Followers of Jesus

Originally he was named Simon bar Jonah, a fisherman,

but Jesus renamed him with a name that means “rock.” He was the leader and spokesman of the Apostles..

• Peter

• Andrew

• James, Zebedee’s Son

• John, Zebedee’s Son

A fisherman and brother of Peter. Both came from the town of Bethsaida. John’s Gospel tells us that he was Jesus’ first disciple and that he encouraged his brother to come to Jesus. Early Church tradition holds that he was put to death on an X-shaped cross.

• Peter

• Andrew

• James, Zebedee’s Son

• John, Zebedee’s Son

He and his brother, John, were both fishermen. They must have had a fiery temperament because Jesus nicknamed them “sons of thunder.”

• Peter

• Andrew

• James, Zebedee’s Son

• John, Zebedee’s Son

He was the source of the Fourth Gospel. He had a privileged place at the Last Supper. Jesus entrusted his Mother to him while he hung on the cross.

• Peter

• Andrew

• James, Zebedee’s Son

• John, Zebedee’s Son

Jesus asked him where they could purchase bread before he performed the miracle of the loaves. At the Last Supper, he asked Jesus to show the apostles the Father, to which Jesus replied, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

• Philip

• Bartholomew

• Matthew

• Thomas

This Apostle was probably the same as the Nathanael in John’s Gospel. When hearing from his friend Philip that Jesus was the Messiah, Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). When Jesus met him for the first time he told him where he was sitting when he said his unkind words.

• Philip

• Bartholomew

• Matthew

• Thomas

He was a tax collector by profession, a job that pious Jews loathed because it meant cooperation with the Romans. Some scholars believe that the New Testament’s Gospel used him as one of its sources.

• Philip

• Bartholomew

• Matthew

• Thomas

John’s Gospel calls him “the Twin.” He eagerly professed faith in Jesus, saying that he would gladly go to Jerusalem to die with Jesus. However, when told of the Lord’s Resurrection, he said he would not believe until he saw the Risen Lord for himself.

• Philip

• Bartholomew

• Matthew

• Thomas

Mark’s Gospel calls him _____ the Younger, perhaps to distinguish him from Zebedee’s son. Not much is known of this particular Apostle. He is probably not the so-called “brother of the Lord” who took over the leadership of the Christians in Jerusalem after Peter. This apostle was stoned to death in 62.

• James, Son of Alphaeus

• Simon the Zealot

• Judas son of James

• Judas Iscariot

We don’t know much about this Apostle. He belonged to a group of revolutionaries who worked to overthrow Roman rule in Palestine through violent means. By following Jesus, he had to give up these notions since Jesus was opposed to violent solutions and is the “Prince of Peace.”

• James, Son of Alphaeus

• Simon the Zealot

• Judas son of James

• Judas Iscariot