Their names are synonymous with Christianity. Ordinary men whom God did extra-ordinary things through. PETER, JAMES, JOHN, ANDREW, PNILIP, BARTHOLEMEW (also known as Nathanael), THOMAS, MATTHEW, JAMES (the Less), JUDE (also known as Thaddaeus), SIMON (the zelote), JUDAS ISCARIOT.
In time, others were added to this number of early disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Men such as MATHIAS, who took the place of Judas Iscariot after he committed suicide for betraying our Lord, and PAUL the great apostle.
For these men, and others like them, loving, serving and following the Lord Jesus Christ was everything! To them Jesus was enough. And God took these men and changed the world! These men did not follow Christ out of blind loyalty. The Lord Jesus told them that following Him came at a price.
Luke 9: 23, “If anyone desires to come after ME, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
The disciples left jobs behind. Peter, Andrew, James and John left fishing businesses, Matthew left the Roman IRS. These men exchanged the plans they had for their lives, for the plans God had for their lives. Some left positions of power, prestige, and the support of family and friends to follow Christ, such as Paul who left the position of a Pharisee to follow Christ. Listen to his words,
Philippians 3: 4-9, “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith”
These men were transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. These men proclaimed the Word of God, planted Churches, shared faith with those who were spiritually lost, and many of them paid the ultimate price of devotion – they gave their lives for Jesus Christ!
For these men, Jesus was Enough! He was Everything!
• James the Elder preached in Jerusalem and was beheaded by Herod in AD 44
• Andrew preached in Asia Minor and Greece and was crucified on an “X” shaped cross
• Philip preached in Phrygia and was executed in Hierapolis
• Bartholomew was a missionary in Armenia and was flayed alive like a fish.
• Thomas preached in India where he was speared to death
• Matthew preached and died for Christ in Ethiopia
• James the Less preached in Palestine and Egypt where he was crucified
• Jude preached in Assyria and Persia where he was executed for Jesus
• Simon the Zealot was crucified
• Tradition says that Matthias preached and was martyred in Ethiopia
• Peter was crucified in Rome on an upside down cross. Tradition says his wife was crucified in front of him. Like many of the others, Peter was given an opportunity to live. All he had to do was deny Christ. But as his wife was going to her death, it is said she turned back to Peter with one final admonition, “Stay true to the faith!”•
In AD 67, a weary Apostle Paul would write, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).
Of the original disciples of Jesus, only John died a natural death, but even he was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, a 6 mile wide, 10 mile rock prison in the Mediterranean.
Friends, Jesus was enough for these great saints of the faith. You may say, “Why didn’t God protect these men from death? Wasn’t God able?” Yes! He was and is able, but their deaths have become powerful declarations to the authenticity of death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Many will die for a belief, but no one will die for a lie! If Jesus Christ was not truly the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for our sins on the cross and arose from the dead on the third day, these men would not have died. At least one of them would have thrown their hands up and said, “Now, wait a minute, put that sword away, put away those nails, it was fun while it lasted, but it was all a hoax, I quit, I give.” Friends, at least one would have denied the Lord Jesus, but none did, NO, NOT ONE!!!
For these men, JESUS WAS ENOUGH!!!
What about you? Is Jesus enough for you?
