The Choice of Twelve

We are again in the study of the life of Christ in that period of time called the Great Galilee and ministry. And what we have noticed recently is that Jesus has performed some miracles or done some works, where his disciples have been accused of violating the Sabbath on three different occasions. So the escalation of those three things back to back, those three Sabbaths back to back, has caused the opposition to the Pharisees to become quite focused and settled. And so we are at a point, not quite to a serious turning point, but we're getting there fairly quickly. In Matthew 12 and Matthew 13, there will be a sharp turning point in our Lord's ministry as he turns basically from as much public ministry and focuses more on his disciples. Tonight we're going to look at the choice of the 12, and then we may also introduce, if we get that far, the sermon on the Mount, but we'll focus tonight on the choice of the 12. We want us to begin in Mark 3, where we find that Jesus teaches and heals great multitudes of people. We ended with this last week. We'll pick up with this tonight with Jesus doing a lot of healing and teaching just prior to choosing the 12. Mark 3, verse 7. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake. Again, that's the Sea of Galilee. And a large crowd from Galilee followed when they heard all he was doing. Many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Egymia, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. We stopped with this last week. We'll pick up with it here tonight. The math of the region of Israel. And just showing you the increased influence of Jesus' ministry. The Bible has said several times that his fame had spread throughout the whole region. And certainly these geographical indications are proof of that when the Bible says that Jesus is ministering up here along the north side of the Sea of Galilee. People are coming from Judea and Jerusalem, far south, Egymia, even further south. The regions across the Jordan, Tyre and Sidon, coastal cities, even in Gentile territory. So you've got people basically coming from all around focusing on this area where Jesus is. Certainly his fame has spread. News about him has spread. And the multitudes, great multitudes of people are gathering to hear him teach and to see what he does. See the miracles that he's doing. They've heard about this and multitudes of people are being attracted to him. But also at the same time, the opposition to the Pharisees is growing as they, since they are losing their grip on the populace on the people. And they also are accusing Jesus of Sabbath violations and claiming to make himself equal with God. And of course he was claiming that because he was equal with God the Father. But that just gives you an idea of the widespread news of Jesus and his ministry. Verse 9 says, because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried, you are the son of God. But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was. And we see this again that we've seen several times in our Lord's ministry already that Jesus is not wanting undue popularity. Not wanting popularity that's coming just because of the miracles. He's not wanting fame as a miracle worker. The miracles were designed to authenticate his teaching and prove that he was the Messiah. The important thing was his teaching and preaching of the kingdom being at hand of the gospel of the kingdom. So Jesus is seeking really to withdraw from the crowd but they are pressing him. They are following him. Now let's flip back over to Matthew's account where we will find what happens as Jesus does teach and heal great multitudes of people. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 15. Aware of this, aware of the fact in verse 14 that the disciples or the Pharisees were seeking how they might kill him, aware of this Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him. He healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was. Now we saw that in Mark described of the casting out of demons and also the healing of the sick, telling them not to broadcast who he was. And here he tells those who have been healed not to broadcast who he was. And then there's this interesting quote. Let's take a look at this for just a moment and focus on this for just the next few minutes. This was to fulfill this telling people not to not to broadcast who he was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. And this is a quote from Isaiah 42. It's one of those great servant passages in Isaiah 40 through 66. There are lots of these passages that describe God's servant. And this passage in Isaiah 42 is quoted here. Here is my chosen servant or here's my servant whom I've chosen. The one I love in whom I delight, I will put my spirit on him and he will proclaim justice to the nations. Let me stop there just long enough to to to note that this is a very important quote. And the way it's phrased here is very important because there's tremendous debate particularly among the Jews as to who those servant passages refer to. You see so many of those passages in Isaiah are so clear in their prophecies of the Messiah that you wonder how in the world can any Jew not see these clear prophecies of the Messiah and realize they were fulfilled in Jesus. Here's how most Jews take the servant passages in Isaiah to refer to the nation not an individual. And so they refer them to the nation of Israel and they say they're fulfilled kind of generically in the nation of Israel. That's why this is so important of course Jews do not recognize the authenticity of the New Testament but still Matthew being a Jew quotes from this servant passage in Isaiah and says that refers to Jesus. It is referring to a person not the nation so there's New Testament new Testament collaboration of the fact that these servant passages do refer to the Messiah to an individual and Matthew says this is fulfilled in Jesus but I'm very interested in what said next about the Messiah. This is again a quote from Isaiah 42 verse 19 he will not quarrel or cry out no one will hear his voice in the streets. Now remember this is quoted to show why Jesus would tell people not to tell who he was. You're getting the connection back in verse 16 he warns these people not to tell you was this was done to fulfill this prophecy in Isaiah and the prophecy in Isaiah that he would not quarrel or cry out nor his voice be heard in the streets. See when the Messiah would come he would come as one who was not going to cry out in the streets for attention he's not going to go get on a street corner and start making a ruckus just to get a crowd. He's not going to be loud and in your face and just out to attract publicity for the wrong reasons that is not who the Messiah is that's not who Jesus is. That's not his style it's not his personality it's not who the Messiah should be and so this quote from Isaiah gives us some interesting insight I believe into the personality temperament if you want to call it actually I believe more so godly character what is the Messiah going to be like he's not going to be standing on the street corner. He's not standing on the street corners asking for attention crying out loud quarreling with anybody who disagrees with him because he wants the attention that's not the way the Messiah is going to be. How is he going to be look at verse 20. A bruised reed he will not break and the smoldering wick he will not snuff out till he leads justice to victory in other words till his kingdom is is set up and then verse 21 in his name the nations will put their hope. A beautiful description beautiful description of our lords manner of of dealing with people a bruised reed he will not break what is it what is a bruised read. I mean obviously we're talking about people here what what kind of person are you talking about here. Is that a bruised read? You think of a reed growing on the riverbank and it being damaged to the point maybe it's bent over ready to break and it would be very easy just to go ahead and finish the job. There are people who are bruised who are bending low who are hurting and sometimes when people see someone like that there are some some people who think of those kind of folks as weak and so they just need to buck up and get all of life come on get over it that kind of thing. Jesus would never do that to anybody a bruised read he's not going to go ahead and snap off and and you know say just get on with it. Jesus was not in your face rough caustic spiteful the old King James word is pugnacious you know ready to hit somebody a brawler Jesus was not that way. If he saw someone who was bruised and hurting he would reach out to them he would he would seek to encourage to strengthen the comfort. I always think of things at the last minute I was looking back over things just before coming out of my office this evening and as I was thinking about this again just hit me I wish I had gotten that commercial on is it guy co I can't remember. You know can 15 minutes really save you some insurance does a former drill sergeant make a good counselor have you seen that one you know the drill sergeant who's the counselor and the guys a little bit afraid of the color yellow and and that the drill sergeant lights into a man just throws a box of clean X add him and causing names and said yeah that's the way some people are. And the sad thing is that some people think that's the way you ought to be you know if you're going to be a real man just be that way and that's not the way Jesus was not the way Jesus was at all. If someone's hurting he's not going to kick him around you just not going to do that a bruised read he will not break and a smoldering wick. What a descriptive term for someone who has literally burnt out someone who's who's I mean it wouldn't take much just to snuff the life out of him. It just take one more shove it would just take one more harsh word it would just take one more you know punch in the gut and they'd be done. And when Jesus sees people like that he wraps his arms around him he comforts him he encourages him he he speaks loving words to them he doesn't push him over the edge. So I think there's an interesting insight here into our Lord's character and his ministry that quite possibly we need to learn from you know we have so much in this culture today especially with what we teach that men ought to be you know the John Wayne kind of attitude you know just. So I asked in a way at people and you know in our culture today if you're going to be a real man that's the way you're supposed to be. Now obviously there were times when Jesus turned over money changers tables and drove people out of the temple with cords but that's an entirely different thing those were people who were desecrating the house of God and turning a place of worship into a place of merchandising and cheating people. So I think our Lord's real character and style of ministry is described in passages like this. Steve. The first case of Jesus is the first to be heard who are suffering the repentance is the consequence of mine and helping them encourage them to show in them the way. So I think the first case of Jesus is the first to be heard in the way of God and the way of God is not in the way of God. I don't think the first case of Jesus is the same size as Jesus. So if you want to ask for the parisies in the practice he will be descending up to those who are the apprentices in the business. Yeah. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think you're right. And so the thing that I would would say is different from our Lord's character is the kind of person who sees someone who's suffering and thinks of them as just weak and you know you just need a good swift kick in the pants and you'll be alright. Jesus would not treat people that way. So I think there's a lot to be learned here from our Lord in just his approach to people his kind gentle manner. And by the way when you study the fruit of the spirit and the be attitudes and character qualities these lists of character qualities in the Bible you do find a lot about kindness. Gentleness, meekness those kinds of character qualities are not weak. They are actually strong because they will not allow someone else to dictate your emotional swings. You're going to stay focused on the Lord and the power of the spirit. So I think our Lord is a great example here and you're exactly right Steve. Even when he did demonstrate the anger it was in support of those who were bruised and smoldering and broken and against those who were the kind of people who would snuff them out and lay more burdens on their backs. That's very true. I feel like the totally referred to as a Lamb of God that speaks to his character. Yeah. Lamb of God is certainly indicative of his character and his meekness and patience and so forth. And then of course there are theological overtones as well about being a sacrifice too. Okay. Any comments or questions about this brief insight into our Lord's character and manner of dealing with people? All right. Let's move on then to Jesus. Selects the 12 apostles and let's look first at Luke's account. Luke chapter six. Luke chapter six and verse 12. And what we will note first about this description of him choosing the 12 apostles is the time of the choice in verse 12. It says one of those days, one of what days? Well we've been following sequentially chronologically the life of our Lord and we've found that he's involved in a very busy period of ministry. Isn't he with the the tour of Galilee, the preaching, the healing, the crowds pressing him so much that they're about to push him into the sea of Galilee and ask the disciples to get a boat so that you know you'll have a little space. I mean this is a very busy intense time in our Lord's life and it's in one of those days. It's in a time of great busyness of increasing fame and if you want to call it popularity at least the attention of the nation is riveted on him. But it's also a time a day of mounting hostility on the part of the religious leaders. So they've already determined they want to put him to death. They want to find some reason some time some way that they can put him to death. But at the same time the average person is is in support of Jesus and at least is caught up in what is happening. Now Jesus will before too long begin to weed out true followers from those who are just interested in the hype and excitement of what's happening. But at least at this point there are throngs of people coming to him so it's on it's on in those days. One of those days that Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray. So notice if you will the preparation the time of the choice one of those days the preparation for the choice Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. Now verse 13 will say when the morning comes he causes his disciples and chooses to have them to be apostles. Why do you think Jesus prayed all night before choosing the 12 apostles? One of the Father's guidance. Remember that as a man he willingly submitted himself to the Father's wisdom power plan and he voluntarily gave up the independent use of his attributes. I don't know that we could say Jesus did not know who to choose but certainly in his humanity he wanted the Father's guidance in that for sure. Anything else you can think of maybe why why did Jesus pray all night before choosing the 12? Any other thoughts? Did not have time during the day for sure as far as choosing the time to pray yes he was so throng with people that the only time he could find to get along with God we've seen earlier in mark one that he got out early in the morning before the sun came up and spent time with God so here it's at night. I think there may be something to that maybe he's praying for the 12 men that he knows he will choose. Now again whether or not he knows before this prayer who he's going to choose we're not sure because in his humanity he may have been asking specifically for the Father's show him which 12 but even if that were the case I think he also probably was praying for the 12 men praying that they would be bold and strong and maybe knowing what was ahead in their ministry together praying that they would understand his teaching that they would be strengthened. Pardon me? They would be the ones who represented him yes and so he's praying for them to do that well I'm sure. Yeah Jesus knew even from the beginning John 6 will say that that Jesus knew from the very beginning who it was it would betray him so he knows that one of any knows who it is that will betray him and so could it be he's praying that that he will be faithful to the fathers leading and teaching in treating all of them the same I mean he will send you this out. Along with the others to represent him so maybe that's part of what he was praying about as well. He knows that this means the time is drawing nearer this is going to be a turning point in his ministry when he begins training and teaching so maybe he's also praying for himself for for this time in his ministry for for transition where he's going to be focused on the ministry. He's going to be focusing more on these men now so maybe he's praying for the father strength and wisdom and guidance and what he knows he must do now so lots of possibilities you know you'd kind of like to be a fly on the rock wouldn't you and and know and have been able to hear that night of praying and what what was going on there's so many things that the gospels don't tell us. But it would have been fascinating to hear our Savior pray all night and I think if we had heard that I mean hard for us to pray half hour in it you start kind of running out of things to pray for. I think we would have had a real education in prayer to hear our Savior pray all night. He evidently did we know that there are several occasions in the gospels where it says he he got alone with his father. I think that would have been an amazing education in prayer and probably one of if not the greatest weakness in our lives is prayer well look look next at the action of the choice in verse 13 when morning came he called his disciples to him and chose 12 of them whom he also designated a possible so. So disciples remember people who are following him and our learning of him there are more than 12 it's easy for us to think that at this point Jesus has chosen these 12 and we we have a record of some of the some of them being chosen you know from their nets to following and so forth but there are many others that are following him at this time many others. We know that when Jesus was resurrected he appeared at one time to how many people on a mountain. First Corinthians 15 tells us somebody said 500 at one time so there were lots of followers of Jesus but among those he is going to choose 12. Why 12 why do you think Jesus is going to choose 12. One for each tribe okay. Alright there are 12 tribes in this real. Is there any other connection there you can think of with the tribes. Remember what Jesus said to Peter one time when I come in my when there the regeneration of all things happens Matthew 19 28 when the regeneration of all things happens. And I sit on my throne you will judge the 12 tribes of Israel they will actually be ruling over the 12 tribes of Israel so maybe that's the key reason for the 12. We don't know for certain why but that possibly is it one for each tribe of Israel now they they didn't come from one from each tribe they weren't chosen you know from the different tribes but maybe to represent the 12 of the tribes is the reason. It's an interesting term the 12 will become a technical term for the apostles the 12 they'll be referred to as the 12 even after Judas is gone they'll still be referred to as the 12. So it's an interesting interesting idea that that becomes kind of a technical name for the the apostles. Anybody know what a possible means what does a possible mean was that word mean. He chooses 12 and he designates them verse 13 he calls them apostles it's a word that means a sent one or a messenger. So these are going to be men who will be sent and they'll be messengers they will be ones who proclaim a message the same message Jesus has been teaching the message of the gospel of the kingdom so they are sent ones apostles. A lot lot more that could be said about apostles the apostles are are men that are given a specific timeframe in which to minister to lay the foundation of the church Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20 the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Prophets are men who received direct revelation from God messages to give to people apostles were men who were given supernatural abilities to do miraculous works that served as signs second Corinthians 12 12 signs of the apostles miracles and so forth were signs of the apostles of their credentials and showed that they would had the authority to give out the message they did their other passages that deal with that. In the Mark 14 and Hebrews to other passages that deal with the purpose of the gifts given to the apostles were for authenticating their ministry and those miraculous gifts sign gifts had that purpose and after the apostles are gone there's no longer any need for those miraculous sign gifts that's a whole other study but the apostles are unique individuals there are no apostles today. There's no apostolic succession there's no you know I'm descended from the apostles so I'm an apostle you know Paul was an apostle and he says in 1st Corinthians 15 he was like one born out of do season actually like one stillborn. The idea that he was out of sync with the others out of time with the others he recognized that he was not in that first group but he did qualify because he had seen the Lord Jesus and been directly commissioned by Christ which the apostles when they were choosing Judas's successor and act one said that was the qualifier. You had to been with us from the beginning and you had to be directly commissioned by Jesus to be an apostle well Paul fit in that category for that reason. And the word apostle is used a couple of other times of other people Barnabas is called an apostle on one occasion. And so there's a there's a little bit of a broader use of the term as well but typically overwhelmingly it refers to the 12. Okay. Anything else on the action of the choice before we look at the purpose of the choice. All right the purpose of the choice in Mark chapter 3. This is Mark's account will stick with it for the next few minutes. Mark 3 verse 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside called to him those he wanted and they came to him. He appointed 12 designating them apostles and here is the purpose there are three of them he says here in verse 14 and 15. First of all that they might be with him first purpose that they might be with him. There was a time of preparation involved before these people before these men would be thrust out to do the work that God had given there would be a time of preparation. This time of preparation would extend through the rest of Jesus ministry as they are with him this is hands on training. This is him teaching and modeling for them what it means to serve God and how they should function as they begin the church. This is hands on discipleship if you will with the disciples they were with him they watched him they they saw how he did things they watched him pray and they said Lord teach us to pray and and they watched him. They did miracles and there were times when remember they couldn't cast out a demon and Jesus comes and says this only comes by fasting and prayer and he casts out the demon and so they learned they learned from him they were being groomed they were being taught he was modeling for them that's their relationship Christ preparation they were to be with him. Second purpose in verse 13 that they might be with him and that he might send them out preach. So not only is there preparation there's proclamation that they're prepared but they also are to be proclaiming and this is their relationship to the world their relationship with Christ is that they are to be prepared by him to serve God and their relationship to the world at large is their preachers. They are proclaimers heralds of the message of the gospel and so to two purposes he chose them one is to be with him to be prepared to be trained but also then to preach to proclaim the message and then the third reason in verse 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. The word authority is one of the words in the testament for power so this is their power they have preparation they have proclamation now they have power they have authority to cast out demons and that's their relationship to Satan they're given power over Satan their relationship to Christ training preparation their relationship to the world preaching proclamation their relationship to Satan power power over the demons and Satan himself. Now I think that's I think there's a proper order there I don't think that order is by mistake I think there is preparation before there is preaching before there is power and I think that order is is significant these these men have no message to proclaim until they spent time with Jesus and that's a I think a model for ministry for anybody who's going to serve God their marriage. There must be time with Jesus out of which comes the message and out of which also comes the power to have you know God do great things through that proclamation of the message. Okay that's the purpose of the choice is for those three reasons any comment or question about that or what we've seen thus far about the choice of the twel. Yes I don't remember what would be the first mention but they were obviously recognized as history progressed. Josephus makes I think one reference to Christ called him Christos the apostles I was going to say I'm not sure he mentions the apostles but very early on they will be recognized in in the literature of the day particularly the Roman historians will mention as Christianity begins to spread the apostles will become well known. Yeah. Let's take a look at them the personnel of the choice in verse 16 here here are the twelve here's the personnel in this group of apostles. These are the twelve he appointed Simon to whom he gave the name Peter James son of Zepadine his brother John to them he gave the name bow and air G's which means sons of thunder. That's interesting you kind of like to know what is behind that there's a little little bit of a clue later on in Luke's gospel there's an account remember where they're going through some area and there's a town that won't let Jesus in the cycle stay in their town. And John and James come to him and say Lord you want to call them fire from heaven like Elijah did man we like to burn to a crisp you know that's a little bit of sons of thunder kind of thing right there. And Jesus says you don't know what kind of spirit you're you're a will just go to another town you know we're not going to burn people to a crisp because they won't accept us into their town again that shows that the spirit of Christ he was not combative he was he was not. Pugelistic he was not fighting people he he just went another way okay but sons of thunder and then you've got the others listen to their verse 18 Andrew Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas James son of Alpheus Thaddeus Simon DeZellot and Judas is carry it who betrayed him 12 men and the interesting thing about these men they're they come from varied backgrounds different personality types you've got Andrew who's very kind of withdrawn and and you've got Peter his brother who's very vocal you've got John and James the sons of thunder James quickly rises the leadership John becomes the apostle of love you know these these men are very interesting men they form really a cross section of personality types of social position political parties you've got Matthew who is a tax collector a sell out to the Romans and the eyes of every Jew then you get Simon DeZellot the zealots are the political party that is dedicated overthrowing Rome and so you've got people from very different backgrounds you know in the apostolic band and the information that we have about them their temperaments their weaknesses their strengths forms a tremendous study it's an interesting study to study the 12 12 apostles but probably you got the kind of mix it could be found in any group of believers widely differing in their backgrounds their personalities their strengths and weaknesses and God uses them all personnel the 12 okay I'm not going to go any further into you know who they were and what they did and all of that that's a separate study in and of itself let me just mention the encouragement from the choice of the 12 and I'm referring here to revelation 21 14 there's an interesting statement there about the New Jerusalem the city that comes down from heaven and rests on the earth the place that will probably be at least appears to be our eternal dwelling place this city is described in Revelation 21 14 the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the lamb the city has 12 foundations each one has a name of one of the apostles and there the implication is that all 12 of the foundations are the same size and width and you know that kind of thing it's not like Peter's foundations really big but James son of altheists who's not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament is about that big and we can you see the foundations tottering already you know you've got the idea here the 12 foundation layers are all the same and so nobody gets a bigger foundation stone just because they had more press in the gospels or more ink in the gospels I think that's that's an encouragement encouragement Peter's well-known service in the book of acts is not rewarded anymore in this way than Nathaniel Thaddeus you know they're all recognized for faithfulness and and from what we know of these men with obviously the exception of Judas they were all faithful and so they will be rewarded for that not for how they were used but the fact that they were faithful in whatever God wanted to do with them okay that's an encouragement because you know it doesn't matter who gets the most upfront time or the most notoriety or the most publicity it's whether or not you're faithful in God's eyes and whatever he's given you to do that determines recognition and reward in heaven yes that's that's an interesting question Judas is going to have a foundation I don't think so I think someone will take Judas's place as they did in the apostolic ban now the real interesting question is who will be on that 12 foundation will it be Matthias the one that the apostles chose an Acts chapter one or will it be Paul and that is a raging debate among Bible students and that is did the early church make a mistake by choosing someone quickly to replace Judas was God's choice all along the apostle Paul it's an interesting debate I don't know that can be settled yes although he fit the criteria that the apostles established in Acts chapter one that he had been with them from the beginning part of the disciples that greater band of disciples I don't know that that can ever really be decided for sure my own personal opinion is that the apostles did not move the apostles did not violate anything in Acts chapter one there's no indication of that God never tells him no no stop and they did pray and seek the will of God before they made the choice you know God could have very easily said no wait but he didn't so I think they were well within their their bounds by choosing the thios but it does raise an interesting question whose name will be on that 12th stone 12 foundation and that's one of those little details you know if I see you snooping around the foundations I'll know why you're looking to see whose name is on there right okay we're going to stop there and we'll get to the sermon on the mount next week we'll talk about the sermon on the mount try to summarize it obviously we can't spend the time on it we'd like to it's not our purpose in this summary study I did a series on the sermon on the mount a few years ago 16 messages so we can't do that so we'll just try to summarize it and give it a little context and then summarize the thrust of the sermon next time all right let's pray