Douglas Young

The legacy Judas left behind was tragic. Horribly, God saw the whole thing before it unfolded. It was time for a replacement though, and the appeal to Psalm 109:8 was the foundation.

What could one man do? Why not simply have 11 apostles instead of 12? Can one make that big a difference?

Apparently God thought so.

Two men were brought forth as replacements for the one who bought the Field of Blood. One was Barsabbas; Matthias was the other. They pray to “the Lord” to reveal which of these two He had chosen. And then…they cast lots? I really desire to know if this is what Jesus wanted them to do or not. Casting lots was a fairly common practice among Old Testament peoples, but that Jesus wanted them to use it as a mechanism for determining who would replace Judas, I find odd. He only knows.

But this much I know: God finds importance in one individual. He is willing to leave the 99 to rescue the one (Matthew 18:12). God sees the individual as important. It takes individuals to form community, and God is big on community.

He could have launched His new covenant with 11 apostles and the rest. After all, on the day the Spirit is poured out and 3000 respond to the gospel, He now has 3120 to work with. But the one, Matthias, was significant.

What became of him is steeped in controversy. Ancient historians suggest different things. None of it is important though. What’s important is that God saw fit to fill a crucial role with a replacement. God believes in the power and importance of one.

What can and will you do for Him?