On the morrow John again stood, and two of his disciples. And, looking at Jesus walking, he is saying, "Lo! the Lamb of God!" And the two disciples hear him speaking, and they follow Jesus. Now Jesus, being turned and gazing a them following is saying to them, "What are you seeking? Yet they said to Him, "Rabbi (which, being construed, is termed "Teacher"), where art Thou remaining?" He is saying to them, "Come and see," they came, then, and perceived where He is remaining, and they remain with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
John 1: 35-39, Concordant New Testament
I made the comment this past week during a discussion that I lamented the fact that very little is written in scripture about the day to day life of Jesus and His disciples. Granted, we are given more than a few clues as the bible tells us of those moments where Jesus chose those whom would follow Him. This, of course, was in a time well before social media, so all too many of us are clueless as to what life must have been like in Jesus' inner circle. However, what we lack in scripture we can more than make up for in the history of those who lived as Jesus did back in the day. We can assume that Jesus and His disciples spent a lot of time outdoors in the open air. We're not told that Jesus Himself had a permanent dwelling. We do know, however, that He would often spend time among His friends and family of which He had a good number. We can assume that Jesus would occasionally stop by the home of His parents Joseph and Mary for visits. If we remember one thing about Jesus it is that He is very family and relationship oriented. Family is important to Him. Likewise, Jesus must have spent a good amount of time among His siblings as well as the families of His followers. I can imagine that wherever Jesus traveled there was a good sized crowd. But what was the day to day life like for Jesus and His friends? Well, I'm certain that it wasn't too much different, more or less, than our own. For daily tendencies have not changed all that much over the centuries. Mornings might have been spent with teaching and connecting with those in the area while Jesus and the disciples contemplated what to have for their morning meal. I imagine that more than one disciple got tired of eating fish all the time. Perhaps they would dine by a fire by the sea, or in the company of friends in town somewhere. We can assume that they would spend a good deal of time traveling as well. There was no mass transit of express buses to catch, so walking was their only option. One glance at the map of Israel in the time of Jesus and you get a idea of the distances they covered during the ministry of Jesus. This was the life they had chosen.
And He is saying to them, "Hither! After Me, and I will be making you fishers of men!"
Matthew 4: 19, Concordant New Testament
I had a bit of fun this week thinking of the kind of posts that Jesus and His disciples might have posted had they had the social media opportunity. In fact, there are times I wish that they had had such an opportunity. I believe that the world would profit from knowing more of the day to day life of Jesus and His followers. Can you imagine the Facebook posts of Jesus' disciples as He fed thousands with only a basketful of food? Social media of the day would have blown up! We can only imagine the impact such a record of history would have. This is exactly why I took such an interest in the streaming series The Chosen. While it's not an eye witness account, it does provide us with an insiders glance of what life must have been like in the inner circle of Jesus. I believe that this is also why the series has become so popular among believers and non believers alike. The Chosen shows the nitty gritty image of Jesus and His disciples we have been longing to see. The arguments, the struggles, the REAL Jesus. As a believer in the theology of the indwelling Christ, this series was a invaluable resource for me. I wanted to learn and know more about the Jesus in me. The apostle Paul speaks more than a few times in scripture of the truth of the indwelling Christ. Of Jesus in me {Galatians 2:20}. Of Jesus' overcoming of sin {2 Corinthians 5:21}. Indeed, the scriptures describing Jesus as He is are there for us to see. I just wish that we had more. If you long for the opportunity to know Jesus, start with the realization that He not only welcomes the opportunity, but is waiting to reveal Himself in you.
~Scott~
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