[12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
(Luke 6)
13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.]
The beginning of the group… the chosen ones who would learn and be taught by him.
These guys were special and most of all they also chose HIM.
[17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,
18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.]
It had to have been a powerful day for all of them. To hear him teach and to see the healings taking place among the crowds, he continued to do this till the time came for him to move closer to the cross.
His Godly power walked with him along with the human part of him.
He got hungry just like the others, and tired. The teaching was hard work along with the healings.
He prepared the men to follow after him and watch and observe all that he had taught them.
The he sent them out to do the same thing.
In Luke 9 it says:
[When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.
4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.
5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.]
It was a preparation of what was to come. He knew the cross was coming and he had to teach till the end.
[18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”]
He knew what was coming and it wasn’t going to be easy for any of them, let’s continue to the cross.
