A Gift from God

A Gift From God

I recently saw an article headline that said Matthias was the forgotten disciple. Although he is not mentioned many times in the Bible, he was still chosen to replace Judas.

Is there anything we can learn from him?

Even though Matthias is only mentioned twice in the Bible (Acts 1:21-22 and Acts 1:24-26), there are some key takeaways from him.

His Name. Matthias’s name has a special meaning. His name means "Gift of Yahweh." His name is fitting as he was chosen to replace Judas after Judas betrayed Jesus and killed himself. He was a gift to the disciples' ministry when they needed it.

He was faithful. Peter knew someone needed to replace Judas. Acts 1:21-22 says, "21) Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22) beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." The original disciples were familiar with Matthias and knew he was faithful to Jesus.

He was a part of God's Will. Acts 1:23-26 says, "23) So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24) Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25) to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26) Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." The disciples trusted God to reveal who was to be chosen as the replacement of Judas. The casted lots fell on Matthias. After the lots were casted, the disciples brought him on as the twelfth disciple because they trusted God had revealed this decision to them.

After Acts 1, Matthias is no longer mentioned in the Bible. Your name may not have a specific meaning like Matthias’s name did, but you can be like Matthias and be faithful to God. Matthias teaches us that we must obediently follow Jesus. Even though Matthias is not mentioned in the Gospels, we learn in Acts 1 that he followed Jesus. How faithful are you to Jesus?

God honors faithfulness. Matthias is described as a man who was committed to Jesus. God saw this and selected Matthias to replace Judas. Different historical documents potentially reveal what happened to Matthias after he was chosen. We do not know entirely how 
God used Matthias, but we know Matthias was faithful to God's will. You may not be chosen to be a leader in Christian ministry like the disciples were, but God still has a plan for you.

How can you be faithful to God today and trust that He has a plan for your life?