Who were Jesus' disciples?

 We are coming up on Easter this next Sunday the 16th.  On Easter we celebrate Christ raising from the dead as the completion of God's plan to create a way for us to be made right with Him through His son.  In the Old Testament, people were required to make sacrifices to God for their sins but this was only until Jesus became the last sacrifice once for all.  Now all we have to do is receive this gift from God and believe.  

We are all very different people and in this post I want to show how different and very human the disciples were when Jesus called them.  We are all called, no matter what we have been or done.  Jesus died for you, loves you, and wants you to follow Him.

The Disciples:
Andrew and Peter were fishermen which was a respected profession in those days.  They were either hired by others or worked on their own.

James and John were owners and hired other fishermen to work for them although they also fished.

Mathew was a tax collector, a Jew who because he worked for the Romans was considered a traitor and was very much hated.

Simon, although we don't know his profession, was very political.  He was a Zealot which was someone who tried to raise a rebellion among the Jews to fight against the Roman Government.

Phillip, James and Judas were tradesmen of some sort.  Judas was the treasurer of the disciples so may have been used to handling money.  He was always very concerned with not having enough.

Thomas and Bartholomew may have been fishermen but this is unknown.  All we know is that when Jesus was crucified, they went with the others to fish until Jesus appeared to them again.
 
These men had led different lives, had different experiences, and had different ideas but when Jesus called them, they left those lives and immediately followed.  We have it so much easier.  Jesus only asks of us that we believe in Him and accept Him as our Lord and our Savior.

We have all sinned and deserve God's judgement but God, the Father made a way for us to live eternally with Him.  He sent His only Son to pay that judgment for us.  Jesus, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that should have been ours, was buried, and rose from the dead, according to the Bible and the prophesies of the Old Testament.  If you believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring the Jesus is Lord, you will live eternally with Him. 
 
What do you say?  Is your life so great as it is?  Don't you yearn for more?  Jesus is what you are yearning for? What is your response?
 
Yes, I am choosing to follow Jesus
 
I am already a follower of Jesus
 
I have more questions
 
Please let me know.  God bless you and Happy Easter. 

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