12 Students

As Jesus began to preach and teach He gathered to Himself His apostles- those who would follow Him forever as well as the one among them that would end up betraying Him. What's the difference between those called disciples and those called apostles? What made the apostles special?


They were called to follow Jesus personally. They were called to preach that taught to them by the Messiah.


We know that Jacob had twelve sons.
We know that the number twelve is important - there were established twelve tribes of Israel out of Jacob's sons.
Twelve stones signifying the twelve tribes, placed in the ephod.
Exo 39:14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
Twelve oxen.
2Ch 4:14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;
2Ch 4:15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it
Twelve lions.
2Ch 9:19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
Twelve gates, twelve angels.
Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel
Twelve foundations.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Twelve thousands furlongs.
Rev 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
Twelve gates, Twelve pearls.
Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Twelve manner of fruit.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.


Twelve apostles- chosen by Jesus, called by Jesus to a special purpose.


Could Jesus have gone about His ministry without apostles? Yes. He could have, but His plan was for His new covenant message to continue long after He would be called to His death and for that to happen He needed to train up teachers that would carry on His message bring the gospel, the good news, to all. Just as the twelve sons of Jacob became the twelve tribes- Jesus' twelve apostles would go on to multiple converts to Jesus. There was to be a continuation that would expand and keep expanding until Jesus' return. While many have gone to great lengths to destroy Christianity and God's seed, God's hope, God's people and still TODAY continue to wish for its extinction it has never been allowed to perish. With the good news of salvation needing to go to all Jesus needed men to learn from Him directly, to learn from Him intensely, to learn from Him by close association. Did Jesus *school* the Apostles as we imagine schooling? No. But every day they spent with Him He was teaching them and they were learning. Jesus wasn't seeking a multitude of followers to herald His rule, Jesus was seeking the pure in heart to learn of love from Him and carry on that message of love not of secular power.


After His baptism, after His trial of temptation in the wilderness against the devil, Jesus began to preach and very early on in the very beginning of His ministry He began to call His chosen students. Read the following verses...


Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat 4:20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Mat 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
Mat 4:22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.


Mar 1:16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Mar 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
Mar 1:18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
Mar 1:19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
Mar 1:20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.


Joh 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Joh 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
Joh 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
Joh 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Joh 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
Joh 1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Joh 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
Joh 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.


Called. Chosen.

Mat 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Mat 10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Mat 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.


Mar 3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
Mar 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mar 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
Mar 3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.


Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luk 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Luk 6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
Luk 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.


Twelve were chosen as students of Christ who would then in turn become teachers of the message Jesus longed for all to have, the message of Salvation found in Him.


Do you suppose the willingness with which they left all to follow Jesus was because the Holy Spirit was influencing them- opening their eyes to see that Jesus was the promised Messiah? Just imagine it for a moment-- being called to follow Jesus and accepting that call readily willing to forsake everything to do so. Amazing, simply amazing. They has so much to learn and in a way-- unlearn. They, like Jesus, had all been raised under the old covenant way of life. As future Bible studies will show throughout their lives they were being enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to the new covenant ways. This change from old to new was not instantaneous, as I've mentioned before and will more than likely mention again and again. Jesus' ministry lasted 3 years and He initiated the change from one to another and He did so with a very intense ministry leaving room for NO DOUBT that the old covenant was no longer in effect upon His death and resurrection- the veil was torn never to be erected again, the way into the Most Holy Place was made through the sacrifice of our Savior.


As you can tell if you've read several of my recent studies I'm very interested in this link between the old and new covenant and it is something I'm going to be studying for a bit I imagine. There's a certain fascination for me in understanding more fully the change our Savior's birth, life, and death meant for those living in that time and for all ever after then. May God guide my studying, opening my heart to His truths and ONLY His truths, all through the Holy Spirit promised to us who believe and long to live in Him now and forever.


By His grace, in His most amazing love.


Amen.