Luke 6:12-14

In these days [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when the day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles.

Jesus often withdrew to a quiet place for time of prayer with the Father. In this instance it was for a specific purpose: who was to be his apostles? According to the Father's will, Jesus picks out twelve disciples and appoints them to be his apostles.

But why these twelve? Jesus had many disciples, why were these twelve special - set aside for the work of Christ?

Maybe you feel called and set apart specifically for Jesus' work to be done through your life. I feel this way, and until we understand why God chooses us we won't be able to trust him in his decision. There are three important truths I find illustrated in this text:

1) It is not according to our good standing before God.

Jesus had many disciples, many of whom surely had a better understanding of the scripture than these twelve. Jesus did not pray for God to reveal the 12 most righteous men and these would be his apostles. How do I know this? Even Judas Iscariot was among them! For God who knows our past, present, and future it would be ridiculous for Him to choose Judas if it was based on merit.

2)It is not because of their great talent and skill.

Jesus did not pick the greatest orators to be his apostles. They weren't the greatest discerners of truth as we see throughout the gospels. No, these were 12 ordinary men coming from humble backgrounds. They were fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots!

3) It wasn't because they elected themselves as nominees.

These men did not come to Jesus, electing themselves to fulfill the position. Rather Jesus prays for the Father's will before he even addresses the disciples.

It thus important to recognize that God the Father sovereignly chooses who will be His teachers and apostles. It is according merely to His good will, so that He may receive the glory and honor. God picks His team - and it's an odd bunch! It's an unlikely group - they don't have everything nailed down! They have vastly different personalities and skill sets! The one thing they have in common is God's call. It is not, then, merely up to them to complete the task given them, but God himself will bring it to completion through them. The same is true in my calling and in yours. May we not look to ourselves but may we trust in the God who chose us.