03.12. Choosing the twelve

Choosing the twelve The demands upon Jesus increased heavily as he moved around Galilee. In one town after another, crowds came to hear him preach and to ask his help in all kinds of ways. The work was more than one person could physically handle, and although he alone was the Saviour-Messiah, there was much work he could delegate to trusted helpers. The Jewish religious leaders had neglected the people’s needs, but Jesus felt a compassion that drove him to help people wherever he could. He likened Galilee to a vast field ready for harvest, but he needed workers to help him reap.¹ To this end, Jesus asked his group of close followers to pray for workers. He was about to appoint a special group of twelve to whom he could pass on some of his messianic authority, and no doubt some of these friends were likely candidates. Nevertheless, the night before the appointment, he spent the entire night in prayer, so that he might be assured of doing his Father’s will. Because he was going to send these twelve men out in service, he called them ‘sent ones’ (or, in the Greek of the New Testament, ‘apostles’).²

Before sending the twelve out, however, Jesus wanted them to spend further time with him, so that they might be spiritually equipped for the task ahead. Like Jesus, they were to preach the good news of the kingdom and urge people to enter that kingdom through repentance and faith. Also, because of the authority Jesus passed on to them, they were to heal those whom Satan had afflicted with diseases and unclean spirits.³ The era of the Messiah had arrived. It may not have been in the form that the Jews expected, but that is not surprising. The fulfilment of God’s promises is rarely in the form people expect. Twelve tribes had formed the basis of the old people of God, but twelve apostles would form the basis of the new.

1. Matthew 9:35-38 2. Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-15; Luke 6:12-13 3. Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:14-15

Galilee, looking towards the Golan Heights