“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him” (Mark 3:13).
Prior to choosing His twelve disciples Luke pointed out that Jesus spent the night in prayer. He was careful in His selection. No one is an afterthought with God. He chose each of us because He wanted us.
The timing was right for Him to identify the Twelve out of the hundreds. Less than a year remained before His crucifixion and resurrection and He wanted to invest Himself in those who would carry on His mission. This was going to be a critical and dangerous season for Him, with the growing hostility He faced and His immediate focus was the training of the Twelve.
Many of us feel unworthy of the love God has shown us. Yet, what is true of the disciples then is also true of us. He chooses us because He wants us. Our relationship doesn’t begin with our decision to choose Jesus. It begins with His desire to have a relationship with us.
“Those he wanted” expresses far more than a detached theological interest in us. It is personal and affectionate. The Greek word Mark used in this verse, which we translate “wanted,” was used forty-four times in the Greek Old Testament to translate the Hebrew word “chapes.” “Chapes” means “to take pleasure in.” The Greek word was used in Psalm 18:19 “He rescued me because he delighted in me.” To realize that God delights in us is a critical step toward opening up ourselves to a vital, loving relationship with Him.
The apostle expressed this miracle of Jesus choosing us when he quoted Jesus’ words. “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). The wonder of it all is that He not only chose us, He delights in us.
