The Twelve

As another Sabbath approached, Jesus went into the synagogue to worship. As He entered He saw a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees were eager to catch Him in a trap on the Sabbath, but Jesus knew this and would not be stopped from doing good to a man in need. After this, Jesus and His followers went over to a mountain where He spoke words of encouragement to them and chose twelve of them to become His disciples. These twelve men would follow Him everywhere and learn what it truly meant to live a life that is honorable to God.

Last time we heard about some amazing friends who went to extraordinary lengths to help their paralyzed friend get the healing he needed. Jesus saw their faith and not only healed the man but forgave his sins also. It was an act that shocked and offended the religious leaders, as Jesus was claiming He had the authority that only God has. We also heard how Jesus again stirred the anger of the Pharisees when he called Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. Jesus made it clear to them that He had come to heal the sick and help the sinner, not the righteous. Today we’ll hear how Jesus finally assembles his group of twelve disciples. None of the men are obvious choices, and many seem downright foolish. But as we’ll discover, this was God’s plan all along – to show His glory to the world through the foolish and weak.