The Anonymous Apostles And The World’s Worst Traitor (Matthew 10:1-4)

When we look at the lives of the twelve men whom Jesus chose to be His apostles, we need to make a notation. None of these men would be known today except for the fact that Jesus chose to pull them out from obscurity and ordinary situations. None of them were of renown or any type of prominence. They were not products of “high society”, nor were they part of the priesthood. All of them were ordinary men who lived ordinary lives yet were forever changed by the call and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. He empowered them with the authority to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons (Luke 9:1-6). They did so prior to His crucifixion and death, and under the power of the Holy Spirit, continued to do so after He had risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, and told them that He would return in like manner one day (Acts 1:8-11).

In his book, “Twelve Ordinary Men”, Dr. John MacArthur describes the last four apostles on the list, starting with James the Son of Alphaeus. If he asked Jesus any questions, they are lost to history. Nothing is known of his background. We don’t know if he was a fisherman or a merchant. We are told that his mother’s name was Mary (Miriam). She was a follower of the Lord Jesus and was an eyewitness to the crucifixion, leading the way in preparing His body for burial (Mark15:40, 16:1). His name, “the less”, comes from the Greek word "MIKROS", meaning “little”, either in structure or age. He is not to be compared to James the “son of thunder” or the Lord’s brother (John 7:5; 1Corinthians 15:7). This man stayed in the background. Church history and tradition states that he took the Gospel to Syria and Persia. He did the acts of an apostle (1Corinthians 12:12). He was an eyewitness to the resurrection and empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word. His name will be listed on the gates of the heavenly city, and he will be available to tell us about the Words of Jesus that could not even fill the books of the world (John 21:25).

The next apostle is Simon the Zealot, a former member of a radical political party that advocated the violent overthrow of Roman rule in the land of Israel. The “zealots” believed that only God had the right to rule the land and that allegiance to a pagan ruler was the worst form of blasphemy. They believed in the murder of Roman officials along with anyone else who supported them, Jew or Gentile. They would be considered terrorists today. Simon had probably started following Jesus because he saw the fulfillment of the role of the Promised Messiah in His life and teachings. His heart was changed from seeing Rome as the enemy to seeing that sin was the greatest problem and culprit in the hearts of not only Romans, but Jews, and everyone else (Romans 3:23). The change in Simon was genuine and sincere. He had lived with a former tax collector, Matthew, for three and a half years. This is the example of a truly changed life. Any other time in history, and Matthew’s throat would have been cut by Simon’s knife. Simon was an eyewitness to Jesus’ resurrection, saw Him perform miracles, and observed His teachings. He was present in the Upper Room (Acts 1), empowered by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to preach the Gospel. According to church traditions, he traveled to the British Isles and was inevitably martyred for his faith.

Jude Thaddeus is identified in the Scriptures as Judas (not Iscariot) to separate him from the traitor. His name means, “heart child”. According to church traditions, he was known as a sweet, spirited man full of compassion. Like James the Less, he was shrouded in obscurity, yet he manages to say something profound to the Lord Jesus (John14:21-22). Jesus responded in verses 23-24. He was also an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus and was known to preach the Gospel in Mesopotamia. He met a martyr’s death by being beaten with clubs. His name is also on the gates of the New Jerusalem.

All eleven of the men mentioned would be greatly used by the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel. Each would be used mightily by the Holy Spirit after the resurrection. Only one would never see this responsibility and honor. This lay name on the list would go down into the annals of villainy, known forever for treachery and deception. He was labeled as a “devil” by the Lord Jesus (John 6:70) and called “the Son of Perdition” (John 17:12). This man is listed at the bottom in all four Gospels. He is Judas Iscariot. To this day, no one calls their child or pet by that name.it is synonymous with traitor. His name isa derivative of the name “Judah”, which means “praise”. He was from the region of Kerioth in Judea, not from Galilee like the others.