Jesus, the Son of God and the savior of mankind, called his twelve disciples to follow him. The disciples were ordinary men, fishermen and tax collectors, who would later become the foundation of Christianity.
The Calling of the Disciples
One day as Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew casting their nets into the sea. Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
(Matthew 4:19). They immediately left their nets and followed him.
Jesus continued along the shore and saw two other brothers, James and John with their father Zebedee in a boat mending their nets. He called out to them too and they left their father and followed Jesus (Matthew 4:21-22).
Choosing Twelve Disciples
After calling these four disciples, Jesus continued his ministry throughout Galilee. He healed the sick, preached about repentance and forgiveness of sins. As he gained popularity among the people, he chose twelve more disciples to join him.
Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before choosing his twelve apostles (Luke 6:12-13). The twelve apostles were Simon Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John brother of James; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot; Judas Iscariot.
The Role of Disciples
The role of disciples was to follow Jesus closely so that they could learn from him. They were to spread his teachings to others after his departure from this world. They were also given authority over evil spirits (Mark 6:7), power to heal diseases (Luke 9:1), and sent out to preach about repentance (Mark 6:12).
The Betrayal of Judas Iscariot
One of the twelve disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). He led the chief priests and elders to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was arrested and later crucified.
The Great Commission
After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples and gave them a great commission. He instructed them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). This commission is still relevant today as Christians continue to spread the message of salvation throughout the world.
Conclusion
In summary, Jesus called his twelve disciples by simply saying “Follow me”. They left their families, jobs, and everything they knew to follow him.
The disciples were chosen to learn from Jesus, share his teachings with others, and spread the gospel throughout the world. Their obedience and commitment led to a movement that changed the course of history forever.