“Now it came to pass in those days that 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: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor. And (1) HE CAME DOWN WITH THEM (His Church) and stood on a level place with (2) A CROWD OF HIS DISCIPLES and a (3) GREAT MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE…who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases…” (Luke 6:12-17) Notice three groups of people were there.
Jesus continued all night in prayer because He was about to do something very important. He was about to set the “Body of Christ,” His church, in order! “…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:17-18, 22-23)
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, ARE ONE BODY, SO ALSO IS CHRIST. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact THE BODY IS NOT ONE MEMBER BUT MANY…But now GOD HAS SET THE MEMBERS, each one of them, in the body JUST AS HE PLEASED…Now YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, and members individually.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 18, 27)
Christ’s Church was established here but did not really begin to function until the day of Pentecost!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham