Divine Guidance: The Apostles' Journey of Faith
Summary
In the passage from Luke 6:12-16, we witness a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry as He selects His twelve apostles. This selection is not just a historical event but a profound spiritual moment that underscores the importance of prayer and divine guidance. Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before making this decision, highlighting the necessity of seeking God's will in our lives. The apostles, though ordinary men, were chosen to carry out extraordinary tasks, ultimately turning the world upside down with their message.
We first examine Philip, who is introduced early in the Gospel of John. Philip's initial act of faith is seen when he tells Nathanael that they have found the one prophesied by Moses and the prophets. Despite being unfairly labeled as calculating, Philip's faith and missionary work, which extended to ancient Gaul and Turkey, demonstrate his dedication to spreading the Gospel. His request to Jesus to show them the Father reveals a deep desire for understanding, to which Jesus responds with the profound truth that seeing Him is seeing the Father.
Next, we consider Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew. Jesus describes him as an Israelite without deceit, a testament to his character. Nathanael's initial skepticism about Jesus' origins from Nazareth quickly turns to faith when he recognizes Jesus' divine knowledge. His confession of Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel marks a significant moment of faith. Nathanael's missionary work in Armenia, despite leading to his martyrdom, reflects his commitment to the Gospel.
Matthew, the former tax collector, is noted for his Gospel, which is rich in Old Testament references and aimed at a Jewish audience. His transformation from a tax collector to an apostle and missionary to Ethiopia illustrates the power of Jesus' call and the radical change it brings.
Finally, we reflect on Thomas, often remembered as "Doubting Thomas." His skepticism about the resurrection stems from a deep hurt and loss of faith after Jesus' crucifixion. However, his encounter with the risen Christ leads to one of the most profound confessions of faith: "My Lord and my God." This declaration affirms Jesus' divinity and Thomas' renewed faith, which he carried to India, where he was martyred.
Key Takeaways:
- The Power of Prayer and Divine Guidance: Jesus' all-night prayer before choosing His apostles underscores the importance of seeking God's guidance in our decisions. This teaches us that significant decisions should be bathed in prayer, trusting that God will lead us to His will. [00:12]
- Faith Beyond Calculation: Philip's story reminds us that faith often requires us to look beyond our calculations and trust in God's provision. Despite being labeled as calculating, Philip's faith and missionary work demonstrate that true faith transcends human logic. [03:29]
- Character and Confession: Nathanael's guileless character and his confession of Jesus as the Son of God highlight the importance of integrity and the power of recognizing Jesus' true identity. His story encourages us to be people of integrity and to boldly confess our faith. [08:43]
- Transformation and Mission: Matthew's transformation from a tax collector to an apostle and missionary illustrates the radical change that Jesus brings into our lives. His story encourages us to embrace our new identity in Christ and to share the Gospel with others. [12:30]
- From Doubt to Declaration: Thomas' journey from doubt to declaring Jesus as "My Lord and my God" shows that even in our moments of skepticism, Jesus meets us with grace and truth. His story reassures us that our doubts can lead to deeper faith when we encounter the risen Christ. [17:14]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Jesus' Night of Prayer
- [00:28] - Choosing the Apostles
- [01:02] - Turning the World Upside Down
- [02:10] - Introduction to Philip
- [03:12] - Philip's Faith and Witness
- [04:28] - Philip's Request to See the Father
- [05:25] - Jesus' Response to Philip
- [06:12] - Philip's Missionary Work
- [07:10] - Nathanael's Skepticism and Faith
- [08:09] - Jesus' Description of Nathanael
- [09:27] - Nathanael's Confession
- [10:27] - Nathanael's Missionary Journey
- [12:30] - Matthew's Transformation
- [13:47] - Thomas' Doubt and Declaration
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 6:12-16
- John 1:45-51 (Philip and Nathanael)
- John 20:24-29 (Thomas' Doubt and Declaration)
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Observation Questions:
1. What significant action did Jesus take before choosing His twelve apostles, and why is this important? [00:12]
2. How does Philip's initial encounter with Nathanael demonstrate his faith in Jesus as the prophesied Messiah? [02:38]
3. What was Nathanael's initial reaction to hearing about Jesus' origins, and how did his perspective change? [07:37]
4. How did Thomas' encounter with the risen Christ transform his doubt into a profound declaration of faith? [16:27]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does Jesus' all-night prayer before selecting the apostles teach about the role of prayer in making significant decisions? [00:12]
2. How does Philip's request to see the Father reflect a deeper desire for understanding, and what does Jesus' response reveal about His identity? [05:25]
3. In what ways does Nathanael's character as an "Israelite without deceit" serve as a model for integrity in faith? [08:09]
4. How does Thomas' journey from doubt to faith illustrate the process of overcoming skepticism in one's spiritual life? [16:27]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did you incorporate prayer into that decision-making process, and what might you do differently next time? [00:12]
2. Philip was willing to share his faith with Nathanael despite skepticism. Who in your life might be open to hearing about your faith, and how can you approach them this week? [02:38]
3. Nathanael's initial skepticism was overcome by Jesus' knowledge of him. How can you be more open to recognizing Jesus' presence and work in your life, even when it seems unexpected? [07:37]
4. Matthew's transformation from a tax collector to an apostle shows the power of Jesus' call. What areas of your life need transformation, and how can you invite Jesus into that process? [12:30]
5. Thomas' doubt was met with grace and truth. How can you create a safe space for others to express their doubts and questions about faith? [16:27]
6. Consider a time when you experienced doubt in your faith journey. What steps did you take to address those doubts, and how did it impact your relationship with God? [16:27]
7. Jesus' response to Thomas' declaration was one of acceptance. How can you practice accepting and affirming others' expressions of faith, even if they differ from your own? [17:14]
Devotional
Day 1: Seeking Divine Guidance Through Prayer
In the Gospel of Luke, we see Jesus spending an entire night in prayer before choosing His twelve apostles. This act underscores the importance of seeking divine guidance in our decisions. Jesus, though fully divine, models for us the necessity of communion with God, especially when faced with significant choices. This teaches us that prayer is not just a ritual but a vital connection to divine wisdom and direction. When we bathe our decisions in prayer, we open ourselves to God's will, trusting that He will lead us on the right path. [00:12]
Luke 5:16 (ESV): "But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."
Reflection: What decision are you currently facing that you need to bring before God in prayer? How can you set aside dedicated time to seek His guidance today?
Day 2: Faith Beyond Human Logic
Philip's story in the Gospels challenges us to look beyond our human calculations and trust in God's provision. Despite being labeled as calculating, Philip's faith and missionary work demonstrate that true faith transcends human logic. His initial act of faith, telling Nathanael about Jesus, shows a willingness to trust in something greater than himself. This teaches us that faith often requires stepping out of our comfort zones and trusting in God's plan, even when it doesn't make sense to us. [03:29]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: In what area of your life are you relying too much on your own understanding? How can you practice trusting God beyond your calculations today?
Day 3: Integrity and Bold Confession
Nathanael, described by Jesus as an Israelite without deceit, exemplifies integrity and the power of recognizing Jesus' true identity. His initial skepticism about Jesus' origins quickly turns to faith, leading to a bold confession of Jesus as the Son of God. Nathanael's story encourages us to be people of integrity and to boldly confess our faith, even when it challenges our preconceived notions. This integrity and boldness in faith can inspire others and strengthen our own spiritual journey. [08:43]
Psalm 15:1-2 (ESV): "O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart."
Reflection: How can you demonstrate integrity in your daily interactions? What is one way you can boldly confess your faith to someone this week?
Day 4: Embracing Transformation and Mission
Matthew's transformation from a tax collector to an apostle and missionary illustrates the radical change that Jesus brings into our lives. His Gospel, rich in Old Testament references, shows his dedication to sharing the message of Christ with a Jewish audience. Matthew's story encourages us to embrace our new identity in Christ and to share the Gospel with others. This transformation is not just personal but also a call to mission, inviting us to participate in God's work in the world. [12:30]
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Reflection: What aspect of your old self do you need to let go of to fully embrace your new identity in Christ? How can you actively participate in sharing the Gospel with those around you?
Day 5: From Doubt to Deeper Faith
Thomas, often remembered as "Doubting Thomas," shows us that even in our moments of skepticism, Jesus meets us with grace and truth. His journey from doubt to declaring Jesus as "My Lord and my God" is a powerful testament to the transformative encounter with the risen Christ. Thomas' story reassures us that our doubts can lead to deeper faith when we seek and encounter Jesus. This journey from doubt to faith is a reminder that Jesus is patient with our questions and ready to reveal Himself to us. [17:14]
Jude 1:22 (ESV): "And have mercy on those who doubt."
Reflection: What doubts or questions do you have about your faith? How can you bring these to Jesus, trusting that He will meet you with grace and truth?
Quotes
Now it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God and when it was day he called his disciples to himself and from them he chose twelve whom he also named apostles. [00:00:10]
Philip in bearing witness to Jesus made his confession of faith in his conviction that Jesus was the one who had been prophesied through the Old Testament law and the prophets indeed the one who was the Messiah. [00:02:48]
Philip was saying we've seen all these wonderful things that you've done we witnessed the turning of the water and the wine the walking on the on the water the calming of the sea the raising of Lazarus and all the rest of these wonderful miracles but there's one thing that we want give us the big one Jesus show us the Father. [00:04:51]
How long have I been with you and you still don't know me you just don't get it don't you understand Philip that he who has seen me has seen the Father what a powerful statement that Jesus makes regarding the significance of his incarnation he who has seen me has seen the Father. [00:05:30]
Nathanael was intrigued by that announcement and he said really where is he where'd he come from and Philip said he came from Nazareth Nathanael laughed at that announcement he said Nazareth are you kidding can any good thing come out of Nazareth. [00:07:36]
Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile now again the gospels do not tell us a lot about Nathanael but Jesus pronouncement at that point is profound what a description of a person's character behold an Israelite in whom there's no deceit he's a guileless person. [00:08:09]
Nathanael was so impressed by Jesus display of supernatural knowledge that he immediately exclaimed you're the Son of God you're the King of Israel so you see it wasn't just Peter who made a great confession of faith among the disciples and among the apostles. [00:09:27]
Thomas who is known in infamy as being the skeptic of the resurrection he's called doubting Thomas in fact he's also called Thomas one of the twins but if we look at the other references to Thomas in the New Testament we see that Thomas was not it's unfair to consider him simply as a skeptic. [00:13:44]
When things got really bad during the last days of Jesus life and Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be arrested and suffer and die most of the rest of the disciples wanted no parts of that but it was Thomas who said we will go with you and we will die with you. [00:14:09]
Thomas would not believe it and I think it was to protect his own faith he was so hurt by the loss of Jesus so devastated by his execution that he wouldn't allow himself to believe anymore his faith had hit the wall and there was no more room for hope in this man. [00:15:18]
Now Thomas is on his knees and he gives perhaps the highest not perhaps the highest profession of faith of any of the disciples of Jesus when he looked at him and he said my Lord and my God. [00:17:09]
Jesus received worship from Thomas Thomas who then later became a missionary to India and in the year 70 A.D suffered martyrdom being killed with a spear but his confession rings down through the ages even to this day my Lord my God. [00:18:47]
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