Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. Mark 3:13-14 NIV
Jesus chose twelve men that he wanted to be with him, men that could learn from him, then go out and share what they learned, operating in the authority he would give them. The NIV says he “called those he wanted.” This thought brings me back to my younger years in gym class, when the teacher would choose captains and let those kids choose their teams. I imagine that was a painful time for those who seemed to be always chosen last. I mean, everyone could pretty much predict the order the names would be called out. The popular, athletic, fast and strong kids were almost always the first to be called. Everyone wanted the biggest, strongest, most coordinated kids on their team. And the kids who hated gym, who had little athletic ability, no competitive spirit, who would just stand on the field and take up space were always the last two standing. You could see the pain in their eyes as the pool of kids got smaller and smaller. I used to stand there hoping the captains would have enough compassion to shock the class and pick those kids early on, but that never seemed to happen because kids love to win. They were compelled to pick those who they felt had the best chance of helping them succeed.
So who did Jesus choose first? He had hundreds, even thousands of people to choose from, so who were the first 12 named to his team?
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Mark 3:16-19 NIV
We aren’t given a lot of details about all 12 of these men, but let’s take a minute to learn from the details we do know. Simon was first on the list. What do we know about Simon? What was it that Jesus saw in Simon that he desired? Mark tells us Jesus changed his name to Peter, so let’s start with that.
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:15-20 NIV
The name Simon means to hear or to listen. How did Simon know that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God? It was revealed to him by God the Father. In other words, Simon was sensitive to the voice of God. He was someone God could reveal truth to, he listened; and because he listened, Jesus wanted to use Simon. He changed his name to Peter, which means rock. Jesus saw strength and potential in Peter that he could use in building his church.
Let’s look at another account in Peter’s life.
Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. Matthew 26:33-35
Peter desperately wanted to be on Jesus team! It was his passion! And with the best intentions, Peter pledged his loyalty.
Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:69-75 NIV
As we follow the story of Peter through the rest of the New Testament, we know that he made things right with his Lord and lived up to his new name. But let’s note that his life teaches us that God isn’t looking for perfect people, who will never make big mistake, rather God chooses people who listen and have a teachable spirit. Once he finds a person like that, he transforms them into someone he can use to build his church.
Who else did Jesus choose for his team of 12? James son of Zebedee and his brother John and to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder.” I would imagine a son of thunder would be someone with strong reactions and a very outgoing, passionate personality. They sound like men who knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to go for it! That would certainly fit the description of James and John we see in Luke’s account.
And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Luke 9:52-55 NIV
It would also fit this account in Mark 10
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Mark 10:35-39 NIV
This request made the other disciples quite indignant but you have to appreciate the passion of James and John to be so close to Jesus! Like Peter, they desperately wanted to on his team! These three men appear to have been the closest to Jesus. They were the ones he took with him on the mountain when he was transfigured, and they were the ones he invited to pray with him in the garden. And let’s not forget that John is often referred to as “the one Jesus loved.” Of course, we know that Jesus loved them all, but if Jesus had a best friend, it was John. In looking at these three men, it seems that Jesus wants people who are passionate, who take the time to seek God and who want more than anything to be close to him!
Who else made the team of 12? Andrew, a disciple of John, who followed Jesus the minute he heard John declare, “Look, the Lamb of God!” And after spending the day with Jesus, he was so excited, he couldn’t wait to tell his brother!
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. John 1:41-42 NIV
Philip is next on the roster. What do we know about Philip?
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. Acts 8:5-6 NIV
When Philip preached, people listened. But who did Philip listen to?
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, Acts 8:26-27a NIV
The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. Acts 8:29-30 NIV
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:35 NIV
Philip listened to God and he obeyed his instructions immediately. It also appears he was passionate about God’s word. He knew it well and shared it with such excitement that while he listened to God, people listened to Philip.
Let’s look at a few more. Matthew was a tax collector, working a job known for extortion. Nobody expected Jesus to put him his team! And then there’s Thomas, who will be forever remembered for his doubts. But what else do we know about Thomas?
So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” John 11:6-8 NIV
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16 NIV
Thomas was willing to follow Jesus, even if it led to his death! Simon the Zealot also made the list. His name says it all. And the final roster spot went to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus chose men who would passionately follow him. And he placed high value on people who would listen and seek God. He didn’t exclude those with a sinful past or bad reputation. He didn’t dismiss them when they struggled in their faith, denied his name or wrestled with doubt. He surrounded himself with imperfect people who loved him and pledged to follow him whatever the cost. If Jesus was a captain in my gym class, I think he would have selected the kid who was jumping up and down saying, “Pick me! Pick me!”
Are you passionately serving Jesus?