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Let these men Go


John 18:8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."
 
This is ironic. Jesus hadn't lost any of his men. Except Judas of course. Judas was chosen to be the betrayer. Think about that. 

If you read the Bible on a regular basis you have noticed that we don't see Jesus calling all of his men. We see him walking on the shore calling the four fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James and John. We see him calling Levi (Matthew) the tax man. And we see him calling Nathanael (which some believe to be Bartholomew). However, we don't actually see him calling the other eight. We know that he chose them because he says so in John 15. Though at this point Judas had already left to begin the betrayal. 

We know that the 11 remaining men were his choice group. These were chosen for an immensely incredible task. Yet they are relatively obscure in the gospels. They are always a part of the whole and seldom singled out. Peter says and does a lot. James and John want to call fire from heaven on a Samaritan town. Tomas doubts, Andrew and Phillip bring people to Jesus and Phillip knows how much bread and fish they have just before the big miracle. Simon the zealot never speaks nor do we know much about him. 

The list of disciples appears in differing orders and with differing names in each of the synoptic gospels. John doesn't have a list. But it's John that tells us about Nathanael. 

This was the group that Jesus chose to begin what he called the church. "Church" means "called out group". And what a group it was. They always were slow to understand and also wondering which of them was going to be the greatest in Jesus kingdom. They weren't a group that most would have chosen to become the foundation of an eternal structure. But Jesus chose them. Though all but John died a martyr's death in virtual obscurity, they were the chosen. 

They give people like you and me hope. We too are people of obscurity. Not many know us. Yet the master has chosen us for a great task. We are chosen to take the message that they took to a dying and indifferent world. Whether the masses pay attention or not, our job is clearly defined in Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
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