Jesus Chose

What Did Jesus Do?

And when the day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve…
Luke 6.13

From the called, from the elect, Jesus selected, or chose, twelve. From the many who the Spirit called to receive Christ and become His disciples, the few were chosen. Actually, it might not be quite accurate to say that twelve were chosen from the elect, for Judas was of the twelve, but we would hardly consider him to be numbered among God’s elect, unless we extend the meaning of election to include those whom God has elected for destruction. Traditionally the elect are understood to be those God has chosen for salvation in Christ Jesus from before the foundations of the earth were laid. (See Ephesians 1.3-10) Those “elected” by God for destruction would more commonly be known as the damned.

But let us confine ourselves today to the elect and the chosen. Election is totally in the hands of the Father, and he concluded the work of election in the distant, before the beginning, recesses of eternity past. But choosing from among the elect the Father left to the Son. The Son spent much time in prayer with the Father before making His choices (Luke 6.13), but the Bible is quite clear that the choice was up to Jesus. That Judas was included in the twelve makes it quite clear that the choosing was not in the least random. Jesus knew well the strengths and weaknesses of each of His apostles. He knew who would betray. He knew who would doubt. He knew who would deny. He knew who would desert. And, knowing, Jesus called them all, betrayer, doubter, denier, deserters. For, there was work, kingdom work, Church founding work, Body of Christ building work, for the twelve to accomplish apart from the betraying, doubting, denying, and deserting.

And the thing is, the work continues, though the twelve are long gone. And so it remains necessary among the elect for choosing to go on. The work of the kingdom today is no less important than the work of the kingdom in the First Century. And equal care, deliberation, and prayer should go into the process of choosing those Christ still chooses from among His disciples for the work that needs to be done.

Let us be clear on this, we are not selectors, we do not determine who is among the elect. But the Lord still needs His Church to choose from His disciples those who will take up such offices as necessary to keep the Body of Christ going and growing. (See Ephesians 4.11 for some of the offices Christ established for the equipping of His saints) Disciples are not electors, but we are to be choosers. The sad state of many congregations and denominations shows that for many years there has been much ill-informed and thoughtless choosing.

The choosing must be taken most seriously, so much rests with our choices. And we cannot refuse to choose, kingdom work needs to be done, workers need to be chosen. When choosing it is absolutely essential that we know what the Word of God says about what is required of the chosen, and that we search out in earnest prayer the Father’s guidance in our choosing. That’s what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4