And He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out ... (Matthew 10:1-5a)

Very early in His ministry, Jesus called disciples to learn from Him. But they would do more than that—they would go out into the cities and villages ahead of Him and teach and preach and heal. They would get things ready for Him to come there. You could call them His arms and legs. They did the work that a single man could never do.

So early on we see Jesus assembling the body of Christ around Him! These are the people who will serve Him, yes; these are the people who will be eyewitnesses to His suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection. And these are the people who will ultimately carry the Good News to the ends of the earth—to you and to me, so that we can believe.

I am so glad Jesus chose these people! If He had not, how would we know about Him at all? They told us the Good News faithfully, and gave their lives to make sure that we would hear it.

Now it's our turn. Who will hear about Jesus from us?

WE PRAY: Dear Savior, use me so that others will trust in You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* What kind of people did Jesus choose for His disciples?

* Why do you think He chose these kinds of people?

* How is Jesus using you right where you live?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 11-12    Mark 7:1-13

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