Their Initiation

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/13/2021 9:45 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                    Focus:  “Their Initiation”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matthew 10:1a

 

            Message of the verse:  “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority”

 

            What we are looking at in this first partial verse is the first main-section in MacArthur’s outline from this chapter which only covers Matthew 10:1, and then we will be looking at different sub-sections under this main-section, so this is kind of an introduction.

 

            We begin with a quotation from MacArthur to help us understand the verb “having summoned.”  “The verb behind ‘having summoned’ is proskaleo, a compound of kaleo (to call) and pros (toward, or to).  It is an intense term that means to call someone to oneself in order to confront him face-to-face.  It is used of God’s calling the Gentiles to Himself through the gospel (Acts 2:39) and of His calling His chosen men and entrusting them with proclaiming the gospel (Acts 13:2; 16:10).”

 

            Since we understand this verb better we can now understand that when Jesus “summoned His twelve disciples,” that He was making more than a casual request.  Matthew’s choice of verbs seems to imply that this summoning was connected to an official commissioning to have them go into the Lord’s service.  We see here that Matthew refers to only the twelve as disciples, however in the next verse he calls them apostles.  MacArthur adds “Mathetes (disciples) refers to those who learn under the instruction of a master teacher.  Apostoloi (‘apostles,’ v. 2) refers to qualified representatives who are sent out on a mission.  During their training period, the Twelve were learners and were primarily called ‘disciples,’ but as they ventured forth themselves in obedience to Christ’s commission and in His power, they were most often called apostles.  They still had more to learn before they could be fully sent out to represent their Lord, and it is only their further learning that Jesus next concentrated His attention and effort.”

 

            We now want to look at four general phases in Jesus’ training of the disciples to be apostles, and the first two were already presented in previous chapters of the gospel, and they were their conversion, and their initial calling in order to follow Him.  We have to believe that there were many who came to Jesus as their Messiah and their Lord, early in His ministry, but Jesus handpicked the twelve for special and unique service.  Jesus called them away from their former occupations and then He gave them a completely new vocation, that of catching men as we saw when He called Peter, James and John, but that was only a part of what their service would be for the cause of Christ.

 

            We move onto the third phase, and we can call that phase an internship, which they experienced as they lived with Jesus for three years, to be taught both by His instruction and by His example.  This third phase is what is highlighted in this 10^th chapter of Matthew.  We can also see this in Mark’s account, 6:7 “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.”  What we learn here is that this involved their going out in pairs on short-term assignments to practice what their Lord had been all along teaching them.  Now during this phase of their training they were never far from Jesus, as He closely monitored their progress.  The general lesson of this phase was that they were totally inadequate without Him.  When this short-term and others the disciples returned to Jesus for further training.

 

            You may have figured out that the fourth and final phase happened after the resurrection of Jesus Christ as He returned to heaven after His resurrection. 

 

            MacArthur concludes this section:  “IT is encouraging to realize that Jesus did not call those ‘twelve disciples’ who became apostles on the basis of their innate worthiness or personal capabilities or faithfulness, but solely on the basis of what He could make of them by His own power working through them.  It is a mark of authenticity and honesty that the gospel writers, like all the other Scripture writers, make no effort to mask the faults and shortcomings of God’s people, including those of their most outstanding leaders.  During the disciples’ three years of t raining under Jesus, we see few signs of maturity and reliability but many signs of pettiness and inadequacy.  It is a marvelous insight into the grace of God toward us to see Christ dealing so lovingly and patiently with men who are so weak and unresponsive.”  To that last statement I have to say “Amen!”

 

            Lord willing we will look at a couple of sub-sections in our next SD that fall under this main section.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I continue to trust the Lord to work out His plans for my life, knowing that He is sovereign and has called me to do tasks for His glory.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire not to go ahead of the Lord but to trust His leading in my life.

 

7/13/2021 10:28 AM