How Long Were the Disciples With Jesus Before He Was Sent?

The amount of time that the disciples spent with Jesus before he was sent is a question that has been debated for centuries. While there is no definitive answer, the Bible provides some clues as to how long the disciples were with Jesus.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus called his first disciples while he was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, casting a net into the water and called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). They immediately left their nets and followed him.

Jesus then went on to call two more brothers, James and John. They were also fishermen who were working with their father Zebedee when Jesus called them. Once again, they left everything behind and followed him (Matthew 4:21-22).

From this account in Matthew’s Gospel, it appears that Jesus spent very little time with his disciples before they left everything to follow him. However, this is not the entire story.

In Luke’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus had already been preaching and performing miracles for some time before he called his disciples. In fact, he had already healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39) and had performed many other miraculous healings (Luke 4:40-41).

Therefore, while it may seem like the disciples only spent a short amount of time with Jesus before following him, they likely had already heard about him and witnessed some of his miracles.

After calling his disciples, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee preaching the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 8:1). He also performed many more miracles in their presence.

Jesus’ ministry lasted approximately three years before he was crucified. During this time, he spent a great deal of time teaching his disciples about God’s kingdom and preparing them for their future ministry.

While the amount of time that the disciples spent with Jesus before he was sent may be a matter of debate, what is clear is that their time with him was transformative. They went from fishermen to apostles who would go on to spread the gospel message throughout the world.

In conclusion, while it is difficult to determine exactly how long the disciples spent with Jesus before he was sent, it is clear that their time with him was crucial in shaping their understanding of God’s kingdom and their role in spreading the gospel message.