GodReflection: A Brand-New Life and Have Everything To Live For.
Judas Thaddeus was one of the original twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ the Messiah. He too is one of our mystery apostles. Our Bible doesn’t say much about him.
In both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the apostle is listed as Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18). Our doctor Luke refers to him in his Apostle list as Judas son of James in (Luke 6:16) and in (Acts 1:13). And when the Apostle John mentions Thaddeus in his Gospel, he calls him “Judas (not Iscariot)” (John: 14:22).
I like the meaning of Judas—Jehovah leads. In the case of Judas Iscariot what got him into trouble was at critical times he failed to follow Jehovah God’s lead.
Judas Thaddeus, being one of our mystery apostles, we find his only recorded words in the New Testament are those from the upper room. Jesus gathers his apostle around him for the last supper prior to his crucifixion in (John 14). Let’s listen in on that conversation.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, 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. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14: 3-24).
That is all we are told about Thaddeus. He like the other apostles, when called by Jesus, Judas Thaddeus left his former life to follow his Master Teacher. And like his fellow Apostles, and like all who have followed Jesus for the last two thousand-plus years, that call brought upon him hardship and persecution.
According to church tradition Judas Thaddaeus took the good news of the gospel message north, and founded churches in Turkey, where finally he was killed for his faith and trust in his Lord Jesus.
So that is all we know about A Guy Named Judas Thaddaeus, who along with all the other faithful Apostles, discovered that all of them have A Brand-New Life and Have Everything To Live For.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: A Guy Named Judas Thaddaeus.
God Reflection 