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“Jesus appointed the twelve apostles so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach …” (Mk. 3:14 NASB)

Nothing can be more touching than Jesus’ deep longing for a close and personal relationship with His people.  Besides being reminded of our Lord’s desire for us to be with Him, this verse also implies that Jesus is looking for helpers in His work: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Mt. 9:37).  Another reason for the calling of the Twelve is for the continuance of His work of proclaiming the Gospel after He has gone back to the Father.

So, Jesus appointed the Twelve that they might be with Him.  He desires that they might not only hear His wondrous words but see His glorious life, behold His mighty works, weep at His cross, exult at His empty grave, and to become His witnesses in Jerusalem … and to the ends of the earth.  And He appointed the Twelve.  It was therefore not by chance or accident, but by deliberate and careful selection, that Jesus chose a group of the most unlikely people from divergent walks of life and made them His disciples.

The Apostle Paul also pointed out (1 Cor. 1:26-31) that not many who are wise, influential or of noble birth, are called to become Christians.  But that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong.  God deliberately chose the lowly and despised (Acts 4:13) of the world so that in all accomplishments glory will go to Him.

The result: the gospel was proclaimed by the disciples which turned the world upside down (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4; Acts 5:12-6:7)

In Jn. 15:16, Jesus revealed that He had also chosen each one of us and appointed us to go and bear fruit (save souls).  Jesus calls us first to be with Him and only secondly to send us forth.  Our response can only be similar to the Twelve and not choose to remain in quiet disobedience or turn back and not follow Jesus any more like “many of His disciples” (Jn. 6:66).

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” (Jn. 20:21).  Let us go for Jesus is saying: “So send I you!”