Stories Depicting the Relationship between Jesus and the Disciples

Basic Info

The 12 Apostles and numerous other disciples hang out with Jesus when he is teaching, healing, and being in the world. The only time they don’t tend to go with him is when he goes off to pray. So in depicting most of the stories of Jesus’ life, an artist could choose to include some disciples. Doing so may not be essential to the story, but it always offers an interpretive approach.

What to Look For

• Relative size of Jesus and the disciples (larger, same size, smaller)
• Relative position of Jesus in relationship to the disciples (higher, on the same level, lower in the picture plane)
• Facial expressions
• Direction the disciples are facing in relation to Jesus (toward him, with him, away from him)
• Direction Jesus is facing (toward the disciples, toward God, away from the disciples)
• Postures and gestures in the people and Jesus (kneeling, bowing, lifting arms, etc.)
• Whether the disciples look like a cohesive community or a collection of individuals
• Whether Jesus looks like the disciples (clothes, human features, etc.) or is somehow set apart

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Does the artwork’s depiction of the disciples emphasize loyalty / belief, understanding, being active witnesses to Jesus’ teaching, imitating Jesus’ actions, some combination of the above, or some other quality? Are the disciples depicted attractively so as to invite imitation?

How is Jesus shown interacting with the disciples (kind, gentle, strict, judging, compassionate, etc.)? Is a close relationship with Jesus shown to be attractive? If so, the obvious reason is to encourage Christian discipleship, but if not, why? Is it just assumed that everyone is Christian and that there are hard parts of being a Christian?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

What about the artwork attracts you? What repels you? What might this say about your own Christian journey?

How does the depiction of Jesus as he is relating to the disciples mirror your experience of church? How is it different?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



The ethos of a culture changes from generation to generation. For example, diversity and care for God’s creation are valued today in the United States but weren’t in Great Britain in the 1850s. Are virtuous behaviors depicted in the disciples in this artwork that may shed light on the ethos of the artist’s day (e.g., chivalry)?

Artworks depicting Jesus with the disciples are sometimes allegories for church leadership in relationship with Christians. In what ways might this artwork reflect the relationship between the religious hierarchy and average Christians in the artist’s time and place?