NT Characters: Matthias & Joseph (Jackson Cheng)

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Introduction

Jesus chose twelve men from among his disciples to become apostles. The number twelve is symbolic and important; it signifies being chosen. God chose the twelve tribes of Israel to be His chosen people. So after Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, they needed to replace him in order for the number to be complete.

Acts 1:12-26
Here we see two men who were proposed to take Judas’ spot as an apostle: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.

There is no other mention of these men in the New Testament. Church historian Eusebius numbers Matthias among the 70 whom Jesus sent out in Luke 10. Matthias is believed to have been stoned and then beheaded in Jerusalem (according Fox's Book of Martyrs). What we do know about these two men is that they were faithful disciples of Jesus from the very beginning, when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, until the time Jesus ascended. Were there others among the 120 who also qualified to replace Judas? We do not know. We do know that among the 120, Joseph and Matthias were the ones proposed by consensus. That speaks of their reputation among those who remained faithful. What we can learn about them is through deduction.

Scriptural Study

Mark 2:1-2
It is easy to be a Christian when it is popular.

John 9:18-23
It is a test of one's faithfulness when there is persecution or opposition - when being a Christian is not popular.

(One of the threats from the Jewish leaders was to ban anyone who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah from the synagogues. The synagogue was the heart of the Jewish communities throughout the various nations and cities of the Roman Empire. They were established after Israel and Judah were unfaithful to God and taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians--and dispersed throughout those empires. You can look up Jewish diaspora for more background information. As the Jews settled in the cities where they were taken captive, the synagogues became their places of assembly/worship/study - especially once the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians (586 BC). Banishment from the synagogue was equivalent to excommunication or disfellowship from the church.

John 6:60-66
We must stay faithful even when it is personally challenging and when most people no longer follow.

Application

We need to ask ourselves the question: Why am I a Christian? If we are honest with the answer and work to have the right heart, it will help us to have the motivation to continue in our faith. Which commands of God are hard for me personally? What sins do I struggle with? Am I faithful even when it is hard?

Conclusion
God values faithfulness, and we see this in Joseph and Matthias. They may not have been named or recognized in the gospels, but they were part of the backbone of Jesus' ministry. Their faithfulness from the beginning to the end shows us that they were "in it" not for personal glory or gain, not for recognition or prestige, not because it was easy, not because that is what everyone else did. They were faithful disciples of Jesus because they understood God's love for them. They are inspirations for us to remain faithful until the end.