February 6th, 2023
by Jon Welch
by Jon Welch
Choosing leaders
As Jesus moves into this new phase, He knows HE must listen carefully to His Father for the movement to expand according to the Father’s master plan. So Jesus called an isolated (maybe even secretive) meeting with His disciples from every area He has been in over the past two years. Probably some 120 disciples move quietly to the mountains of Naphtali just northwest of Capernaum. As they arrive from all over, Jesus climbs to a high spot. What will he do? What will he say? What is the next step?
Read Luke 6:12-19; Mark 3:13-19
Luke 6:12 says that Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing His leaders. What is this telling us? What do you imagine Jesus prayed about all night?
What do you know about these twelve apostles?
What does the text tell us about why and how Jesus chose the leaders? (Mark 3:14-15)
What do you imagine Jesus is feeling during this time?
Jesus must have been excited– the ministry was growing like crazy, and people all over believed Him as the Messiah. The movement was gaining momentum. At this crucial time, Jesus called for His disciples to gather so that he could instruct them in the next step. The air is filled with anticipation as they gather. All must have come anticipating a strategy of liberation from Roman oppression. After all, that was what the Messiah was all about– Liberty. So why was Jesus calling them together? Would Jesus organize them in small assault teams to attack the Romans on the roads? OR would they go to Jerusalem and start the siege from there?
As they are arriving from all over Israel, Jesus climbs to the mountaintop and spends the whole night in prayer, modeling for us the first principle of leadership development– dependency on God. Jesus spends the entire night talking with His dad, seeking His face and asking Him for the next steps. Remember this, or otherwise, you are headed for disaster as you develop leaders. Luke says that Jesus came down the mountain to a level place where there was a large crowd of his disciples. How many were there? I don’t know, but I am guessing 150 or so. We know that Jesus descends to this level place and publicly appoints the first twelve leaders of the movement and gives them the new name of “apostle.” This gives us the second principle in choosing leaders–public appointment. Always appoint leaders in front of other disciples. Jesus shows us another fundamental principle: leaders are selected from the group of disciples, not from the Christ-followers or the new believer group. Leaders are chosen from among the workers or disciples in the movement.
Note also the twofold purpose that Jesus gives for choosing the leaders (Mark 3:14). Go ahead- look back and pick them out. Jesus chooses leaders so that, first of all, they might be with him. He wants to draw them into a closer and more intimate relationship with Him so that they might receive the training in servant leadership that He is ready to offer them. Secondly, He appoints them so that He might send them out to preach. Wow! We call people into leadership to draw them into a more intimate relationship with Jesus, with the end goal of sending them out to preach and make more disciples. You can see that Jesus had a specific goal in mind when He called these twelve men. He wants them to go deeper into who He is and then send them out, depending on the Father, to spread the movement around the world. How will this new movement respond to these appointments? Will these men be accepted as leaders and respected?
For the next several weeks, we will be exploring leadership, Jesus-style. I want to challenge you that this is not just a leadership style for the church but for all of life– leadership in the home, the workplace, and the church. Jesus’ leadership principles may seem upside down at times, but they produce incredible results that glorify the Father.
So what stands out to you as we see Jesus select these leaders? What are the keys to Jesus’ style of choosing leaders, and discuss what character qualities Jesus was looking for in His leaders?
Read Luke 6:12-19; Mark 3:13-19
Luke 6:12 says that Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing His leaders. What is this telling us? What do you imagine Jesus prayed about all night?
What do you know about these twelve apostles?
What does the text tell us about why and how Jesus chose the leaders? (Mark 3:14-15)
What do you imagine Jesus is feeling during this time?
Jesus must have been excited– the ministry was growing like crazy, and people all over believed Him as the Messiah. The movement was gaining momentum. At this crucial time, Jesus called for His disciples to gather so that he could instruct them in the next step. The air is filled with anticipation as they gather. All must have come anticipating a strategy of liberation from Roman oppression. After all, that was what the Messiah was all about– Liberty. So why was Jesus calling them together? Would Jesus organize them in small assault teams to attack the Romans on the roads? OR would they go to Jerusalem and start the siege from there?
As they are arriving from all over Israel, Jesus climbs to the mountaintop and spends the whole night in prayer, modeling for us the first principle of leadership development– dependency on God. Jesus spends the entire night talking with His dad, seeking His face and asking Him for the next steps. Remember this, or otherwise, you are headed for disaster as you develop leaders. Luke says that Jesus came down the mountain to a level place where there was a large crowd of his disciples. How many were there? I don’t know, but I am guessing 150 or so. We know that Jesus descends to this level place and publicly appoints the first twelve leaders of the movement and gives them the new name of “apostle.” This gives us the second principle in choosing leaders–public appointment. Always appoint leaders in front of other disciples. Jesus shows us another fundamental principle: leaders are selected from the group of disciples, not from the Christ-followers or the new believer group. Leaders are chosen from among the workers or disciples in the movement.
Note also the twofold purpose that Jesus gives for choosing the leaders (Mark 3:14). Go ahead- look back and pick them out. Jesus chooses leaders so that, first of all, they might be with him. He wants to draw them into a closer and more intimate relationship with Him so that they might receive the training in servant leadership that He is ready to offer them. Secondly, He appoints them so that He might send them out to preach. Wow! We call people into leadership to draw them into a more intimate relationship with Jesus, with the end goal of sending them out to preach and make more disciples. You can see that Jesus had a specific goal in mind when He called these twelve men. He wants them to go deeper into who He is and then send them out, depending on the Father, to spread the movement around the world. How will this new movement respond to these appointments? Will these men be accepted as leaders and respected?
For the next several weeks, we will be exploring leadership, Jesus-style. I want to challenge you that this is not just a leadership style for the church but for all of life– leadership in the home, the workplace, and the church. Jesus’ leadership principles may seem upside down at times, but they produce incredible results that glorify the Father.
So what stands out to you as we see Jesus select these leaders? What are the keys to Jesus’ style of choosing leaders, and discuss what character qualities Jesus was looking for in His leaders?
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6 Comments
Everything starts w taljing w our Father. It's never our will but His will. Submission and praying for wisdom and guidance.
I believe Jesus chose the right combination of men to get the Will of God done. He knew the way people would react to them they were willing they were weak but they wanted to serve just like we today if we are willing Jesus will lead us to bring others to the father I pray I can be more willing as time is drawing near Godbless those who do this study let's imagine we stand in a huddle and hold each other hands and come out ready to share with others
I think the quality that stands out the most is obedience. When Jesus said come, and follow me- those who actually did- those who left everything behind were the ones he chose. They were willing to follow Jesus and go through the hard times with him. They would eventually be the ones to as Jesus did, lay down their lives. Loyalty and obedience 😊
The combination of people Jesus chose is so on brand for him, honestly :) There seems to be a decent amount of socioeconomic diversity. The fisherman would have been on the poorer, less educated end, I believe. My understanding is the as a tax collector, Matthew would have been fairly wealthy and well-educated, but also considered (understandably) a traitor by his own people. Simon the Zealot was a paramilitary. I lived in Northern Ireland for a while, and as I learned more about its history, I realized Matthew would be like someone working for the British Government and Simon would have been a member of the IRA. It is so beautiful to me that Jesus' calling would bring two such people together. One of many examples of how while others look at the outside, God looks at the heart.
I agree with emily, the various personalities and backgrounds of these guys shows plainly its not about any of that I dont think? Jesus can take a broken person like myself and use me to lead and guide my family, His Church, and spread His message will always be a mystery to me, and a responsibility I embrace and am deeply thankful for.
So my observation is, is that I see that Jesus chose as his leaders every day kind of men. They weren't educated, they weren't in the Jewish elite. Looks like the majority of them were fishermen.
In our reading, we see in Mark chapter 3, verse 15 that he sent them out to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons
As the leader of my home, I should be praying with dd, to have a healthy marriage, praying for my children, praying for my grand kids.
As a friend, I should be praying for people that are my friends.
When I know of family or friends or people in my church that are not well. I should be praying for physical restoration. in Mark chapter 2, there were so many people in the house that a man's friends lowered him down from the roof for Jesus to heal him. Mark chapter 2 verse five says that when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic son, your sins are forgiven you, and then he healed the man, I repeat, Jesus said when he saw their faith, that's the kind of faith I want to have when I pray. I believe that is a big part of leader ship.