Appointment of the Twelve Disciples

Leaving His followers to spend the night at the foot of the mountain, Jesus Himself spent the entire night in prayer at some secluded spot in the hills above them (Luke 6:12). It was now probably the late summer of A.D. 29 (see Matt. 5:1). Often Jesus devoted an entire night to prayer. Usually such instances mentioned by the various gospel writers preceded points of decision or crisis in the Saviour's life or ministry.

The night now spent in prayer preceded the ordination of the Twelve, the Sermon on the Mount, and the beginning of the Second Galilean Tour. Jesus specifically called 12 men to Himself. Apparently there was a somewhat larger group of followers, from which the Twelve were selected. None of the Twelve was chosen because of perfection, either in character or in ability. Christ selected men who were willing and able to learn, whose characters might be transformed. All had serious defects when called, but these, by His grace, were removed (except in the case of Judas), and in their place Jesus planted the precious seeds of the divine character that germinated, grew to maturity, and later produced the fruit of a Christlike character (Gal. 5:22, 23). Christ takes men where they are, and, if they are willing and submissive, He transforms them into what He would have them be. He appoints men and women to positions of responsibility, not because He considers them fully prepared for the demands these positions make of them, but because, in reading their hearts, He discerns latent abilities that, under divine guidance, may be encouraged and developed to His glory and to the advancement of His kingdom.