Jesus started his ministry when he was around 30 years old. He chose his disciples so that they could continue with his work after he went to heaven to his Father. What Christians try to understand is how old were Jesus’ disciples.
Jesus’ disciples were probably between 13-30 years. This is according to the Jewish Culture, where a child was allowed to seek a rabbi after reaching 13 years. The rabbi was supposed to be older than the student. Jesus was around 30 years when he called his disciples. Therefore, the disciples were under 30 years old.
Does the Bible tell us how old Jesus’ disciples were? Was Jesus older than all of his disciples? Who was the oldest disciple of Jesus? Who was the youngest disciple of Jesus at the time of their calling? Did any of Jesus’ disciples live to old age? Keep reading to find the answers to these questions and more.
Does the Bible tell us how old Jesus’ disciples were?
The Bible does not exactly state how old Jesus’ disciples were. However, there are many clues in the Bible that Christians use to estimate the ages of Jesus’ disciples.
First, according to Matthew 4:21-22, the Bible implies that some of the disciples were fishermen. This shows that they were old enough to work a full-time job. Also, the disciples left their homes and guardians to follow Jesus, which means they were old.
Secondly, Peter is said to have a mother-in-law; hence he may have been old enough to have married. According to Matthew 8:14, the Bible implies that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law in his house.
Also, according to Jewish Culture, children needed to be introduced to religion when they were 5 years old. When the child reaches 13 years and wanted to continue learning about religion, they were allowed to seek a rabbi. They were allowed to follow the rabbi as students 30 years old. Therefore, this may have been the case with Jesus and his disciples. They may have joined Jesus to be their rabbi in their teenage years or mid-twenties.
Also, according to Jewish Culture, the rabbi was supposed to be older than his students. Since Jesus is said to have called his disciples at 30 years old, the disciples were between 13 years and under 30 years.
Was Jesus older than all of his disciples?

It is possible that Jesus was older than his disciples because he was their teacher and master. Luke 3:23 reads, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.” The Bible suggests that Jesus was around 30 years old when he started his ministry. Jesus chooses his disciple at the beginning of his ministry and becomes their teacher. According to Jewish Culture, the teacher is supposed to be younger than his students. Since this was the relationship between Jesus and his disciples, his disciples are believed to be younger than him.
Also, in the Bible, Jesus also refers to his disciples as little children when addressing them. This also shows that he was probably older than them.
Who was the oldest disciple of Jesus?
Peter, also known as Simon, is said to be the oldest disciple of Jesus. This is because he was married when Jesus met him. According to Matthew 8:14, Jesus went to the house of Simon Peter and healed his mother-in-law, who had a fever. Peter was by then a fisherman, and later Jesus met him with his brother Andrew and told them to stop being a fisherman and follow him.
The other reason that many believe that Peter was the Oldest is that Jesus made him the leader of his Apostles. Peter was mainly the spokesman of the disciples, which is seen in Matthew 16:13-20. In these verses, the Bible implies that Jesus asked whom the disciple thought he was, and Peter answered on their behalf that he was the son of the living God. Jesus promised to build a church on the rock they were at and name it after Peter. Peter is portrayed as the eldest in the Bible because of his wise words and being the leader of the disciple.
Who was the youngest disciple of Jesus at the time of their calling?
John, the son of Zebedee and brother to James, is said to be the youngest disciple at the time of their calling. According to theologists, John may have been made a disciple when he was between 16-18 years and the youngest. This is because he lived to the age of 98 AD and wrote the last book of the Bible, Revelation. The book of Revelation is said to have been written 66 years after Jesus was crucified. This means that John was young during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion for him to have lived that long to write Revelation.
Did any of Jesus’ disciples live to old age?
John, the youngest disciple of Jesus, is believed to be the only disciple who lived to old age. John is believed to have died in 98 AD during the reign of Trajan. He wrote the book of Revelation 66 years after Jesus was crucified.
According to Christian traditions, the other apostles died as martyrs except for Judas Iscariot. According to Matthew 27:5, the Bible implies that Judas committed suicide after feeling guilty for betraying Jesus.
References
How old were Jesus’ disciples?
Who was the youngest of the disciples of Jesus?
What Happened to the Twelve Apostles?
St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles

As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.