- Hi, nice to meet you - Hi
Welcome to everyone who has gathered in the courtyard
To share the precious stories of the Twelve Apostles
As we present them before God
Each of you have been chosen
To represent the Twelve Apostles of today
Therefore, you carry a divine mission
Today's story of the two Apostles
Two of the twelve disciples we rarely get to meet
The two disciples are Judas Thaddaeus and Nathanael
Let's focus on and share their stories together
First, Judas Thaddaeus
Regarding this disciple, the Bible also records as follows
Judas, not the Iscariot
It is recorded like that to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot
Actually, Judas was a very common name
Among the Jews, Judas was a very common name
So Thaddaeus is Judas and Iscariot is also Judas
But because of Iscariot Thaddaeus ends up being at a disadvantage
In the bible, out of consideration, they referred to him as 'Judas, not Iscariot'
The Bible records his words as "Judas (not Iscariot) said"
To avoid confusion And protect him from being mistaken
Between Thaddaeus Judas and Judas Iscariot
But actually, the name 'Judas' has a very good meaning
It means 'praise'
Actually, it's said that Thaddaeus Judas was an apostle who enjoyed praising
There aren't that many passages in the Bible about Thaddaeus Judas
Perhaps for some of you today this might be the first time having an in-depth discussion about Thaddaeus
Now, let's attentively listen together to the testimony, words about Thaddaeus
Recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 22-23
Then Judas (not Iscariot) said,
"Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us"
"And not to the world?"
Jesus replied,
"Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching"
"My Father will love them,"
"And we will come to them and make our home with them." [Jn. 14:22-23]
In the background, on Soakdo Island near Jeungdo
Last year, twelve small chapels commemorating the twelve apostles were established
Those who were watching carefully might have noticed that Thaddaeus Judas's chapel was labeled as the "House of Praise."
Do you remember what I mentioned earlier?
I said the meaning of "Judas" is "praise"
Praise in English
Word "praise," in simple secular terms can also mean "compliment"
I praise you, I compliment you
We use that word in such situations
Now, today we have together listened to the words from the Gospel of John 14:22-23
About Thaddaeus Judas that says, "Judas (not Iscariot) said"
As I have already mentioned, the name 'Judas' has been greatly tarnished because of Iscariot
Therefore, within Christian cultures
It is unlikely that many people would name their children 'Judas'
Just as in Korea today, even if someone's surname is Lee
Hardly anyone would name their child 'Lee Wanyong'
However, that name is very precious to Jews
There is the tribe of Judah in the Old Testament
Therefore, even today, Jews still frequently use the name Judah
Anyhow, regarding the story of this person named Thaddaeus Judas
Perhaps 'Thaddaeus' was a nickname
And 'Judas' was his given name
People refer to him as Thaddaeus Judas or Judas Thaddaeus
If 'Thaddaeus' was indeed a nickname I believe he was likely a person
With a very warm personality
Who always enjoyed complimenting and praising others
However, in the passage from the Gospel of John chapter 14 that we just listened to
It is actually a disciple named Philip who first appears
Making a request to Jesus
"Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us"
Just before that, in the famous statement of the Gospel of John 14:6
'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me' [Jn 14:6]
Then the disciple Philip said,
"Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us"
This clearly illustrates the character of the disciple Philip
But at that moment, Thaddaeus Judas appears again
He appears and asks this question
Why do you sometimes reveal yourself as God to us
Through miracles sometimes
And through your words
But why don't you reveal yourself as God to the world?
In our terms, if God truly exists
He could just tell the citizens of Seoul
'Seoul citizens, I, Jehovah, am here'
And everyone would believe him
So why don't you reveal yourself?
The person who posed this question was Thaddaeus Judas
Anyway, I believe there is one clear piece of information we can discern about that person here
Please present more of the Lord's testimony to the world
So that people can better believe in you
This is a form of missionary interest
This shows he had a missionary interest
Hoping that the Lord's testimony would be revealed to the world
We have many records about this person in the Bible
How he first became faithful to Jesus
The background information about his life
Even if we attempt to gather information from these kinds of records
It's really not easy to obtain
However, in church traditions
There is an intriguing traditional tale that has been handed down
So, I mentioned that there was Another Judas with the same name
Who is the other Judas?
It's Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot and Thaddaeus Judas
Church tradition holds the following story
When Judas Iscariot was complaining, Thaddaeus Judas was always praising
The contrasting lives of the two individuals
Judas complains about something
For example, when Mary broke the alabaster jar
When someone complained that with it, they could help the poor
Complaining how can one break such thing
It may not be mentioned in the Bible but perhaps Thaddaeus Judas would
Praise how blessed they are to have such a woman among us
And praise God for it
Therefore, wasn't Thaddaeus Judas the one who showed a contrasting path compared to Iscariot Judas?
Possessing a very positive character
Focused on revealing and testifying about the Lord in the world
was this Judas known as Thaddaeus
What were the circumstances of his death and how did he die as a martyr?
Out of the twelve apostles in fact
One betrayed, one was martyred
And the other ten were all martyred as well
Church tradition states that Thaddaeus Judas finished his life
In what is currently Türkiye
In the region of Asia Minor, particularly the region called Edessa
Records indicate, he reaped the rewards of his significant ministry in that region
There was a king named Abgar in Edessa at that time
In the past, when there were small tribes, villages, and states
Even if someone was called a king, it wasn't a large nation
Thaddaeus Judas healed the sickness of a king named Abgar
He healed the sickness through prayer
As a result, many people came to believe in Jesus
And returned to the Lord through his remarkable ministry
Therefore, he even visited what is now Armenia
Especially as Eastern Europe opened up we sometimes hear of visits to Armenia
Türkiye and Armenia are indeed very close
So he even visited Armenia, too
However, it is believed that he finished his life in Syria
In the Syria that is currently complicated and embroiled in war
He was martyred by being struck with a sword
In this way, the history of his last legacy is preserved
We can learn some things as we reflect on this apostle Thaddaeus Judas
And there are three important lessons
The question to Jesus, why do you choose not to show yourself to the world
Even though you provide us with your words and display miracles?
Jesus' reply is quite fascinating
Jesus speaks these words
"Anyone who loves me"
If you love me
It is an important first premise
And this message which he has delivered to others
If they keep his words
Then the Lord says this
"We will come to you and make our home with you"
Thus, He will reveal the Lord's presence to them
If we genuinely wish to experience the Lord's active presence, there are two conditions
We really need to love the lord
And if we love our father, we have to obey lord's teaching
If you lead a life of obedience, his ultimate promise is
'We will make our home with you'
He promises to show his presence and existence among us
If we could outline the life of Thaddaeus Judas
He likely left us teachings on how to live three different types of lives
The first is a life of mission
A life lived with a constant focus on how the Lord can be revealed to the world
And another one is a life of praise
Lived a life that constantly praised the Lord and affirmed Him
You all must be familiar with Ephesians 5:18
'Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit' [Eph 5:18]
This is Ephesians 5:18
I believe the following words are the outcome of being filled with the Holy Spirit
The next line about the Holy Spirit is
'Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord always giving thanks to God...[Eph 5:19]'
Therefore, to maintain a life filled with the Spirit
And live a Spirit-filled life, one must also live a life of praise
A life that constantly acknowledges And praises the Lord, like Thaddaeus
As a result, in the end, he probably lived a life deeply experiencing the Lord's presence
Like his desire, experiencing the Lord's presence as He dwells with us
Because of this, he was able to live a life where he could
Lay down his life in martyrdom
Such a life of Thaddaeus
It has a great significance to us
Although recorded only once in the Bible
However, through the short life he lived Life lessons that challenge us:
How can I make the Jesus I have met known to the world?
And how can I live a life of praise throughout my lifetime?
And how can I live a life experiencing the Lord's presence, where the Lord is with me and with us?
I hope that as we study the apostles, this will be a time for us
To engrave these questions in our hearts
Following Thaddaeus Judas, at this time
We will discuss the disciple and apostle Nathanael
Still, Nathanael is more familiar than Thaddaeus Judas
If I were to give this disciple a nickname
I would call him the Apostle with a pure heart, the Apostle Nathanael
Isn't it nice?
When I meet him in heaven, I think he will thank me
For giving him a good nickname
The Apostle Nathanael, with a pure heart
The biblical testimony concerning him
Specifically, the nearly last part of the Gospel of John chapter 1
Let us listen together to the words from verses 45 to 51
'Philip found Nathanael and told him
We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph
Nathanael asked, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?'
'Come and see,' said Philip
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him
'Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit'
'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked
Jesus replied, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree
Before Philip called you
Then Nathanael declared
'Rabbi, you are the Son of God
You are the King of Israel'
Jesus said
'You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree'
'You will see greater things than that'
He then added, 'Very truly I tell you,'
You will see heaven open and the angels of God
Ascending and descending on the Son of Man' [Jn 1:45-51]
The Nathanael Chapel on Soakdo Island is really beautiful, isn't it?
There are twelve chapels
I heard that the Nathanael Chapel was actually built by a French artist who came here and worked on it in person
Nathanael
In the Gospel of John, the name Nathanael is recorded
But in the Synoptic Gospels, the name Nathanael does not appear
Instead, the name we encounter in the list of the twelve disciples is Bartholomew
It's familiar, right? Bartholomew
So, when you read the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John, you can think of it this way
When Bartholomew appears, Nathanael is not there
When Nathanael appears Bartholomew is not there
The conclusion is
That Nathanael is Bartholomew
However, another nickname for Nathanael is Bartholomew
The name Nathanael means "Given by God"
Then how about Bartholomew?
In Hebrew, "Bar" means "son"
So, it means "the son of Tholomew"
Bartholomew, then, means "the son of Tholomew"
In Korea, instead of calling someone by their name
We often refer to them as "so-and-so's child"
We say "so-and-so's child," but the person still has their own name
So, when referring to him by his father's name, he was called Bartholomew
However, his given name was Nathanael
You can think of it this way
Now, if you look at Gospel of John chapter 1
The scene where this person meets Jesus is recorded very clearly
He is introduced to Jesus through the disciple or apostle Philip
So, Philip went to find Nathanael and said this to him
"We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Law, the one I have met"
So, the Messiah who was testified to in the Old Testament
The Christ, the future Savior who is to come
I have met Him, we have met Him
So, Philip goes to find Nathanael and says that
Who is that person? Where did He live?
He originally lived in the land of Nazareth
Then, Nathanael made a famous remark
'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' [Jn 1:46]
From that statement alone, it may seem like he was a bit cynical
As if he had some preconceived notions or biases about the Nazareth region
However, contrary to that bias, the Lord did not treat him in that way
He truly met Jesus
And when they met, Jesus said, "You had a prejudice against me"
'Do you look down on me because I am from Nazareth?'
But Jesus did not confront him like that
'I know your heart, I know your sincerity'
'Although you may have a prejudice against the land of Nazareth...'
I see that you are truly an honest person
And you have a pure heart
Probably, with that one word from Jesus, This person was deeply moved
Hearing Jesus' words, which accepted and praised him he was overwhelmed and broke down
And right there, what does he confess?
"You are truly the Son of God, you are truly the King of Israel"
This is what he confessed
So, when we evangelize, if there are people who argue or question
It might be good to first offer them some praise
Instead of saying,
"You have many misunderstandings"
"It's all prejudice," and getting into an argument
You could say something like I can see from your questions that you are Truly seeking God from a deep place
And you appear to be a sincere person
If you offer such praise, how do you think people would respond?
Should be different, right?
So, when we evangelize, we shouldn’t approach it with a confrontational or combative attitude
We should accept and embrace the person
Even in counseling, the first principle is unconditional acceptance
Unconditional acceptance
When we unconditionally accept and praise people, it opens their hearts
From that point, we can share the Gospel and engage in meaningful conversation
And then Jesus says these words
"I saw you earlier, sitting under the tree, reading a book"
He already knew
Since he is God
And He acknowledged the person, in fact, a person who is sincerely seeking Me
What could he have been doing under the fig tree?
If we imagine this, it might be easier for us, as Koreans, to understand
In the past, during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea
When the hot summer days came, our scholars would read books under the cool shade of a Zelkova tree
They would read the Analects of Confucius and Mencius
Just imagine the scene, you would understand better
It seems he was reading and meditating on the Scriptures under the fig tree
And through the Scriptures, he was likely yearning for the Messiah
The Christ who is to come
He must have been nurturing a longing heart for Him
Although he had prejudices against Nazareth, the land where Jesus grew up
But deep within his heart, there was a sincere spirit of seeking
Jesus, knowing his honest nature as a seeker, a genuine seeker, praised him
So, his heart was opened
And realized, truly, Jesus is the one we have been waiting for
Jesus is certainly the Messiah he has read about in the Scriptures
And he bowed before the Lord and confessed
You are the Son of God
This Nathanael, or Bartholomew, eventually goes to Asia Minor
As Jesus was about to depart after his resurrection and ascension
'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth...'
In obedience to that command, the disciples scattered
At that time, the nearest "ends of the earth" from Israel was Syria
The first place to pass through, Syria, is located to the north of Israel
And beyond Syria lies Türkiye
Many of them headed to Türkiye
Nathanael also went to Türkiye, specifically to Hierapolis
Hierapolis was part of an area that formed a triangle with Laodicea
It is said that he preached there extensively
Furthermore, according to some church traditions
'The apostle Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew, went as far as Persia and Armenia'
Specially, before going to Armenia he evangelized extensively in Persia, achieving significant success
Later, he continued preaching in Armenia But he was captured
Beaten with a club or rod
His skin was stripped off
And after his flesh was completely flayed
His body was thrown into the sea, marking the end of his life as a martyr
His life, the life lesson in it
Let's summarize the lessons from his life
First, he was someone who overcame prejudice
We all have prejudices, don't we?
Prejudice against Nazareth
In Korea, there are also people who have prejudices against certain regions
Everyone has prejudices
He also had prejudices about the Messiah
Will the Messiah really come?
Various prejudices like if the Messiah were to come, it should be to Jerusalem, not to Nazareth
However, in overcoming prejudice Jesus accepted him as he was, without judging him
Jesus praised him, and as a result his heart opened up
Another point is that he had a friend named Philip by his side
So, they spoke about the Scriptures together
By opening up prejudices and discussing, he was able to find the answer
Having a good friend by our side with whom we can talk about our faith
It can be a great help in overcoming our prejudices
Another important aspect is sincere meditation
One important lesson that the disciple Nathanael teaches us
is how crucial sincere meditation is
He was meditating on the Scriptures under the fig tree
And finally, he met the Messiah
The importance of sincere meditation
The last point I want to emphasize is the art of praise in missions
It is something we can learn from Jesus
Jesus broke this person's prejudice and
Enabled him to accept the Messiah as his own Savior and it was through
Jesus' praise that such a powerful effect was achieved
We should not always try to be combative preaching
Or focus solely on winning arguments
Instead, if we accept and praise people they will open their hearts
It can lead to the amazing work of people surrendering their lives to the Gospel,
And such miracles are still possible today
The important disciple who gives us this lesson
Is none other than Nathanael, or Bartholomew
Do you remember where Nathanael is from?
Cana, Galilee
The miracle at Cana, he is from Cana
However, I believe Nathanael's influence
Was likely to be significant in Jesus going to that wedding
A feast was held in Cana of Galilee
And in ancient Israel, such feasts often lasted for a week
Someone in the town may have been talking about the latest news
'Nathanael has become a disciple of the Messiah!'
'Really?'
'Then maybe Jesus will be invited to this wedding'
Since the feast lasted for a week
it's possible that Jesus was invited
Because of Nathanael
And there, the miracle occurred
Revealing the incredible truth that he was the Messiah
By turning water into wine
Nathanael was greatly used by God in this moment
I hope that through you and me, such miracles can happen
And that we can be used in a decisive way
To testify about Jesus with amazing things occurring
When Nathanael met Jesus, he said that Jesus is the 'Son of God'
I was curious about what 'Son of God' meant to the Jews
Before that, Nathanael did not know Jesus
He was just an ordinary Jew
So, what revelation did he receive that led him to say, Jesus is Son of God?
Or did the Jews already have some kind of an image of the Son of God?
I really wanted to know that
In the Old Testament, the Jews were waiting for the Messiah
"Messiah" and "Christ" are the same word
Messiah is the Aramaic word, and Christ is the Greek word
But both mean "the Anointed One"
There are three types of people
Who are anointed by God receiving his anointing and taking on a position of authority
The king, the prophet, and the priest
The king is a ruler
Prophet is a teacher
A priest is a mediator between God and humans
In the history of the Old Testament, what we see is
A constant disappointment with the kings
So they waited for a king anointed by God
To rule with justice and righteousness
And there were many false prophets
And also waited for a true prophet
Anointed by God to guide them in truth
Priest who could solve the problem of sin
And mediate between God and humanity Also anointed by God
The Christ is the one who can fulfill
The roles of king, prophet, and priest all at once
Or the Messiah
They had been waiting for that Messiah, the Christ
The Jews generally believed the Christ who would come would be the Son of God
Of course, they believed that the Son of God would come to earth in the form of a human body
The Son of Man is the Son of God
If we express it in Chinese character, it's human and son
So, when Peter makes his confession of faith before Jesus
What does he confess?
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
Although he is the Son of God he visited as the Son of Man
When Jesus speaks of Himself, what does He say?
The Son of Man, it is Son of human
It is who is both the Son of God and the Son of Man, comes as the Christ
This is the most important confession of faith
So, the coming Savior, the qualification of the Savior, is that He is the Son of God
God sends His Son
Sends him as our savior
So, not just anyone can become the Savior
It has to be the Son of God
He comes as the Son of Man, but He is originally the Son of God
This is an important background from the Old Testament
As we live in a society with many non-Christians
We have learned that when engaging in evangelism or interacting with others
We should approach them with humility and inclusiveness
However, sometimes when strong anti-Christian messages arise in society
There is a struggle in knowing when to be inclusive
When to be strong like the Lion of Judah
- How can we discern this? This is a concern I have often had - I have the same question
What I realized while writing the book on the twelve apostles
Is that Jesus treated each of His disciples differently
He did not treat everyone the same way; it seems he treated each one according to their temperament
In case of Philip
Philip is the type of person who likes to question and seek answers
Even in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand
"To feed more than ten thousand people even with 200 denarii worth of bread, it would not be enough"
This person is who makes meticulous calculations
And he says, "God, the Father, show Yourself to me, and I will believe."
He is someone who questions and demands proof
But Jesus was not as gentle with Philip
As soon as He met him, Jesus said, "Obey me"
But in Gospel of John chapter 1, it says that Philip obeyed Him after just that one sentence
But to Nathanael, who had prejudices, Jesus spoke more
He spoke more
"You may have said that outwardly, but inside, there is no deceit, and you are truly sincere"
Jesus spoke many words to him in this way
Actually, I didn't believe until just before I went into the military
I was born into a family that didn't believe
But I had a friend who was a strong believer
But I am the one who questions a lot
When he tried to persuade me, and it didn't work, he said to me this
"Hey, whether you believe in heaven and hell or not, they either exist or they don't, one of the two"
"If a person like you you don't believe, You will definitely end up in hell"
That's such an ignorant thing to say
So, my friend said, "If there is a hell, you will go there"
I understand that he could have said such thing because we were friends
but it kept coming to my mind, especially at night
"If there is a hell, you will go there"
It just kept lingering in my thoughts
In fact, it was because of that remark that I ended up finding faith
Sometimes, a strong challenge like that
Might be necessary for someone like me, who questions and doubts
However, if we approach with kindness and an open heart there are people who will respond positively
Pastor, you've written a book about the twelve apostles
And shared your messages
If there's something we should learn
And reflect on from the apostles
Just simply put
How should we view them and what attitude should we adopt?
There is a very important reason why I wrote that book
Many people confuse the concepts of disciples and apostles
The term "disciple" means someone who is learning
So, when we first believed in Jesus
We began the life of a disciple, from that point on
We continue to learn
In various ways, through the church
Through good teachers, and through Bible instructors
But ultimately, learning is not the end goal
The term "apostle" means "one who is sent"
If we have learned, then eventually we must go out into the world
Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you"
Ultimately, we are to become apostles
In our time, the word missionary is used
With the same meaning as apostle
The word missionary comes from the Latin word missio, meaning to send
Therefore, an apostle is a missionary
Ultimately, we are to become missionaries
And, in a broader sense, apostles
So, we must become missionaries in our workplaces
In our fields of work
Towards the people we encounter, we should act as a missionary
So, let us not stop as disciples, but let us become apostles
This is the motivation and the conclusion of the book, in fact
We can't study the Bible day and night and stay inactive
We must go, evangelize, do missionary work
And have an impact through the Gospel
That is exactly the life of an apostle
Thank you for listening so attentively today
Thaddaeus Judah, a disciple we don't usually look into
And another disciple, Nathanael
From Thaddaeus Judah, the importance of life of praise
Through complimenting, praising, acknowledging
A life that experiences the presence of the Lord
Through Nathanael, ultimately a life of mission
I thought it would be good for us to share
The heart of overcoming the prejudices within us
And living a life of spreading the gospel during this time
I will pray and conclude
Father God,
Today, as we reflect on the lives of Judas Thaddaeus, Thaddaeus Judah
And Nathanael, or Bartholomew
We are reminded of how we should live, as called disciples of the Lord,
We also consider how, as those sent by You
We are to fulfill our mission as sent ones in our homes
Workplaces, businesses, and wherever you place us, as apostles of God
We ask that you would anoint
And appoint each one of us as apostles
Use us, Lord
For your glory
We pray the many believers in the Korean church wouldn't just live lives that merely learn
But live as apostles sent out into the world
We pray all these things in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Amen
Thank you very much