The Devotional - Jhn07

The Devotional

Comment: Yesterday we saw the LORD select four men, but also in that time frame He selected others. Sometimes when we read scripture it is easy to conjure up ideas that are not real. Even in what I am seeking to say, there can be error so we need to be careful. Sometimes someone can say something that is totally understandable in their personal mind; but when it spills out to the public ear by way of the tongue or the eye by way of and the pen, it falls short of being understood. The selection of the twelve apostles/disciples can leave us wondering how He did this. What I mean is that even though it appears from scripture that the LORD simply walked along and by some magical formula choose these twelve men, is nonsense. By the time of choosing these twelve the LORD had several people who were following Him. Looking at Luke 6:12-13 we read – Now it came to pass in those days that He (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.

Challenge: Many were following the LORD and He was using many to do various things for Him, we can see in Luke’s gospel that the LORD used seventy disciples to go out to every city to prepare the way He would soon go. These disciple were not named yet they return with a good report. (See Luke 10:1-20). The apostles were selected to be eye-witnesses of Jesus. Men who would represent the future church of Jesus Christ. With the exception of one, Judas Iscariot who would betray Him which led to His Crucifixion. These men were approved of God the Father through that all night prayer vigil of Jesus on the mountain. (See also Mark 3:13-19).

Also one more thought about this, the sending out of the seventy was also around the time of selecting from the followers/disciples of Jesus the twelve apostles. Note Matthew’s comments. Matthew 10:1-2a – And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him. He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the apostles are these: (then Matthew, an apostle himself identifies the twelve). Now with all of this considered, maybe we can begin looking at the seven wonderful miracles recorded for us in the Gospel of John. 

John 2:1 – The first thing that comes to mind is, “what third day is the apostle John speaking of?” We can clearly see that there were many days leading up to the selection of His twelve apostles. So it is possible that this wedding took place before the selection of the twelve since John does not mention that the apostles were invited, but His disciples were. Thus the three days can refer to the days past in the selection of four disciples, Peter and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael. So only Jesus and His four (at that time) disciples were invited, including His mother and brothers. 

I have spent a lot of time this morning looking into the LORD’s disciples and apostles, so I will need to draw this devotional to a conclusion. I have a busy morning, but let me say this in closing. The LORD, the Creator of the heavens and the earth is LORD over all created things. Is there than anything too hard or impossible for Him to manage or do? I think we all know the answer to that. 

In our wisdom and knowledge today we can make wine and all sorts of intoxicating drinks, but there is a process and what fully engaged wedding is going to wait for the process? Even if that process was to run out to the nearest wine store, no wedding I know would bare the embarrassment! But the LORD took the water filled pots and with no process of time, turned all six containers into the finest wine anyone ever sipped. This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him – John 2:11. His disciples believed, means that they gained FAITH in Him, are you gaining faith in our Awesome Creator?