather stole for himself from what small
resources they had. Now he turned completely against them'
     On the last night Jesus was together with the disciples, He washed their
feet with His own hands, to teach them humility and service. As He began He
said, "You are clean, but not all of you," referring to Judas (John 13:10-1 1)'
After the object lesson He gave another warning that Judas could have heeded: "l
do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the
Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against
Me"' (John 13:18). Jesus grieved over Judas, being unwilling that even this vile
man should perish (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9) As the time for the betrayal came closer,
Jesus "became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Truly truly I say to
you, that one of you will betray Me"' (v.21)' He did not grieve-over the loss of
His own Iife, which He willingly laid down. He grieved over the spiritual death
of Judas and, it seems, made one last appeal before it became forever too late.
He knew Judas's unbelief, greed, ingratitude, treachery, duplicity, hypocrisy,
and hatred. Still He loved him' The death He was about to die was as much for
Judas's sin as for the sins of any person ever born, and it was for Judas that
the Lord grieved as only He can grieve. He lamented over Judas in the same way
He had lamented over Jerusalem: "How often I wanted to gather your children
together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were
unwilling" Matt' 23"37 '
     Throughout church history, in the name of love and compassion, some people
hive tried to attribute a good motive to Judas's betrayal or at least to
minimize its evil. But such an attempt flies in the face of Scripture, including
Jesus' own specific words. The Lord called Judas a devil and the son of
perdition. To make Judas appear better than that is to make God a liar. Every
unsaved person is under Satan's control and serves Satan's will. But when Judas
accepted the morsel from Jesus' hands without repentance or regret, Satan took
possession of him in a way that is frightening to contemplate (John 13:27).

His Betrayal

     Judas did not betray Jesus in a sudden fit of anger. We are not told when
the idea first came to him, but apparently the incident of Mary's anointing
Jesus with the perfume prompted him to pursue it. lt was right after this that
"one of the twelve, named Judas lscariot, went to the chief priests, and said,
'What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? After accepting the
thirty pieces of silver, "from then on he began looking for a good opportunity
to betray Him" (Matt. 26:14-16). Luke adds that he sought "a good opportunity to
betray Him to them apart from the multitude" (22.6). Judas was a coward, and at
that time he assumed the crowds who acclaimed Jesus during the triumphal entry
would remain loyal to Him. He wanted no one to know of his treachery, certainly
not a hostile multitude. Like the chief priests and scribes who paid him, he was
"afraid of the people" Luke22'2.
     It is difficult to determine the equivalent modern buying power of the
thirty pieces of silver Judas received, especially since the specific silver
coin is not identified. But at the most generous reckoning, it was a trifling
sum for betraying any person to his death, much less the Son of God. The
relatively small amount suggests that, in his greed and hatred, Judas was
willing to settle for any price. lt also suggests the disdain the chief priests
and scribes had for Judas. Their hatred for Jesus was public and well known; but
Judas was one of Jesus' disciples and friends, and the Jewish leaders
doubtlessly had contempt for his treachery even though they used it to their own
ends. The small price further suggests the low value all of them placed on
Jesus' life.
     So that His enemies could recognize Jesus in the darkness of
Gethsemane, Judas "had given them a signal, saying, 'Whomever I shall kiss, He
is the one"' (Mark 14'.44). His contempt for Jesus was such that he used that
cherished mark of love and friendship as his sign of betrayal'
     Judas not only profaned the Passover by receiving blood money but he also
profaned Gethsemane, the private place of worship and solace that He knew Jesus
loved. "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the
chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and
weapons" (John 1B:3). Unaware that Jesus knew of his wicked plan, Judas thought
to deceive Him by the kiss, feigning love and loyalty. 'But Jesus already knew
the soldiers were coming and "went for1h, and said to them, 'Whom do you seek?"'
(v 4) When they said, "Jesus the Nazarene," He replied, "l am He" (v. 5) As if
to reinforce his hateful determination to betray Jesus, Judas proceeded to kiss
Him, although it was no longer necessary to identify Him. His supreme act of
hypocrisy was to pretend love for Jesus while giving Him over to His enemies.
     The Greek text of Matthew 26:49 uses an intensive form that suggests Judas
kissed Jesus fervently and repeatedly. Yet even in face of this diabolical sham,
Jesus called Judas "friend" as He told him, "Do what you have come for" (v. 50).
Jesus' love extended even beyond Judas's point of no return.
     The degree of Judas's betrayal was unique but not its nature. Through
Ezekiel, G-od rebuked His people for profaning Him "for handfuls of barley and
fragments of bread" (Ezek . 13:1g), and through Amos He charged them with
selling "the righteous for money and the needy for a pair of sandals" (Amos
2.6). Still today men and women will sell out the Lord for whatever they think
is worth more.
It may not be for silver,
It may not be for gold;
But yet by tens of thousands,
The Prince of life is sold.
Sold for a godless friendship;
Sold for a selfish aim;
Sold for a fleeting trifle;
Sold for an empty name.
Sold in the mart of science;
Sold in the seat of Power.
Sold at the shrine of fortune;
Sold in pleasure's hour.
Sold for your awful bargain,
None but God's eye can see.
Ponder my soul the question,
How shall He be sold by thee?
Sold, O God. What a moment?
Stilled his conscience's voice?
Sold, unto weeping angels
Record the fatal choice.
Sold, but the Price accepted
To a living coal shall turn;
With the pangs of a late repentance
Deep in a soul to burn.

     (Author unknown. Cited in Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the
Bible [Grand Rapids: Zonderva n, 1972, p' 1 1 0. )

     Judas sold Jesus for greed. He was malicious, vengeful, ambitious, and
hateful of everything good and righteous. But above all, he was avaricious.
     No man could be more like the devil than a perverted apostle. And for the
same reason, every false teacher who holds the name of Christ stands in special
guilt and is worthy of special disdain.

His Death

     "When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin," James says, "and when sin
is accomplished, it brings forth death" (James 1:15). Judas's sin caused him to
sell out Christ, his fellow apostles, and his own soul. When Jesus had been
found guilty by the mock trial in the Sanhedrin and was turned over to Pilate,
Judas felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders, saying, 'l have sinned by betraying innocent blood"' (Malt' 27".3-
{). But remorse iJ not repentance. Judas regretted what he had done and
recognized something of its horrible sinfulness. But he did not have a change of
mind, and he did not ask God to change his heart. He knew he could not undo the
damage he had done, but he tried to mollify his conscience by returning the
money he had been paid for his wickedness. Because he lived only on the material
level, he somehow thought he could resolve his problem by the physical act of
giving back the blood money. Then his unforgiven heart turned from vengeance
against Christ to vengeance against himself, and he "went away and hanged
himself' (v. 5). That did not end the misery of his conscience, however, for his
guilt and anguish will last through all eternity Apparently Judas failed in his
hanging attempt, and Luke reports the consummation of his death. lt may have
been that the branch to which the rope was tied broke and he fell over a
precipice or down a hill, "and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and
all his bowels gushed out" Acts 1 :18.
     Although  they had no compunction about making false charges against Jesus
and of unlawfully condemning Him to death, the chief priests' consciences would
not let them put the thirty pieces of silver back into the Temple treasury after
Judas threw the money at their feet, "since it is the price of blood" (Matt.
27:6). ln perfect fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy (Zech. 11.12-13),
"they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's Field  as a
burial place for strangers. For this reason that field has been called the Field
of Blood to this day" Matt- 27'.7-8.
     God overruled the wickedness of Jesus' betrayer and executioners and used it
to fulfill His own Word. Even those who bitterly opposed the Lord's will found
themselves unwittingly fulfilling His Word.

Lessons Learned from the Life of Judas

     Even wickedness and tragedy can teach valuable lessons, and there is great
profit from studying the life of Judas. First of all he is the world's greatest
example of lost opportunity. Judas was among the original twelve men Jesus
called to be His apostles, His gospel ambassadors to the world. He lived and
talked and ministered with Jesus for three years, hearing God's Word from the
mouth of His own Son and seeing God's power manifested as never before on earth.
No human being has every heard a more complete and perfect declaration of the
gospel or seen more perfect obedience to it' Judas heard the perfect gospel and
saw the perfect life. To none of the apostles did Jesus give more specific
warning about sin-and more repeated opportunity to repent of it and to
believe-than He did to Judas. Yet Judas turned his back on grace incarnate.
     Today many people have heard the gospel clearly and seen genuine
though imperfect examples of its transforming power. Yet they, too, reject it
and, like Judas, choose instead to stay in the way that leads to destruction.
     Second, Judas's life provides the world's greatest example of wasted
privilege. He lusted for temporary material possessions and riches when he could
have inherited the universe forever. lt is a tragically foolish bargain to
exchange the riches of God's kingdom for the pittances the world can offer.
     Third, Judas's life serves as the clearest illustration of love of money
being the root of all kinds of evil (see 1 Tim. 6:10). ln the unbelievable
extreme of greed, he loved money so much that he sold the Son of God for a
trifling amount of it.
     Fourth, Judas's life is the supreme object in history of the forbearing,
patient love of God. Only God could have known the utter evil of Judas's heart
from the beginning and yet never have withdrawn His offer of grace. At the Last
Supper Christ presented Judas the dipped morsel as a gesture of love and honor;
and even as He was being betrayed by the kiss, He called Judas "friend."
     The life of Judas provided an essential qualification in preparing Christ
for His high priestly role. Judas's betrayal brought great anguish to Jesus'
heart, and through that and other such torment the Son of God was perfected
through His suffering (Heb. 2:10). Christ can understand and sympathize with our
sufferings partly because Judas helped make Christ's own suffering complete.
     Judas was the consummate hypocrite of all time, the supreme illustration of
an ungodly life that hides behind Christ while he serves Satan.