Episode 65 - The Case of the Disciple With Three Names

All of us have experienced disappointment for not being selected for something.  Or, we might have seen another selected that we were equally qualified with.  In this episode we will look at an incident about a man not selected who went on to demonstrate the qualities of discipleship as he continued to walk with the Master.  

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Transcript

Hello friends, I'm your host Dave Laton and welcome to the podcast, Walking With Our Master, an outreach of the Prattville Church of Christ designed to inform, encourage, and teach as we daily walk with our Master. 

 We are continuing our series on Applied Discipleship ~ More Than You Know.  We’re looking at different elements of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. 

 Have you ever been overlooked for something you wanted to do or be?  Perhaps you were passed over for selection on a sports team.  Maybe you worked hard to gain a promotion but did not receive it.  You might have trained hard and faithfully for an award only to see another win it. 

 Our normal and understandable reaction is to feel disappointed.  Some offer a variety of excuses such as blaming the unfairness of the selection process.  Maybe we’ve looked at ourselves thinking we’re not all we thought we were and become discouraged.  But it may be that it was beyond our control and has nothing to do with who we are or what we’ve done or not done.  Perhaps the time just wasn’t right.  And as we’ll see, perhaps God had something else in mind that you were just the perfect person for.

 Those of us that seek to be faithful to our master recognize that we serve on His time, not ours.  We also recognize that there are countless ways to serve, so we continue seeking.  And most of all, we remember that, as disciples, we are servants, and we seek faithfully to continue to serve no matter the position or function. 

 The subject of this episode was one such individual.  He had the right credentials.  He was faithful, knowledgeable, experienced and had everything necessary to fill an important and influential position yet was not selected.  We’ll look at the event, his reaction, and what we can learn from this disciple.

 The names Joseph, Judas, and Justus are variations of the same name.  Having more than one name was not uncommon during the period of Roman rule, Jewish society, and Greek influence.  The names Joseph and Judas, along with the name Jesus, are Hebrew names commonly used and are thought to be variations of Joshua.  “Bar” was Aramaic meaning “son of”.  There are many variations of the meaning of “abbas”.  It is understood the word, “abba” usually meaning father.  So Barsabbas could be translated, “Son of the Father.”  The name Justus is a Latin variation of the name used perhaps to indicate specifically who was being referred to and is how I like to refer to him.  

 We first read of Joseph called Barsabbas also called Justus in Acts 1.  It is interesting that he is named first and in detail before the single name of Matthias.  Some feel this is because Matthias was or would become better known to the disciples.

 In this event, our Lord had ascended back to heaven following His resurrection.  As our Lord had directed, the apostles returned to Jerusalem to wait further instructions.  There was a sense of urgency and intense anticipation for the next chapter in their service to our Lord.  As we see from their questions to Jesus, they expected Him to now restore His kingdom.  He would, but not as they anticipated.  

 As the remaining 11 apostles waited, they were joined by about 120 other disciples.  Peter, as he often did, took the lead in selecting a replacement for Judas Iscariot.  He refers to scripture as authority and necessity to select a replacement.

 First, he refers to Psalm 69:25, 

 “May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.”

 At first glance we may wonder why Peter refers to Psalm 69:25. Nothing about this Psalm seems to stand out as a specific prophecy about apostolic selection.  Some speculate that perhaps Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is communicating that they would choose a man with different characteristics than Judas Iscariot.  

 Next Peter refers to Psalm 109:8, “May his days be few; may another take his office!”  

 This verse is easier to point to as authority to replace Judas.  Yet again, read in context we might not see the application to apostolic selection, but it is easier to look at it as Peter does.  

 Note that in both references, and in Luke’s writings, there aren’t any challenge from the apostles and disciples to his application of the scriptures.

 Peter states that the man to replace Judas must be someone who had been with them from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Perhaps this would demonstrate knowledge of Jesus’ teachings and faithfulness as a disciple.    

 Two men met the criteria.  They were prayed over and lots were cast to make the choice, and Matthias was chosen.  We don’t have a clear understanding of what it means to cast lots.  Many say it was a form of tossing dice or flipping a coin as we would today.  Note that this is the final time we read in the New Testament that lots were used to make a choice.  Perhaps from then on, the Holy Spirit guided their choices.  Also, there is no other mention of Matthias, although we have every reason to believe that he served faithfully even in the face of persecution.  

 Secular tradition says Mathias preached primarily in Judea and was later crucified.  Another tradition says he was stoned to death at Jerusalem and then beheaded.  Whichever version of his death, or perhaps another is true, we can be confident Mathias died as a faithful servant of our Lord.

 Let’s look now at Justus and what we can learn from him about faithful discipleship.

 Tradition puts Justus living approximately 33 miles from Jerusalem, thus making it possible to have traveled back to participate in the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.  Some scholars believe, based on variations in his name, that Justus might be the “Judas called Barsabbas” mentioned in Acts 15:22, one of those who took the good news from the Jerusalem Council to the Gentiles. If so, we see he remained faithful and active in the early church.  We can learn from this that we all serve in different capacities, and all roles are important in serving the Lord and His church.  

 As we stated in earlier chapters, a disciple has certain characteristics.  Justus demonstrated these through his discipleship.  He had a relationship with our Lord.  He demonstrated that relationship through faithfully following Jesus through the remainder of his life.  During the time of following Jesus, Justus learned all our Lord taught.  And following his non-selection as an apostle, he continued to imitate and be a champion for our Lord.

 Justus also demonstrated total commitment to be a disciple of Jesus no matter the role his service took.  We can infer that he was motivated by the intrinsic rewards of faithful service.  

 There are many things we learn from Justus.  We learn from Justus to be faithful.  We clearly see that the two men put forward for decision were first faithful.  That is our primary lesson.  We first dedicate our life to Him and commit to faithful service.

 We learn from Justus that we serve the Master as we are able.  Although Matthias is to be honored for his faithfulness and willingness to serve, our focus in this episode is on Justus as a faithful disciple worthy of imitation.  Although not selected as an apostle, there is no record in Scripture of any hostility or bad feeling because he was not selected.  If he is the Judas called Barsabbas referenced in Acts 15, he continued to serve in whatever capacity the Master required.   

 Being ready and being faithful are intertwined.  Certainly, none of the disciples thought anyone would need to replace Judas Iscariot.  Although the biblical record always states he was the one that betrayed Jesus, it was not known until after he betrayed our Lord.  Recall that even at the Last Supper, as Jesus stated that one would betray Him, they asked Jesus to identify him.  After Jesus identified him by handing him a piece of the bread and instructing Judas to do what he had to do, they still did not understand Judas as the betrayer.

 We can also infer that since Justus was not selected as an apostle, he would have been among the disciples forced to flee from Jerusalem in Acts 8.  Note that it states that these dispersed disciples preached the gospel wherever they went.  This clearly points to Justus faithfully serving as a champion of our Lord no matter the condition or situation.

 None of us knows for certain our future, but we must submit our will to the Master and be ready to serve as He desires.  Our role is to identify our capabilities and dedicate ourselves to making them available for His service.  We might think we know how our Lord wants us to serve, but all too often the opportunity presents itself in ways we least expect. Justus clearly demonstrated readiness.

 We also learn that we serve on God’s time, not ours.  Related to readiness and faithfulness is serving on God’s time.  We can try as we might to move ahead in our service to fit our desires and timetable, or even to seek to delay our submission to Him, but it seldom works that way.  God takes an eternal view and knows the future for us as we do what we can to be ready.  Opportunities to serve will always be there, so we need to remain faithful and ready.  We certainly can gain knowledge and skills in areas we are interested in.  But we must always look for ways to dedicate what we know and can do for our Master’s service.  

 Joseph Barsabbas called Justus was not chosen as an apostle, but he served as a faithful disciple.  He knew our Lord, trusted Him, and obeyed Him.  It would have been an honor just to have been considered but we don’t see him seeking or accepting honor.  Instead, as a faithful disciple, he would have pointed others to his Master.  

 Not everyone can serve in visible or prominent ways.  But all of us can and must serve as we are able and have opportunity.  Instead of feeling rejected, Justus looked to how he could serve in other ways.  This points back to episode  60 where we talked about H3, head, hands, and heart.

 Justus is honored for eternity by mention in scripture.  He is honored as a faithful disciple, worthy of imitation.  And he is an example of growing as a disciple more than we know.

 As I begin to wrap up this episode, I offer some questions to help us better understand how to apply ourselves as our Lord’s disciples.

 Summarize the history of Josheph Barsabbas Justus from scripture.

 How do you see Justus serving as a disciple worthy of imitation?

 What personal lesson do you learn from Joseph Barsabbas Justus?

 What specific ways can you use what you know and can do to serve in the Lord’s kingdom?

 In our next episode we will look at another early disciple who was known as an incredible speaker but needed to learn more.  And upon learning, became a leading champion for our Lord.

 I'm your host Dave Laton.  Thank you for joining me in this podcast.  I hope you will continue to do so. If you wish to share with me something from your walk with our Master or you would like to learn more, please email me at: walkingwithourmaster@gmail.com.

 I invite you to follow our podcast and share it with others as together we walk with our Master.  And until next time, remember, we give all glory to God the Father.