Scripture Snapshots:
THE DISCIPLES LEARN TO TRUST JESUS
Series 2 Lesson 5
As we grow up, we have to trust people. We naturally trust our parents and grandparents. There are some strangers that we naturally trust - police officers, pastors, teachers, and doctors. Other strangers, however, have to earn our trust. While most people can be trusted, we live in a time when there are many who can’t be trusted.
How do we come to trust others? It takes time, doesn’t it? As we spend time with people, we get to know whether they will do what they say or not keep their word. Will they be there to help us or not? Can we count on them?
This happened with Jesus and His disciples. When He first called them to follow Him, they really didn’t know Who He was. As they walked and talked with Him and saw the miracles that He did, they eventually came to trust Him, but they were slow learners. It wasn’t until after Jesus rose from the dead and went back to Heaven that the disciples fully trusted in Him. After that, they went everywhere telling others how they, too, could trust in Jesus. (Another definition of trusting is “faith”. The disciples learned to have faith in Jesus.)
For three years, the disciples went with Jesus everywhere. One day, they were approaching the city of Jericho. In that city lived a man named Bartimaeus. He had been blind from birth. Could you imagine being blind? Bartimaeus could hear the birds singing, but he had never seen one. He could feel the warmth of the sun, but he had never seen a sunrise or sunset. Oh, how he wished he could see!
In Jesus’ day, there weren’t many jobs for blind people. The only way that they could get money to live was to beg for it. Each morning, Bartimaeus would get up and get dressed. Then he would go and sit along a busy street, hoping that someone might feel sorry for him and give him some money so that he could eat. Some days he got a fair amount of money; other days he got very little or nothing.
Bartimaeus was sitting along the road when Jesus and His disciples were coming by. While Bartimaeus’ eyes didn’t work, his ears certainly did. He could hear a great crowd coming, one like he’d never heard before. He got excited as he realized that he might get a lot of money on this day. He got much more than that. He heard someone say that Jesus was coming. Jesus, wasn’t He the one who did miracles? Hadn’t He made the lame to walk and the deaf to hear? Maybe, just maybe, Jesus could give him his sight.
Bartimaeus began to call out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Some who were standing nearby told him to be quiet, but he just cried out even more. Jesus, who knows all things, knew about this poor blind man. He stopped in front of Bartimaeus and called for him. Jesus looked into this man’s face and asked, ‘What would you have Me do for you?” Bartimaeus replied, “Lord, I would like to have my sight.” Jesus said, “Go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Immediately, Bartimaeus could see! How excited he was. He believed that Jesus could heal him, and He did. All the disciples saw this happen. Jesus could make the blind to see. What kind of man was He?
Another time, the disciples were walking with Jesus down a very crowded street. People had come from everywhere to see Jesus and to be healed by Him. Jesus had stopped to talk to some followers of John the Baptist when, all of a sudden, there came a certain ruler named Jairus. His twelve-year-old daughter was dying, and he was desperate. He truly believed that if Jesus came and laid hands on his daughter, she would live again. He had faith.s such a failure!
Jesus agreed to go with him and began to follow him to his house. The crowd followed, too, but Jesus stopped and said, “Who touched Me?” The disciples said, “Who touched You? Jesus, people are touching you on every side”. “No,” Jesus said, “someone touched Me, and power (or virtue) went out of Me.” At that moment, a woman timidly stepped forward and said, “I’m the one who touched You. I have been sick for twelve years and have spent lots and lots of money, but no doctors have been able to help me. I believed that if I could just touch the hem of Your robe that I would be made well.” Jesus turned to her and said, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.” At once she was made well.
The group continued on to Jairus’ house. As they approached, they were greeted by a host of mourners, all crying because of the death of the little girl. Jesus spoke to them, “Don’t cry. The young girl is not dead, but only sleeping.” The people changed from crying to laughing, ridiculing Jesus. Jesus walked past them and taking Peter, James, and John, He entered the room where the girl lay. Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, “Maid, arise.” Immediately, the girl opened her eyes and sat up. Her parents gasped in joy and ran to embrace their daughter. With joyful tears, they thanked Jesus over and over.
Jesus’ three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, were witnesses to a dead girl being brought back to life. You would think that they would have great faith in Jesus, faith that He could do anything. Like many of us, however, they were slow learners. Their faith was soon to be tested, and yet they would forget about the greatness of Jesus.
Wherever Jesus went, large crowds followed. People loved to hear Him preach. Many came to be healed, and others were curious and wanted to see what Jesus would do. After Jesus had spoken to a very large crowd and had healed many, the disciples came to Him in the evening and said, “Jesus, send the people away so that they can get something to eat.” Jesus turned to them and said, “Why don’t you feed them?” “Lord, the crowd is huge, and even if we had lots of money, we could buy only enough for each of them to have a little.” Just then, Andrew brought a little boy to Jesus with his lunch. He had five little rolls and two small fish. The disciples took one look at that small lunch and said, “What good will that do?”
I’m sure Jesus must have smiled when He said, “It’s enough. Have everyone sit down and then come to me.” When the disciples finally stood before Him, Jesus gave each of them a basket and then gave thanks to God the Father for what He had provided. He went to each disciple and broke off enough bread and fish to fill each basket. Then He sent them to give out the food. Jesus told everyone to take all they could eat. When the baskets were empty, the disciples returned, and Jesus filled them again. How their eyes must have been wide with amazement as each time they came back, Jesus had more food for them.
When it was all over, Jesus had the disciples pick up any leftovers. They each returned with a basket full. The Bible tells us that there were 5,000 men there that day, so if you add women and children, there would have to be at least 15,000 people fed that day—all from a little boy’s lunch.
When it was all over, Jesus had the disciples pick up any leftovers. They each returned with a basket full. The Bible tells us that there were 5,000 men there that day, so if you add women and children, there would have to be at least 15,000 people fed that day—all from a little boy’s lunch.
In our final story about the disciples, they asked one of the strangest questions ever asked. They had been with Jesus as He spoke to another large group. At the end of the day, Jesus was very tired. He got into a boat and told His disciples to go to the other side of the sea. Many others followed in their boats because they wanted to be where Jesus was. Jesus went to the back of the boat and went to sleep on some pillows. Even though He was God, He was also a man who got tired just like we do. When the boats were halfway across the sea, a very strong storm began to toss the ships back and forth, filling them with water and threatening to sink them. The disciples did all they could to make it to shore, but they got to the point where they couldn’t do any more. They went to Jesus and asked, “Don’t You care that we perish?” Of course, Jesus cared. He cared for them so much that He came to die for our sins. Jesus desires that everyone go to Heaven. Jesus said to them, “O ye of little faith.” Then Jesus spoke to the storm and said, “Peace be still”. Immediately, the wind stopped, and the sea became calm. This was not normal, as it usually took a day or two for the waves to calm down. While the people in the other boats had no idea why the storm stopped, the disciples said, “What manner of man is this that even the storm obeys Him?” Their faith was weak. Even after seeing all Jesus did, they still didn’t trust Him like they should have.
That all changed when He came into the locked room where they were hiding after his burial. They saw Him often during the forty days He was on earth after His resurrection. Then, as He went back into Heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to indwell them. He would teach them all things and give them the power to be bold for Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did come, and the disciples were full of faith. They boldly went everywhere telling people about Jesus. They knew that He had the power to provide for them and protect them. He could raise them from the dead and give them eternal life. If you are a Christian, you do not have to worry about whether you have eternal life. Jesus, who did miracles on earth and rose from the dead, will give you eternal life in Heaven with Him. You can also have faith that He will take care of you on this earth.