Luke 6:12,13 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.
It is quite a remarkable thing to see the people that God uses to represent Him and proclaim His kingdom and glory. Think of it. Would you call King David a man after God’s own heart if that were not declared to be so in Scripture (Acts 13:22)? What about father Abraham, who put his wife Sarah in danger with foreign rulers – twice!! What about that murderer Moses and his anger that prohibited him from entering into the Promised Land?
Today, we are introduced to 12 men whom Jesus ordained to be His apostles, or “sent out” ones. Jesus is going to call them to be with Him and send them out with power to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead! You could not get a more diverse group of men than these twelve. Judging them by worldly standards, the men Jesus chose had no special qualifications at all. They were not wealthy. They had no special social position. They had no special education and were not trained theologians. They were not high-ranking churchmen and ecclesiastics. They were fishermen, tax collectors, patriotic zealots; two wanted Jesus to call down fire from heaven and destroy a group of people (Luke 9:54), and one turned out to be a devil (John 6:70,71). Does that sound like the kind of staff that you and I would choose to start a spiritual revolution that is impacting planet earth to this day?
Beloved, if Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, He has chosen you, as imperfect as you are, to be a testimony of His grace, a witness of His resurrection, and to bear fruit by proclaiming His gospel with the power of The Holy Spirit for His glory and honor.
