Jesus did not call just anybody to follow Him; He took it very seriously; for it is written: ‘One of those days Jesus went out to the mountainside to pray, and spent all night praying God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he designated apostles; Simon (whom He named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the zealot, Judas, son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.’ (Luke 6: 12: 16) Some people say that He prayed all night because He did not want Judas Iscariot to be one of the apostles! But that is just a human addition, people like to speculate, to add their thoughts for no specific reason, if it is not written it is not worth quoting, men should not add things to what is written! It is a very bad and dangerous habit that can lead careless minds into trouble!

Jesus Knew before He ever came to earth that Judas would be one of the twelve disciples, and that he would betray Him, just as he knew everything about the other disciples, but it had to be so! He spent time with His Father, for He needed to know whom to call, their appointment was the most serious step in the formation of these men, chosen to preach the Gospel after his return to heaven! ‘For how will they hear without a preacher’? We see later, how important was their ministry in the establishment of the Church, which was born in Jerusalem when, after His ascension, the Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on one hundred and twenty disciples, they remained in Jerusalem, in obedience to the Lord’s command: who, ‘On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised which you have heard me speak about, for John baptised you with water, but in few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 1: 4-5) It is the Holy Spirit that beforehand, revealed through John the Baptist, that Jesus would baptise believers with the Holy Spirit, this was in accord with what God told John the Baptist concerning Christ: ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit (Holy Spirit) come down and remain, it is He who will baptise with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’ (John 1: 33-34) I wonder why so many ministers of the Gospel, bypass and ignore this very important side of Jesus’s ministry, they never mention it. I shall say more about this!

The building of His Church up to this very day, is the most serious and important thing that Jesus has undertaken in obedience to the father’s will, so serious in this work that Jesus is still the one, directly involved, with the personal calling of his disciples, as he said: ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ (Matthew 16: 18) Incidentally, He is building His church on the confession of faith, which Peter made, when He said: ‘You are the Christ, (The Messiah) the Son of the living God.’ So said they all! It is convenient to make one more reference on what is a very important subject, it is found in the epistle to the Ephesians where Paul wrote: ‘It was He, (Jesus) who gave (to the Church) some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service.’ (Ephesians 4: 11-12) It is the responsibility of all Christians to spread the Good News. This was the main reason for their infilling with the Holy Spirit!

Thus, Christ chooses His messengers, long before He calls them, so, it is clear that the choice is made before they are conscious of the call, this is what the apostle Paul writes to Timothy: ‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who had given me strength, that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of the Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus’! (1 Timothy 1:12-14) He said on another occasion, that he was chosen from his mother’s womb! We see through the life and experience of the apostle Paul the unlimited power of the grace of God. He can save the most self-righteous man, just as the worst of sinners!