Luk 6:13 | KingComments | STEP | Faced with the increasing hatred of the leaders, the Lord seeks solitude for fellowship with His God. So He did when all sought Him to be healed ( ). In all circumstances prayer is the refuge of this dependent Man. Instead of being held back by the hatred of religious leaders, the Lord increases the instruments of grace. He involves others in this work because He wants to reach all people with the gospel through them. He calls His disciples to Himself after a night of prayer. None of the prophets sent by God to His people has called others to him to send them out afterward. He can do that by virtue of His majesty, but He does it as the dependent Man. He knows the will of His Father. Therefore He is not mistaken when He chooses Judas Iscariot. He surrounds Himself here with hearts that are faithful to God, the called ones of His mercy. He calls them “apostles”, which means “sent ones”. He will send them out. He does this a few chapters further and also after He has gone to heaven. As the apostles of the Lamb, they will continue what He began. In every list of the twelve disciples we have in the Gospels, Simon is mentioned first. The Lord gives him the name Peter. That indicates the authority of the Lord. Persons above others have the power to give or change names ( ; ). The second is his brother Andrew. It is beautiful to serve the Lord with a brother. There is a family relationship, a religious relationship and a service relationship. We also see these three relationships with the next two disciples, the brothers James and John. Philip is mentioned as fifth in each enumeration and thus heads the second group of four disciples. This second group consists in each enumeration of the twelve disciples of the same four disciples, whereby the order of the disciples changes. Bartholomew is probably the same as Nathanael who was brought to the Lord by Philip ( ). As a result, there will have been a close relationship between them. Matthew is the author of the Gospel, also known as Levi, the former tax collector. Thomas is also called Didymus, i.e. the twin ( ). That seems to indicate that he has a twin brother. Of his brother we know nothing, of Thomas we know that he has followed the Lord. James, the son of Alphaeus, is the first of the third group of four disciples. In that group is also Simon, the Zealot. The Zealots were followers of Judas the Galilean, who declared that taxes should only be paid to God and not to the Romans. It is remarkable that the Lord makes both Matthew, who collected taxes for the Romans, and Simon, who opposed this, His disciples. Those who are enemies by nature, become friends in their love for the Lord. The Lord also calls Judas. In view of him, he will certainly have spoken with his Father in prayer. When Judas is called, he is not yet a traitor, but he will be.

‏ Luke 6:13

Twelve Disciples Chosen

Faced with the increasing hatred of the leaders, the Lord seeks solitude for fellowship with His God. So He did when all sought Him to be healed (Lk 5:15-16). In all circumstances prayer is the refuge of this dependent Man. Instead of being held back by the hatred of religious leaders, the Lord increases the instruments of grace. He involves others in this work because He wants to reach all people with the gospel through them.

He calls His disciples to Himself after a night of prayer. None of the prophets sent by God to His people has called others to him to send them out afterward. He can do that by virtue of His majesty, but He does it as the dependent Man. He knows the will of His Father. Therefore He is not mistaken when He chooses Judas Iscariot.

He surrounds Himself here with hearts that are faithful to God, the called ones of His mercy. He calls them “apostles”, which means “sent ones”. He will send them out. He does this a few chapters further and also after He has gone to heaven. As the apostles of the Lamb, they will continue what He began.

In every list of the twelve disciples we have in the Gospels, Simon is mentioned first. The Lord gives him the name Peter. That indicates the authority of the Lord. Persons above others have the power to give or change names (Gen 2:19; Dan 1:6-7). The second is his brother Andrew. It is beautiful to serve the Lord with a brother. There is a family relationship, a religious relationship and a service relationship. We also see these three relationships with the next two disciples, the brothers James and John.

Philip is mentioned as fifth in each enumeration and thus heads the second group of four disciples. This second group consists in each enumeration of the twelve disciples of the same four disciples, whereby the order of the disciples changes. Bartholomew is probably the same as Nathanael who was brought to the Lord by Philip (Jn 1:45-50 ; Jn 21:2). As a result, there will have been a close relationship between them. Matthew is the author of the Gospel, also known as Levi, the former tax collector. Thomas is also called Didymus, i.e. the twin (Jn 21:2). That seems to indicate that he has a twin brother. Of his brother we know nothing, of Thomas we know that he has followed the Lord.

James, the son of Alphaeus, is the first of the third group of four disciples. In that group is also Simon, the Zealot. The Zealots were followers of Judas the Galilean, who declared that taxes should only be paid to God and not to the Romans. It is remarkable that the Lord makes both Matthew, who collected taxes for the Romans, and Simon, who opposed this, His disciples. Those who are enemies by nature, become friends in their love for the Lord. The Lord also calls Judas. In view of him, he will certainly have spoken with his Father in prayer. When Judas is called, he is not yet a traitor, but he will be.