How Jesus Selected His First Disciples

How Did Jesus Select His First Disciples?

Summary: How you can select disciples for the long haul, who produce into the fourth generation, and will preserve the gospel without alteration or addition.

Today, many people think discipleship is only for the few, the brave, the select, but this is not the Master’s attitude.

When Jesus chose disciples, He wasn’t looking for models; He was looking for real people. He chose people who could be changed by His love, and then He sent them out to communicate that His acceptance was available to anyone – even to those whose lives were marked by failure.

We may wonder what Jesus sees in us when He calls us to be His disciples. But we must believe that Jesus accepts us, and, despite our humanity, can use ordinary people just like you and me to do His extraordinary work.

We must understand that discipleship, from salvation and sanctification to glorification, is by God’s grace through faith. The calling of Jesus is gracious and inviting, adventurous and unsettling. But it is a choice – a choice originating with God and fulfilled in simple obedience.

Jesus’ 12 disciples were from all walks of life – fishermen, political activists, tax collectors, common people and uncommon leaders, rich and poor, educated and uneducated.

Of the 12, Jesus’ first disciples were Andrew, John, Peter, and James.

Of these four, two sets were brothers: Andrew and Peter, John and James (Matthew and James – the sons of Alphaeus – may have been brothers as well bringing the total number of those who were brothers to 6 – truly, a band of brothers – a family of families).

These first four disciples were all fishermen: perhaps, even in business together. Zebedee, the father of James and John, would be left with the fishing enterprise along with his servants when his sons followed Jesus (Mark 1:20).

Let’s briefly review the lives of those Jesus chose as His disciples (including Matthias and Paul):

• Peter: Was a fisherman from Galilee who was previously called Simon and was also called Cephas; he was Andrew’s brother; wrote 1st and 2nd Peter; preached the Gospel in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Betania, Italy, and Asia; was afterwards crucified by Nero in Rome.
• Andrew: Was a fisherman from Galilee; was Peter’s brother; brought Peter to Jesus; preached to the Scythians and Thracians; was crucified and buried at Patrae.
• James: The son of Zebedee, brother to John; from Capernaum; referred to by Jesus as one of the sons of thunder; when preaching in Judea, was killed by Herod the tetrarch and was buried there.
• John: The son of Zebedee, brother to James; from Capernaum; referred to by Jesus as one of the sons of thunder and identified as the disciple “whom Jesus loved”; he wrote the Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John; in Asia, was banished by Domitian the king to the isle of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation; died in Ephesus.
• Philip: From Bethsaida; not to be confused with Philip who was one of the seven deacons chosen to help with the food distribution program in the church (Acts 6:5); preached in Phrygia and was crucified and buried in Hierapolis in the time of Domitian.
• Bartholomew: From Cana in Galilee; also known as Nathanael; preached to the Indians, to whom he also gave the Gospel according to Matthew; was crucified and buried in Allanum.
• Thomas: Also called Didymus; possibly a fisherman; often remembered as “Doubting Thomas”; preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians; was killed and buried in Calamene, a city of India.
• Matthew: A tax collector in Capernaum; son of Alphaeus, possibly James’ brother; also known as Levi or the publican; wrote the Gospel of Matthew; died at Hierees, a town of Parthia.
• James: Son of Alphaeus, possibly Matthew’s brother; not to be confused with the son of Zebedee or the author of the Book of James (who was Jesus’ brother); when preaching in Jerusalem was stoned to death by the Jews and was buried there beside the temple.
• Jude: May have taken the name Thaddaeus (“warm-hearted”) because of the infamy that came to be attached to the name Judas; also called Lebbaeus; not to be confused with the author of the Book of Jude who was Jesus’ and James’ brother; preached to the people of Edessa, to all Mesopotamia, and died and was buried at Berytus.
• Simon the Canaanite: From Cana; also called Simon the Zealot (the Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed Rome); the son of Clopas, died and was buried in Jerusalem.
• Judas Iscariot: From Kerioth, and possibly the only Judean among the twelve; was the betrayer of Jesus and committed suicide by hanging himself; we may also forget that while Judas betrayed Jesus, all the disciples abandoned Him; he is called “doomed to destruction” (John 17:12) because he was never saved; when we think of Judas we should also consider our commitment to God and the presence of God’s Spirit within us.
• Matthias: After Jesus’ ascension the 11 Apostles met in the upper room where they were staying and cast lots to decide between two disciples, Matthias and Joseph called Barsabus, who was surnamed Justus. Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot to bring the Apostles number back to 12; was one of the 72 and preached in Jerusalem; died and was buried there.
• Paul: Entered the apostleship a year after the ascension of Christ and beginning at Jerusalem, he advanced as far as Illyricum, Italy and Spain, preaching the Gospel for 35-years. In the time of Nero, he was beheaded and buried at Rome.

Now that we have a clearer picture of these men, let’s review the foundational directives Jesus sets forth for all disciple-makers.

How did Jesus begin?
As was true before every important event in His life, Jesus took time to go off by Himself and pray. Likewise, a disciple-maker must first pray about those he is considering as disciples.

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot” (Luke 6:12-16)

From John 1:35-40, we learn three facets of Jesus’ discipleship process. Jesus:

1. Asked A Question.
2. Initiated The Discipleship Process.
3. Issued An Invitation.

1. Jesus Asked A Question: What Are You Looking For?
It’s an important question and not only the first recorded words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, but the first question a disciple-maker should ask of those he or she is considering discipling. What are you looking for? What’s in your heart? What is your motivation for wanting to be a disciple? In other words, Jesus’ question cuts right to the heart of the matter. The answer to this question reveals the heart’s intent.

Is it that I want to be a disciple so that I can feel appreciated and accepted, to gain significance, to have more friends, for personal meaning, to fulfill my quest for truth, to seek out prosperity or position? What are you looking for? This question, like all the Master’s questions, cuts through all the clutter, the deception, and renders a man spiritually shell-shocked. With laser-like precision, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter.

Remember that John the Baptist called Jesus “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Andrew and John were certainly intrigued and immediately followed Jesus, but these men were already disciples of John the Baptist – men who had previously demonstrated a degree of interest and commitment, a sense of adventure, and at least some understanding of John’s teaching.

Likewise, many want to follow Jesus today for various reasons. Intrigue. Fad. Boredom. Sincerity. But Jesus gave us these three characteristics of what we should look for in a disciple: 1) Obedient to God’s Word: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciple” (John 8:31); 2) Loving: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35); and, 3) Fruitful: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciple” (John 15:8).

Obedience is not optional for those who love Jesus. Jesus said: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Devotion is proven by obedience.

This same standard is applied by the Apostle Paul when he told Timothy that he would face suffering, but to endure. In fact, Paul said that the process of discipleship was like the disciplined and sacrificial lifestyle of soldiers, athletes, and farmers. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

If disciple-makers will consistently follow the Master’s plan of discipleship, the church would expand exponentially as well-taught disciples teach others and commission them, in turn, to teach still others. Disciples must be equipped to pass on their faith; a disciple-makers’ work is not done until a disciple is able to make disciples of others (Ephesians 4:12, 13). It is a sacred trust that should be deposited with those who will faithfully preserve and transmit the Gospel message without alteration or addition.

We often assume that Jesus’ disciples were great men of faith from the first time they met Jesus. But they had to grow in their faith just as all believers do (Mark 14:48-50, 66-72; John 14:1-9; 20:26-29). This is apparently not the only time Jesus called Peter, James, and John to follow Him (chronologically, John 1:35-4 precedes Luke 5:1-11). Although it took time for Jesus’ call and His message to get through, the disciples followed. In the same way, we and those we disciple may question and falter, but we and they must never stop following Jesus.

From Matthew 4:19, we learn that these men already knew Jesus. He had talked to Peter and Andrew previously (John 1:35-42) and had been preaching in the area. When Jesus called them, they knew what kind of man He was and were willing to follow Him. They were not in some hypnotic trance when they followed but had been thoroughly convinced that following Him would change their lives forever. Likewise, as disciple-makers, we should also allow others time to review our lives. Relational discipleship should never be sacrificed at the altar of expediency.

Chronologically, this passage of Scripture takes place before Jesus’ seeing two sets of brothers casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee (compare John 1:35-42 with Matthew 4:18,19). As said, these men had already met Jesus (John 1:40-42). From the Book of Matthew, we learn that much has already taken place in Jesus’ life and ministry: the first miracle, first cleansing of the temple, received at Jerusalem, taught Nicodemus about the second birth, encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, returned to Galilee, rejected at Nazareth, moved to Capernaum, and then we see His response as written by Matthew. The point is simply this: Jesus issued an invitation to Andrew and John, these men followed for a season, went back to their secular work, and later, they left their jobs to follow Him.

It appears that Andrew and John honestly wanted to know more about this man Jesus whom John the Baptist had said so much about – someone John the Baptist reported as: being the One whom the Spirit of God had descended upon; how He would baptize with the Holy Spirit; and, whom John proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Andrew accepted John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus and immediately went to tell his brother, Simon Peter, about Him (Andrew brought Peter to Jesus). Andrew was raised as a fisherman. He left his nets from time to time to follow John the Baptist; it was one of those times that Andrew first met Jesus and later was called of Jesus to be a “fisher of men.”

John was one of the three Jesus singled out for special training (His core group). John was the son of Zebedee, the brother of James. Jesus gave John and his brother James the nickname “Sons of Thunder,” perhaps from an occasion when the brothers asked Jesus for permission to “call fire down from heaven” (Luke 9:54) on a village that had refused to welcome Jesus and the disciples.

Peter, too, was one of the three Jesus singled out for special training. Jesus’ first words to Simon Peter were “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17). His last words to him were “You must follow me” (John 21:22). Every step of the way between those two challenges, Peter never failed to follow – even though he often stumbled.

Lastly, James was one of the three Jesus singled out for special training. Peter, James and John made up this inner core group. Each eventually played a key role in the early church. Peter became a great speaker. John became a major writer. James was the first of the 12 disciples to die for the faith.

2. Jesus Initiated The Discipleship Process
Saint Augustine said that we could not even begin to search for God if God had not already found us. John Wesley calls this prevenient grace – the grace of God and the work of God that moves in our hearts even before we think of turning toward or looking for God. In other words, Andrew and John wouldn’t have been able to follow Jesus if Jesus had not first come into our world. God is always the one who initiates the discipleship process.

When asked by Jesus, “What do you seek?” (John 1:38), Andrew and John respond by saying, “Where are You staying?” – an indirect answer to a direct question. Likewise, many of us don’t know what we are looking for. We don’t know what it is we really want; we just know that there has got to be more to life than what we presently know. We have experienced failure, disappointment, and broken promises. Relationships have failed. Jobs have come and gone. Our lives seem unfulfilled and empty. And we are looking. Then Jesus says, “What do you seek?” He sees through the thin veneer of our lives that others cannot see and poses a penetrating question – a question that catches us off guard, but one which we long to see realized. Jesus says come and see and find the things that will truly make your life worth living – abundant life.

As disciple-makers, we must be willing to help others investigate Jesus’ claim to Himself. We are to follow the Master’s plan, so that we too can say, “Come and see.” People are looking for reality.

3. Jesus Issued An Invitation: Come and See
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12,13)

We must understand that coming to Christ involves more than a sudden decision to “accept” Jesus. Most people will not follow someone they do not know. In becoming a disciple of Christ there will likely be a period of investigation before responding to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to follow Christ.

We must also understand that faith is the expression of a relationship with Christ that is the result of thorough investigation (Heb. 11:1). Words like “conviction” and “assurance” do not come from casual observance or acquaintance.

Jesus invites us to come with Him; too often, we want Jesus to come with us. We want Jesus to fit into our schedules, our activities, our plans, but Jesus says to us, “Come and see.” Our lives become busy, overwhelmingly busy, and yet, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle we hear Jesus’ words, “Come and see.” I may have accepted His teaching, go to church, sing the songs, even serve on the financial committee, but nothing in my lifestyle really changes.

Being a disciple is going with Jesus, not asking Him to go with me. To “Come and See” means that we are following Jesus, going where He goes, doing what He did, walking as He walks, knowing Him and making Him known.

That’s what Andrew and John did – that’s what the 12 did. Their lives were changed. There can be no discipleship if there is more of the same. Discipleship means a radical departure from everything and anything else. Seeing is the other half of the equation.

Jesus did not say “Come and listen”; He said, “Come and see.” And what they would see would change their lives from the inside out and turn the world right side up. Too often, we listen and learn, and learn to listen, and though this is all well and good, we never see anything for ourselves. We become so accustomed to looking for the evidence that we overlook the obvious. Jesus has much to show those who will “Come and see.”

They saw: the blind receive their sight; the lame walk; the lepers cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead raised up; and, the poor have the gospel preached to them (Matthew 11:5).

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25)

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” (John 3:11)

And when we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father:
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ’Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9)

But we can only see these things if we will follow Him. Andrew and John found life abundant. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The reason most believers do not experience the kind of life Andrew and John experienced is because they have not decided to go with Jesus, therefore, they have yet to see.

Come and see is the invitation of Jesus, but it immediately becomes the call of the disciple-maker. The third step of the Master’s plan of discipleship is to extend an invitation to come and see. Come and see and know all the fullness of life in Jesus.

Those Jesus Did Not Choose.
Jesus did not select anyone from the established religious orders: Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians. Certainly, Jesus desired that these people would be born again and follow Him (John 3). Jesus knew that their religious traditions would hinder them from understanding and accepting His message and ministry. Something disciple-makers should be aware of as they prayerfully consider those whom they disciple.

This article was originally posted by Doug Morrell April 2005 on Sermon Central and has received more than 149,406 views.