Developing Others as Leaders

2.1 Devotion. Jesus Chooses His Disciples

Getting Started

When Jesus chose his disciples, He went with unlikely candidates – fishermen, a thief, a zealot, two rowdy brothers, and even a turncoat tax collector. Despite their outward appearance, Jesus saw something inside of them. He was intentional about who He chose as His disciples (and who He didn’t include in the group). The disciples were entrepreneurial, passionate, uneducated, some might even say rough around the edges – yet Jesus saw past all of that. What potential do you think Jesus saw in these 12 men?

The number 12 was significant to the people of Israel because of their history. In the Old Testament, Jacob had 12 sons, Moses led 12 tribes out of Egypt, and David reigned over 12 territories. Sometimes, leaders will use a symbol to show that a change process is occurring. When Jesus chose 12 disciples, He told the world that he was beginning a “New Israel”, the Kingdom of God. These disciples would go on to carry Jesus’s message of salvation and grace to the world and build the early church.

Jesus later selected from the 12 a group of three as his “inner circle” to pour into more intentionally. While Jesus led and mentored the 12 disciples, He spent considerable time with Peter, James, and John. These three men were exposed to more of Jesus’s teaching and wisdom and also experienced a closer, more intimate relationship with Jesus.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Integrate faith perspectives with personal development and professional practice as a leader. 

Background Information

The following video “Who Were the 12 Apostles?” gives a quick recap of the disciples and how they came to be Jesus’s disciples. Please take a few moments to view.

References

Whiteboard Bible Study. (June 16, 2020). Who were the 12 apostles?.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUeZOF5w-xw(new tab)

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Review the information in the Getting Started section.

3. You may want to refer to your personal Bible for a preferred translation of how Jesus chose His disciples. While the Bible records Jesus selecting His 12 disciples in  Luke 6:12–16(new tab) , you may want to also look at  Mark 1:16–20(new tab) ,  Luke 5:2–11(new tab) , and  John 1:40–42(new tab)  for additional insights.

4. Write a half-page reflection paper (Word document) that shares what you have discovered about how Jesus selected His disciples. What do you think He was looking for in a disciple? What potential do you think He saw in this motley crew? Would He have picked you? Include your thoughts/perspectives on your personal experience with leader identification. What do you look for when assessing potential in leaders?

5. Reflection papers are to be written in accordance with APA Guidelines (7th ed.) including format guidelines. Papers must be logical, well organized, grammatically correct, and have correct spelling and sentence structure.  Write in complete paragraphs.