That they might be with him

SCRIPTURE:

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Mark 3:14-18

OBSERVATION:

The calling of the disciples was a sacred and special occasion where the Lord specially chose and set apart 12 individuals from diverse backgrounds to be His divinely appointed ambassadors who would continue his ministry to spread the gospel to the very ends of the earth.

And the pattern and purpose of His calling teaches us valuable lessons. Firstly, the Lord appointed them that they might be with him. It was imperative for this ordained disciples to live with Jesus, to see what He did, to feel what He felt, to understand Him personally and know Him in the most intimate way. This relationship was foremost even before any ministry or authority that was given to them.

Secondly, the Lord called them so that they might be sent out to preach. They were to go out and do as Jesus did, to declare the kingdom of God, and call for people everywhere to repent and find God’s mercy through His Son. Even at this early stage, the Lord already impressed on the disciples their primary mission of evangelism.

Thirdly, the Lord called them to give them authority to drive out demons. Later, the disciples also healed the sick in the Lord’s name, but it was primarily in the casting out of demons, that people would realize the divinity and power of their calling. It was through this sign that the people would realize that the kingdom of God had come upon them.

Of the disciples, there were the four famous fishermen and brothers, Peter, James, John and Andrew, a tax collector, Matthew, and a member of a violent political group called the Zealots, Simon. Not much is known of the other disciples, but as a whole, they were common folk, not particularly rich or famous people. The Lord purposely chose such as these to show His divine power and purpose.

APPLICATION:

The first calling of every disciple of Jesus is that we might be with Him. This is our first and foremost priority, to have that close relationship with Jesus. All our service and ministry and whatever we do for the Lord must stem from that relationship. Originally, the term “Christian” was never used by believers themselves. Instead, it was what non-believers called them. The early believers were always disciples. In truth, there is no such thing as a Christian that is not a disciple. Every true Christian is called by Jesus to be His disciple, to learn from Him and obey Him as Lord and Master. And a true disciple must be serious. The Lord has already warned that it is not lip service and not everyone who calls him Lord, Lord will be accepted in the last day!

And our calling to be with Him is to be involved in evangelism, to be involved in preaching the gospel. Not everyone is called to be an evangelist, but everyone is called to be part of the great commission. We may not be able to touch the masses, but we can reach out to our colleagues, our neighbors, our friends. We need first of all to have that desire to reach out, and then pray for God to enable us to follow His leading in bringing others to Him.

Also, it is very important to understand our authority in the Lord Jesus over demons. We are not to fear them, but to know that we have authority over them. This authority is precious, and every child of God has this authority to stand up against any demon in Jesus name!

Remember that the early disciples were simple folk, like fishermen, tax collectors and traders. Whatever we do, whoever we are, God is able to use us as His disciples. Our part is to be available and trust Him to lead us and empower us.

PRAYER:

We praise You and thank You Lord Jesus that You called us to be Your disciples. Help us grow deeper and deeper in knowing You, and give us that strong desire to spend time with You, to seek You and learn from You. Open our eyes to see ways where we may grow and become stronger in our faith. Lead us to become strong disciples for You, we pray. Quicken our hearts and strengthen our will as we seek You. Give us hearts of compassion and courage that we may be able to reach out to others for Your sake. We praise You and love You and worship You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.