JD Abshire

Your question: "Why does Jesus say that he chose the disciples?"
The simple answer which is also the explicit teaching of scripture is that he DID choose his disciples, it's a matter of fact.

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him." 
(Matthew 9:9).

"The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me." (John 1:43)

He said similar to Abraham over 2,000 years earlier. "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:" (Genesis 12:1).

Notice He said "follow me", "get thee". These were not mere requests or pleas but effectual, powerful callings by The sovereign God, not to be resisted or refused. This is the way He has always done it and still does.

In John 10 The Lord was present during the annual celebration feast of the Maccabean revolt whereby he and his sons cleansed the temple of Antiacacs Epphines defilement in 164 BC.

Verse 24 begins with: "Then came the Jews round about him........." These were the religious Jews usually identified as such in a negative or derrogatory manner. They were asking Jesus to tell them plainly if he was in fact the Christ (v. 24) In v.25-26 The Lord responded: "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you."

Notice He did not say you are not my sheep because you do not believe. He said "ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep".

v. 27 further explains,
" My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"

Those who are truly called of God, called from above will respond and follow The Lord. He also knows or has an intimate loving relationship with those He called.

John 10:28-30 " And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.I and my Father are one."

April 23 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report