As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,”
Matthew 27:57 NLT
The Gospels are full of unlikely, unnoticed disciples.
When we hear the word “disciple,” or when we think about the disciples in the Gospels, we generally only think of the Twelve. But there were others…
One disciple we don’t discover until the story of the burial of Jesus is a man named Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph was a wealthy man. Joseph was well connected. Joseph was influential. And Joseph was a disciple of Jesus.
What the NLT translates “follower” the NIV translates “disciple.” The words, the concepts, are interchangeable.
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.”
Matthew 27:57 NIV
Nicodemus came with Joseph to bury Jesus. Nicodemus was well educated. Nicodemus was well connected. As a chief Pharisee, Nicodemus was influential. And Nicodemus was a disciple of Jesus.
I wonder if Joseph and Nicodemus had been among the Seventy Two Jesus sent out two by two? I kind of doubt it, since it seems as if they were trying to fly under the radar as secret disciples. But if they weren’t among the Seventy Two, I wonder what happened to them after the Resurrection? Were they among the 120 believers gathered for prayer in Jerusalem at Pentecost? This seems more likely.
From secret disciple to burying their Messiah, Joseph and Nicodemus had come out of the shadows.
And there were even more disciples…
Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph ), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.”
Mark 15:40-41 NLT
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome the mother of James and John… were identified as followers of Jesus. These women were disciples. And it says “many other women” had come as His disciples.
Were any of these women among the Seventy Two sent out two by two? We don’t know. But this simple phrase, “many other women,” points to the possibility of multiplication.
Before Jesus sent out the Twelve two by two, while He was still training the Twelve, He had women disciples with Him.
Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons…”
Luke 8:1-2 NLT
Mary Magdalene was among a group of women followers with Jesus early on, and I think the likelihood exists that these initial women reached and discipled other women, multiplying the movement among women, so that at the cross, many women disciples dared to be there with Jesus as He hung on the cross.
I love this thought!
Connecting the thread of women disciples from Luke 8 to Mark 15 demonstrates the multiplication of the movement and the impact of these devoted women disciples.
This blogpost originally appeared at: Unlikely Disciples – Sonlife and is based upon Sonlife’s study, Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 48