Twelve Ordinary Men A Series Part Xl Simon, The Zealot

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1 Twelve Ordinary Men A Series Part Xl Simon, The Zealot By John Nelson (Material for this article has been borrowed from the Holy Bible (ESV), Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur and The Search for the Twelve Apostles by William McBirnie.) Luke tells us that Simon was a 'Zealot' (Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13), which means that he was a member of a party of Jewish patriots of the time, or it refers to the fervor with which he pursued Jewish law before his call by Jesus. The Zealots were a Jewish political/religious sect that arose in the bloody days following the imposition of a Roman governor after Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, proved to be a disastrous ruler and was deposed (Matthew 2:22). The Zealots hated the Romans and looked to the Messiah to lead them in overthrowing them and restoring the kingdom of Israel. It is interesting to note that Judas Iscariot may have also been a Zealot. When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two (Mark 6:7), it is likely that Simon and Judas were such a team. Probably they both started to follow Jesus for similar political reasons. Modern scholars say that Simon was more likely to have been a Galilean and that the terms the Cananaean" and "the Zealot" both mean "the zealous". But somewhere along the line, Simon became a genuine believer and was transformed. Judas Iscariot never really believed. Simon was born in Cana (Matthew 10:4 and Mark 3:18), the site of Jesus' first public miracle. Some traditional accounts say that he was the bridegroom recipient of the miracle. The miracle at Cana of turning water into wine is significant for two reasons. First, it was Jesus' first public miracle, done out of compassion for the newlyweds, but secondly, done in obedience to His mother (John 2:2-5). If Simon was the bridegroom, it may have been this miracle that prompted him to follow Jesus. Scripture does not tell us exactly how Simon was called or how Jesus chose him. But here again, as we have seen with all the previous disciples, Jesus knew the heart of Simon and saw in him something which He could use in His ministry. Perhaps He felt that if He could channel his ardor, Simon would be a very effective Apostle and critical to the formation of His Church. After the first four, there is no knowing in what order the disciples were called. For example, if we assume that Matthew was selected before Simon the Zealot (in all of the lists of the Twelve, Matthew is listed before Simon), because his calling is spelled out in scripture (Matthew 9:9), how, then, do we account for the belief that Simon was moved to follow Jesus after witnessing miracles at his own wedding? Well, therein lies the problem with tradition. But in the end it really doesn t matter what the order of calling was. It only matters that Jesus had a plan and that He knew the hearts of both men. He knew He could use each of them and the gifts they had within them to help His diverse group to teach and empower in His coming absence. Another example of the genius of Jesus is evident when we look at Matthew the Publican and Simon the Zealot. There is no written history to tell us how these two got along. But to combine a zealot with a publican was an explosive mix. Because there is no reference to conflicts between the two, we can safely assume that whatever Continued on next page...

2 Twelve Ordinary Men Simon, The Zealot Continued differences they had were amicably worked out. It provides a lesson for us today, that if these two could work together, given their diverse beliefs, we should be able to do likewise in our day and age. Certainly the arrangement was not one that likely would be incorporated into a narrative that sought credibility with Jews. In truth, however, it is a brilliant commentary on the transforming influence of Jesus Christ. Most likely, when he came to Jesus, Simon was an extremist. Like all Zealots of the time, he interpreted the law literally. Whereas the Pharisees would compromise for political reasons, a Zealot was a militant, violent outlaw. They believed only God had the right to rule over Jews. They thought they were doing God s work when they killed Roman soldiers, political leaders and anyone else they opposed. Barabbas, a Zealot, was languishing in jail for just such an act; recall he was the condemned criminal exchanged for Jesus under Pilate s order when the chief priests stirred up the crowd (Mark 15:7-15). But to Simon s credit and with the help of the Holy Spirit, he listened to the teachings of Jesus and took his zeal, his deep passion, and channeled it along Christ s ministry. There is some evidence that Simon brought a large following to Christ before he was martyred. In His instructions to His disciples, Christ tells them to 'go out to all the world.' They are to carry nothing with them, but the clothes on their backs; they are to accept the charity and hospitality of those they meet. They are to 'shake the dust from their sandals' if a town is not welcoming, and they are to travel in pairs, so that one may witness to what the other had taught (Mark 6:7-12). Following Pentecost, this is exactly what the Apostles, newly imbued with the Holy Spirit, did. Simon was surely in this group. However, in the Apostolic Age, we largely lose track of Simon. There is some traditional evidence that around 50 AD he traveled to Egypt through North Africa and then to Carthage. From there he reportedly went to Spain and eventually wound up in the British Isles and spread the Gospel there. A revolt against the Romans led by the British Queen Boadica would have made things uncomfortable for a Christian missionary and he surely would have had to leave. The next strong tradition finds Simon with Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot) in Syria and Mesopotamia and finally into Persia. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a written record, this evidence is only provided by historians through legend or tradition. Like most of the Apostles outside the inner circle, most of what he accomplished is lost to us after Pentecost. However, as Jesus promised, he along with all of the Apostles, will receive his reward in Heaven, just as you and I will (John 14:1-4). It is now widely believed that Simon met his end by being sawed into pieces probably around the year AD. This is part 11 in the series. If you have not read the other parts and would like to, contact the church office or go online to to Twelve Ordinary Men Series.

3 Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius was probably the greatest Christian scholar in the world by his mid-30s. He was born in 345 to wealthy parents in Stridon, Dalmatia (near modern Ljubljana, Slovenia), and educated in Rome. He studied grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy and became a lawyer. He had a true conversion to Christianity in 365 and studied Theology. We know him today as Jerome, the translator of the Bible from Hebrew and Aramaic to Latin between 382 and 405. This text became known as the Vulgate or common translation and was used by the Catholic Church for well over 1500 years! Why all this fuss and interest in a fourth century monk when we should be discussing Thaddaeus? Simple. Without Jerome, Thaddaeus is even more obscure to us than he is! Scripture tells us almost nothing of the man, Thaddaeus, other than the confusion of his name(s). Twelve Ordinary Men A Series Part XII Thaddaeus Lebbaeus, Judas (not Iscariot) His given name was Judas. In Hebrew, Judas means Jehovah leads. In and of itself the name is a good one. Unfortunately the betrayer of Jesus was also known as Judas and therefore it will By John Nelson (Material for this article has been borrowed from the Holy Bible (ESV), Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur and The Search for the Twelve Apostles by William McBirnie.) forever have a negative connotation. In their Gospels, John calls him Judas (not Iscariot), Matthew refers to him as Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:2 [KJV]), Mark calls him Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18), and Luke refers to him as Judas (Luke 6:16) and Judas, son of James (Acts 1:13). Now this is where Jerome comes in. He referred to him as Trinomious, the man with three names: Judas was his birth name, (John 14:22, Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13) while Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18) were really nicknames used to describe him. Jerome tells us Thaddaeus means breast child. We don t know for sure, but perhaps he was the youngest of his family and therefore a favorite of his mother. He may have been precocious or a Momma s boy. Lebbaeus is similar but from a Hebrew root word meaning heart child. Both nicknames suggest he had an innocent, tender, almost childlike demeanor. Use your imagination and think of this tender-hearted young man hanging about with the likes of Simon the Zealot (which he did)! Zealots make great preachers and teachers as Jesus knew only too well. But he also knew that tenderhearted, compassionate, gentle, sweet-spirited people like Thaddaeus are also effective pastors. With Thaddaeus, we essentially complete the saved disciples and see that Jesus chose a diverse, complex, and intriguing group of followers. There appears to be one representative from every imaginable personality. They were very much ordinary men of their time. Thaddaeus must have heard and answered God s call, for he came to Jerusalem to worship in the days of John the Baptist; and, having heard his preaching, was baptized. We don t know how he was chosen by Christ but here again, it is enough that he was. That he responded to Jesus teaching, and His wonderful works is evident because he followed Him, and became His disciple. The only time Judas (not Iscariot) is mentioned in the Gospels (other than in the lists of Apostles) was when he asked Jesus at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole Continued on next page

4 Twelve Ordinary Men Thaddaeus Lebbaeus, Judas (not Iscariot) Continued from page 3... world after His resurrection. Jesus said, He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me (John 14:21). To which Judas (not Iscariot) says, Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world? (John 14:22) This question illustrates the tender hearted humility of the man. The question reeks of gentleness, devoid of any pride. Lebbaeus couldn t conceive that Jesus would reveal himself only to the disciples, and not the whole world. After all, He was the Savior of the world! Thaddaeus felt that the good news of salvation and forgiveness should be shared. Thaddaeus, by his simple question, demonstrates his pious, believing nature. He felt the power of salvation within himself and he had hope for the whole world. So Jesus answer was as tender as the question, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (John 14:23). Christ is saying, I will reveal myself to anyone who loves Me! Jesus didn t want to set up a kingdom of the world; he wanted to set up a kingdom of individual hearts! Most scholars (and most certainly, Jerome) tell us that Thaddaeus question may have been the last teaching experience of Jesus before He began His final prayer vigil in the garden of Gethsemane. After the ascension of Jesus, Thaddeus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was one of the first apostles to leave Jerusalem for a foreign country. The earliest writers tell us that he preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, Beirut and Lybia. It is believed that he was one of the first apostles to witness directly to a foreign king, a Gentile. By taking the message to the Gentiles, he demonstrated his devotion to share it with the whole world. Tradition says he evangelized in Armenia near the city of Edessa, in the company of Nathanael, and for a brief time, with Thomas. According to Jerome, he returned to Jerusalem in the year 62, and assisted at the election of his brother, Simeon, as Bishop of Jerusalem. Thaddaeus may have suffered martyrdom in Armenia, which was then subject to Persia. Although the final conversion of the Armenian nation to Christianity did not take place until the third century, it is likely that he was martyred there. He was killed with an Halberd (a weapon combining a spear and battle ax) and buried in Kara Kalisa near the Caspian Sea in modern day Iran. One tradition has it that he and Simon the Zealot were killed at the same time and buried together. There may be some truth to this because the Roman Catholic Church has erected a large tomb beneath St. Peter s to house the bones which were removed from Kara Kalisa and believed to be those of the two apostles. If so, it is ironic that the Zealot, Simon, and the tender-hearted Thaddaeus are forever interred together - two of the Twelve at the extreme ends of the personality spectrum and a testimony to the wisdom of Jesus Christ! For the other 11 parts of the series, call the church office or go online to www. suntreeumc.org to Twelve Ordinary Men Series.

5 TWELVE ORDINARY MEN A SERIES Part XIII Judas Iscariot SIMON-PETER JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE ANDREW JOHN PHILIP NATHANAEL MATTHEW THOMAS JAMES THE LESS SIMON THE ZEALOT THADDAEUS LEBBAEUS, JUDAS (not Iscariot) The only disciple not from Galilee, Judas Iscariot, was from Judea and his call to follow the teachings of Jesus is not recorded in Scripture. We do know that he, like the other Twelve, lived in a time of Messianic hope. That he was called and chosen and willingly followed Jesus is a fact. By John Nelson It is also a fact Judas stayed with Jesus even when others began to leave (John 6:65-66). Jesus chose all of the disciples before they decided to follow Him (John 15:16). Jesus consciously chose Judas knowing what was in his heart (John 6:70-71). Judas clearly gave over his life to follow Jesus; he never gave Him his heart. Judas came to Jesus not for redemption but to fulfill the prophesy ordained in the Old Testament. Psalm 41:9 - Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 55:12-14 also prophesized Jesus betrayal by a friend. Zechariah 11:12-13, They weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, Throw it to the potter ; that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Matthew believed this passage to be a prophecy when he cited it in his Gospel (27:9-10). So did Judas have a choice? Was he coerced into his betrayal? Did an invisible hand make him do what he did against his will? These are questions that seem to weigh on a lot of modern minds. The universal answer is that Judas, just as the other eleven, and indeed everyone put on this earth, acted freely and without any external coercion. He, like us, was responsible for his own actions. The only forces that drove Judas to betray Jesus were his own ambition, his own wicked desires, and his own greed! What about the prophecies, you may ask? Simple. God s plan and Judas evil deed concurred perfectly. God s plan and Judas evil heart coincided at that time and place. It was God who ordained the events by which Jesus would die, but it was Judas, by his own choice, who completed the deed. Jesus himself affirmed this truth in Luke 22:22. God meant it for good, Judas did it for evil (Genesis 50:20). Judas had every opportunity to turn away from his sin, maybe even more than was ever afforded any other human. He was there when Jesus taught lessons that applied directly to him. There was the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13); the message of the wedding garment (Matthew 22:11-14); Jesus preaching against the love of money (Matthew 6:19-34); against greed (Luke 13:13-21); and against pride (Matthew 23:1-12). Jesus even told the Twelve, one of you is a devil (John 6:70). Jesus went one step further and warned that woe would come to the person who betrayed Him (Matthew 26:24). Judas listened to all of this and continued his deceit. Judas hypocrisy is outlined in John 13:1-31. He had the betrayal money in his purse when he entered the upper room and blended into the group. He pretended nothing unusual had happened! Jesus told them again the prophecy of Psalm 41:9 (verses 18-19). All of this went over the heads of the Twelve. He made an even more explicit prediction about His coming betrayal (verse 21). All except Judas were now deeply troubled and each asked Is it I, Lord? Even Judas asks, Is it I, Rabbi? not because he was troubled but because he was worried about what the others would think (Matthew 26:21-25). (continued) Page 4, April Sonlight Material for this article has been borrowed from the Holy Bible (ESV), Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur and The Search for the Twelve Apostles, by William McBirnie.

6 TWELVE ORDINARY MEN (continued from 4) Finally, Jesus, in response to a direct question from John reveals His betrayer, It is he whom I shall give a morsel of bread when I have dipped it. (25-26). But the disciples still didn t see; only Jesus could see the truth. So Jesus sent him away (27-30). Did Judas partake of the Last Supper Covenant? Each of the Gospels provides differing fragments of the Last Supper. Matthew (26:20), Mark (14:20) and Luke (22:21) tell us that Judas was present for the Seder Feast. In John 13:21-27, Judas was present for the Seder but then Jesus sent him away before the Last Supper Covenant. Whatever the whole story, to this day when we come to His Table for Communion, we are to examine ourselves so we do not come hypercritically and bring judgment upon ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:20-34). It was at the Last Supper that the day of salvation closed for Judas. Divine mercy gave way to Divine judgment. Sin had triumphed in Judas heart. Matthew tells us that Judas was remorseful (Matthew 27:3-4). But his remorse wasn t the same as repentance. He was sorry not because he sinned against Jesus, but because his sin didn t satisfy him in the way he had hoped. Had Judas truly been repentant, he wouldn t have killed himself. He killed himself because he was sorry for the way he felt! He didn t ask forgiveness of God; he didn t cry out for mercy and he didn t seek deliverance from Satan. Judas discipleship teaches us seven vital lessons: One, his was a life of lost opportunity. He heard Jesus teach every day. He heard the open invitation to exchange the burden of sin for an easy yoke (Matthew 11:28-30), but he didn t accept it. Two, Judas was the ultimate of wasted privilege. He was selected to the highest place among all of the Lord s followers and he cashed it in for a handful of coins. Three, Judas exemplifies how the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Four, Judas is the model of the danger of spiritual betrayal. Hypocrites exist in every age and Judas demonstrates to us the need for self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5). Five, In Judas we see the proof of the patient, forbearing goodness and loving kindness of Jesus Christ (Psalm 145:9). Even when He knew what was in Judas heart, Jesus called him friend. Judas was not driven to do what he did! Six, Judas demonstrates how the sovereign will of God cannot be changed. Although initially, his betrayal of Jesus seems like Satan s greatest triumph, in reality it shows the utter defeat of Satan and his works (Hebrews 2:14; John 3:8). And seven, Judas is the perfect example of the uselessness of deceit and fruitlessness of hypocrisy. Judas is the branch that does not abide in the true vine (John 15:6). It is Jesus who judges each of us and who will give us our due (John 5:21-26). Simply put, hypocrites are to blame for their own destruction. When Judas sold Jesus he, in effect, sold his own soul and relegated himself to eternal darkness! Judas Iscariot, the fallen one, is the only disciple to predecease Jesus (Matthew 27.5 and Acts 1:18). (For the other parts of this series, call the church office or go to