Luke Part 26: The Twelve Apostles
In Luke chapters four, five and six, the theme of Jesus authority is a major motif. By the authority of Jesus Christ, twelve apostles
are named, which is an implicit reference to their call to minister to the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 21:14 tells us that ultimately, their names will be preserved in the very architecture of Heaven. We are reminded here of the effect of Christ’s authority over the lives of His followers. Our scripture reading for this morning is from Luke 6:12-16, One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).