Disciple or Apostle?
This is my sermon text for Easter Sunday, April 16. The lesson is John 20,1-18, John's telling of the Empty Tomb and First Resurrection appearance. My message focuses on the Apostle to the Apostles, Mary Magdalene, (right) depicted in an icon that might have been the inspiration for one of my recent tattoos. May God’s grace & mercy be with you forever. Amen. There is a difference between the two terms that we use to describe those who travelled with, and followed Jesus. We refer to them as disciples and as apostles. The two terms are often used interchangeably. But they shouldn’t be. They have different meanings; they describe different roles. A disciple is a student, a follower. In the Jewish culture of the time, a disciple would study and learn under the supervision of a rabbi. An apostle is someone who has been sent out to perform a duty or set of responsibilities. An apostle may have begun as a disciple and learned, but then has progressed and moved on, and ha...