John 14: Thaddaeus, the Faithfulness of a Quiet Apostle

Introduction

Once a month, Église Vie Nouvelle Bruxelles walks through the lives of the twelve apostles. Before opening the text, Pastor Rosario Lo Presti goes over the ones already studied: Andrew and "the power of an ordinary life," Peter, Philip and "God needs your common sense," James, son of thunder, and his brother John, who became the apostle of love, Nathanael, Thomas, whom Jesus brought from doubt to faith, Matthew and his life that can have meaning, and James, son of Alphaeus.

This Sunday, he stops on an apostle almost never talked about: Thaddaeus, "the apostle with three names." The Bible says almost nothing about him. Only one of his words is recorded, a question asked of Jesus in John 14. It is precisely this discretion that makes him, for the preacher, a lesson in faithfulness in serving.

The message follows this conviction to the end: God is not looking first for visible people, but for people who love him and obey him. "Your faithfulness counts."

Message outline

1. The apostle with three names

The starting text is John 14:18-25, read standing by the congregation. In verse 22, a disciple speaks up: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?'"
John takes care to specify "not Iscariot." This Judas is not the traitor; he is faithful to the Lord. This distinction, the pastor stresses, shows the honor given to him as an apostle of Jesus Christ: he has nothing to do with the tragedy of Judas.
In Mark 3:18, the same man is called Thaddaeus. In Matthew 10:3, the preacher points out a third name, given by some translations: Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus. Having several names was common in biblical times.
The Scriptures say almost nothing about him or his ministry. Yet staying in the shadows takes nothing away from the fact that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ and that he contributed to the mission of the Church.

2. An honest question

Thaddaeus is known for one thing only: his question. Why does Jesus reveal himself to the disciples and not to the world, when the world needs to know him?
He asks it at the moment Jesus is preparing to go to the cross and leave his own. Jesus had chosen the twelve to go into the world and continue the work of saving sinners. Thaddaeus does not understand why he would limit himself to revealing himself to his disciples.
This question reveals a man who listened very well to what Jesus said and thought deeply about it. The pastor points it out: sometimes you speak with someone who answers completely off the mark, as if he were on another planet. Thaddaeus, however, paid attention to Jesus' teaching.
His question was sincere. It did not come from doubt about Jesus, but from a desire to truly understand the nature of the kingdom of God, and not from a wish to show what he knew.
Jesus' answer speaks of love and obedience: "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Love and obedience make us the dwelling place of God's presence.

3. Faithful, even in the shadows

Thaddaeus is mentioned several times in the New Testament, always with the other apostles. In Acts 1, he is in the upper room with them, waiting for what Jesus had promised.
We do not hear much about him, but he was there, faithfully, on every occasion. He too received the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, like Peter, James, John and Andrew, when the Spirit came down to equip the Church to go and preach in the world.
The pastor connects this to the Church today: there is only one meeting during the week, one time for prayer and one time for Bible study. He invites everyone to be present, as Thaddaeus waited faithfully where the Lord had told him to.
His calm does not mean he was not faithful. The Lord uses calm people just as he uses impulsive ones. If Jesus chose him, he knew that he too would accomplish his work.
Most of the apostles are little known. They did their work faithfully for the Lord. Hence the question put to each of us: "Do we do things to be seen by people, or do we do them because we want to love God and obey him?"
"Faithful service to God does not require being famous." Peter wrote letters, John a Gospel and the Revelation. Thaddaeus and others wrote nothing, but they were chosen by the Master. The Church needs men and women like Thaddaeus today, available and faithful.
Some feel overloaded and wonder whether it is worth it. Yes, if we do it for the Lord, because he loved us first and gave his Son to die on the cross. Love for Jesus and obedience to his will go beyond the amount of work and what others see.
Faithful in what? In service, and also in the life of the Church, like the first Christians who continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers (Acts 2:42). "Your faithfulness counts, brother, sister."

4. Do not be afraid to ask questions

Thaddaeus' question shows a real interest in understanding God's ways better. Sometimes we do not ask questions out of fear, or lack of faith.
The pastor quotes a saying: "He who asks questions may look ignorant for a moment. But he who does not ask questions stays ignorant about these things all his life."
He remembers a brother in England, newly converted, who asked questions constantly, at the meeting as well as on the phone. He was hungry to know. And the Church noticed that he progressed spiritually very quickly.
In Thaddaeus' question there is also humility. It shows a hunger for truth and the mark of an authentic disciple.

5. Visible to Jesus, not to the platform

"Obedience counts more than recognition." Thaddaeus was called by Jesus, he followed him for three years, he saw him die and rise again, and he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He did not receive much recognition, but he was glad to love his Master and serve him.
Society gives the impression that you have to be visible. The phone is already a small sign of it. Even churches want to be visible and sometimes show more than they should. "We are not here to judge, but it is the reality."
Modern Christianity revolves around visibility and social media: how many books has such and such a pastor sold? The pastor gives thanks for writers, but that is not what counts before God. What counts is love and obedience toward him and toward his word, "because God looks at the heart."
It is good to do beautiful things, but it is not the image that counts. A faithful presence is worth more than public recognition.
The Lord builds his Church with people of character: people who are firm, determined, serious about spiritual things, not people who go up and down like a yo-yo.
Do you feel ordinary, like Thaddaeus? "God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things." Among the twelve there were fishermen, a tax collector, a little-known Thaddaeus, and each one was faithful. Before God, it is not so much our abilities that count as the desire to serve and to do his will.
Matthew 6 warns against practicing your righteousness to be seen: the heavenly Father sees what is done in secret. Paul also asks us to serve at work in the same way whether we are seen or not. And in the Church, we do not serve to answer to the pastor or the leaders, but because we love the Lord and want to obey him.

6. Every calling has the same value

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul compares the Church to the human body. What would we become without eyes, without ears, without legs, without arms, without a heart? Each member is different, and the parts that seem the least important are indispensable.
There are Peters, there are Andrews, there are Thaddaeuses. God has a variety of people at his service. It does not matter that some are more in the public eye than others. In Acts 2, Peter preaches, but the apostles stand up with him, and Thaddaeus is one of them.
The pastor remembers a brother in Australia who said: "I want to be a simple believer." In reality, he meant: I do not want to do anything. He was not truly committed to the Lord. Yet each person has received a responsibility, a talent, qualities. Each one can do something for the Lord, visible or not.
After Thaddaeus' question, Jesus opens his eyes to the needs of the world, and makes him understand that what matters to him is the love and obedience of his disciples.
"Thaddaeus did not become Peter." Many preachers have wanted to imitate another's way of speaking and preaching. "We do not need to imitate another. We are ourselves. You are you." You are unique before God, and he has placed you where you are with particular abilities to fulfill his calling.
Concretely: Jesus asked Peter for his boat. The Lord may ask you for your car to bring someone to church, to go knock on a door to talk about Jesus, to hand out a few tracts. Whatever the Lord puts in your heart, do it with love and with obedience.
The essential is to lift up Jesus: "Your life and my life must lift up Jesus." People must look to Jesus. "The preacher is not important. It is Jesus who must be lifted up."
The pastor ends on attention to others: attentive ears, eyes open to the needs around us, a hand held out, a word of encouragement. How sad it is to hear "nobody cares about me." How beautiful it is to hear "I feel at home here."
In his closing prayer, he reminds us that obedience is better than sacrifice, and that the world will recognize the disciples by their love. He asks each person to examine themselves: how is my obedience to the Master, my love for God, my love for my brothers and sisters?

Key takeaways

Thaddaeus, Judas "not Iscariot," stayed in the shadows, but he was one of the twelve, faithful through to Pentecost.
An honest question is not a lack of faith. It shows attention, humility and a hunger for truth.
Love for Jesus and obedience to his word make us the dwelling place of God (John 14:23).
Obedience counts more than recognition: God looks at the heart, not at the platform.
In the body of Christ, every calling has the same value. You do not need to imitate another: serve where God has placed you, to lift up Jesus.

Personal application

When you serve, is it to be seen by people, or because you want to love God and obey him?
What question about God's ways are you keeping to yourself out of fear of looking ignorant?
Do you feel ordinary or overloaded? What would change if you did this service for the Lord, who loved you first?
Are you trying to be like another servant of God, instead of accepting the place and the abilities God has given you?
What is the Lord asking you to lend him this week: your car, your time, a visit, a word of encouragement?

Verses cited

Frequently asked questions

Who is Thaddaeus among the twelve apostles?

Thaddaeus is the apostle with three names. John calls him Judas, specifying "not Iscariot," to distinguish him from the traitor. Mark names him Thaddaeus, and the preacher adds that in Matthew he is called Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus. The Scriptures say very little about him, but he was indeed one of the twelve, present with the others through to Pentecost.

What question does Thaddaeus ask Jesus in John 14?

In John 14:22, he asks Jesus why he will reveal himself to the disciples and not to the world. For Rosario Lo Presti, it was not a question of doubt, but the sincere question of a man who was listening carefully. Jesus answers by speaking of love and obedience: whoever loves him keeps his word, and the Father and the Son come to make their home with that person.

What does Thaddaeus teach us about serving in the Church?

Thaddaeus shows that faithful service does not require being famous. He wrote no book and stayed in the shadows, but he was chosen by the Master and he was faithful. The preacher draws a conviction from this: in the body of Christ, every calling has the same value, and what counts before God is love and obedience, not visibility.