Mark 3:16
So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
In this list of the disciples, more of the disciples’ nicknames are given than in any other listing of the disciples throughout Scripture. We read about Simon’s new name, Peter, “The Rock;” we see James and John were called “The Sons of Thunder.” Simon here is “the Zealot,” the revolutionary; and Judas is “Iscariot,” literally “Judas the dagger-man.” Even Thaddeus is thought by some scholars to be a nickname meaning “big-hearted.”
Some of these names were picked out by Jesus; some nicknames, like Simon’s, were apparently his before joining the disciples. Some were probably given in hindsight, after the death, like Judas.
Yet all of the nicknames are meaningful, revealing something of the character of the person. These are not silly nicknames like sportscasters make up now, clever plays on words. They are designed to prove a point about a person’s character. Impetuous Simon becomes a rock. James and John become the kind of people who offer to call down fire from heaven to destroy those who would not receive Jesus (see Luke 9:54). Judas was indeed an assassin, a dagger-man.
If a nickname were chosen for you, something about your character at its deepest level, what would it be. Would you be known as The Thinker? The Jaded? The Pensive? The Encourager?
Most importantly, would it be a nickname you’d be proud of? Imagine Judas before his foolish betrayal of Christ: a new disciple, sincerely seeking to follow Jesus, giving his life to this man’s thought and teaching. Now imagine his disappointment at how history turned out: Peter turned out to be “the Rock,” and he turned out to be “The Dagger-man.” He never could have imagined in his fresh-faced idealism that his nickname would be a source of shame instead of honor.
Would your nickname be a source of honor? How would you be known? How will you be remembered?
In this list of the disciples, more of the disciples’ nicknames are given than in any other listing of the disciples throughout Scripture. We read about Simon’s new name, Peter, “The Rock;” we see James and John were called “The Sons of Thunder.” Simon here is “the Zealot,” the revolutionary; and Judas is “Iscariot,” literally “Judas the dagger-man.” Even Thaddeus is thought by some scholars to be a nickname meaning “big-hearted.”
Some of these names were picked out by Jesus; some nicknames, like Simon’s, were apparently his before joining the disciples. Some were probably given in hindsight, after the death, like Judas.
Yet all of the nicknames are meaningful, revealing something of the character of the person. These are not silly nicknames like sportscasters make up now, clever plays on words. They are designed to prove a point about a person’s character. Impetuous Simon becomes a rock. James and John become the kind of people who offer to call down fire from heaven to destroy those who would not receive Jesus (see Luke 9:54). Judas was indeed an assassin, a dagger-man.
If a nickname were chosen for you, something about your character at its deepest level, what would it be. Would you be known as The Thinker? The Jaded? The Pensive? The Encourager?
Most importantly, would it be a nickname you’d be proud of? Imagine Judas before his foolish betrayal of Christ: a new disciple, sincerely seeking to follow Jesus, giving his life to this man’s thought and teaching. Now imagine his disappointment at how history turned out: Peter turned out to be “the Rock,” and he turned out to be “The Dagger-man.” He never could have imagined in his fresh-faced idealism that his nickname would be a source of shame instead of honor.
Would your nickname be a source of honor? How would you be known? How will you be remembered?
posted by Rev. Michael Jordan at 12:50 PM
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