Hear The Call

When the other Disciples told Thomas about the resurrection, he would not believe unless he himself touched Jesus physically.

John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" NKJV

Then we see James the son of Alphaeus, who we know very little about.

We know this James served the Lord and did not seek man’s recognition. What a good example for us as well.

Next is Thaddeus. Luke calls Thaddeus “Judas son of James” and the Gospel of John calls him “Judas (not Iscariot)”

The only words we have from Thaddeus are in John 14, after Jesus told his Disciples He was leaving for Heaven.

John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "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. NKJV

Next is Simon the Canaanite; also called Simon the zealot

He is called Simon the Canaanite in Hebrew—not because he was from Cana; but, that word, when interpreted, means precisely the same as the Greek word Zelotes.

Some people believe he was a member of a very fierce and fanatical political sect of the Jews called the Zealots, who were terrorists against Rome.

And finally, we meet Judas Iscariot, who is known for selling Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests.

Judas was always interested in money over Jesus; he was also the treasurer for the Apostles.

After they crucified Jesus, Judas felt guilty about what he had done and returned the money to the Chief priests.

We are told In Matthew that the chief priests took the “blood money” from Judas and bought a potter’s field as a place for burying foreigners, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah.

People argue whether Judas repented and was sorry for his sin; but, later we find out that Judas hung himself on a tree in the potter’s field that was bought with the thirty pieces of silver.

A man once asked a theologian, “Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be his disciple?” The teacher replied, “I don’t know, but I have an even harder question: Why did Jesus choose me?”

If you are in Christ; God’s not done with you yet!

The Holy Spirit made sure the Bible recorded this list of the good, the bad, and the ugly; 4 different times within the Gospels.

These men were nobody’s; but, once empowered by the Spirit of God, they set the world on fire with the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus will choose people like these men, people like you and me, to send us out, filled with His Holy Spirit to reach the world.

IV. Characteristics of the called.

When I first got saved, I could not imagine that the Holy God of heaven would accept me, let alone choose to use me.

Jesus tells us that those who were forgiven much, love much.

Thomas Carlyle said, “The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder; a waif, a nothing, a no man.”