Matthias followed Jesus wholeheartedly from the earliest days of ministry. After the resurrection of Jesus and the death of Judas, the remaining eleven disciples felt the need to round out their number again to twelve. They nominated two men, and finally settled on Matthias.

Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven disciples.

No more mention of Matthias comes from the book of Acts, but that doesn’t mean this committed follower of Jesus didn’t stay active. Church history places him in various areas around the Roman world, and claims he died a martyr while preaching the gospel somewhere near the Black Sea.

If so, he joined all the original disciples save one in dying for the message of Jesus. Matthias came strong off the bench. He represents the many early followers of Jesus who served the Lord, at great cost to themselves, and gave their lives for the cause.

Those of us who hold to the Christian faith today owe a debt to Matthias, and to countless others who without acclaim quietly carry on the faith.

Acts 1 in Through the Bible in 2024

Matthias by Peter Paul Rubens, 1611