Disciples of Jesus
Jesus chose ordinary men to be his disciples, giving them the power of the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses to the world.
Robert Coleman emphasizes that the disciples of Jesus were ordinary men, lacking formal education and societal status, yet chosen by Christ to fulfill a monumental mission. Despite their impulsive and temperamental nature, these common laborers represented a diverse cross-section of society, demonstrating that God can use anyone for His purpose. The sermon highlights the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, which empowers believers to witness for Christ, regardless of their background or qualifications.
Text
What is more revealing about these men is that at first they do not impress us as being key men. none of them occupied prominent places in the Synagogue, nor did any of them belong to the Levitical priesthood. for the most part they were common laboring men, probably having no professional training beyond the rudiments of knowledge necessary for their vocation. Perhaps a few of them came from families of some considerable means, such as the sons of Zebedee, but none of them could have been considered wealthy. They had no academic degrees in the arts and philosophies of their day. Like their Master, their formal education likely consisted only of the Synagogue schools. Most of them were raised in the poor section of the country around Galilee. Apparently the only one of the twelve who came from the more refined region of Judea was Judas Iscariot. By any standard of sophisticated culture then and now they would surely be considered as a rather ragged aggregation of souls. One might wonder how Jesus could ever use them. They were impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, and had all the prejudices of their environment. In short, these men selected by the Lord to be His assistants represented an average cross section of the lot of society in their day. Not the kind of group one would expect to win the world for Christ.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18).
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 2:8).
Sermon Outline
- The Unlikely Disciples
- Their Background and Education
- Their Social and Economic Status
- Their Personal Characteristics
Key Quotes
“They were impulsive, temperamental, easily offended, and had all the prejudices of their environment.” — Robert Coleman
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” — Robert Coleman
Application Points
- We can be used by God to do great things, even if we feel ordinary or unqualified.
- The Holy Spirit gives us power to be witnesses for Christ, regardless of our background or circumstances.
- We must be willing to be used by God, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zones.