~Wanted, Judas and Friends!!!!~

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve- designating them apostles- that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges,which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.”
Mark 3:13-19

I have been drawn to this passage for weeks and not just because we’ve been doing a life study kind of based on this passage at my church. I decided to really study it this week, which for me means reading it over and over, then looking at the other gospels to compare and letting all of it soak into me.

I’ve been focusing on the gifts these men received: The gift of being with Him, the authority to preach, and the authority to drive out demons. In Matthew 10 it says, He also gave them the authority to heal every disease and sickness. I’m in awe of these things. I believe these are possible and available to anyone who follows Jesus the way these men did.

I don’t know about you, but I rarely read all the names in the Bible. Call me sacrilegious, but I think it’s boring. Forgive me, LORD, for thinking anything’s boring about Your word. He gave these names on purpose. I have been overwhelmed to the point of tears this week as I’ve been studying because I read something I’ve never even understood before. Let me take you back with me as I show you what I read, and maybe you’ve already read this and have gotten it. If you have, please rejoice with me as we read of the incredible person of Jesus Christ. Forgive me as I zig-zag over the passage, but this is how I get things.

“Jesus…called to Him those He wanted….Simon….James….his brother John....Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James….Thaddeus, Simon…and JUDAS ISCARIOT, WHO BETRAYED HIM.”

He gave those gifts and the same authority He gave everyone else to Judas. He knew Judas was going to be key in His death on a cross. And He gave him the same power He gave everyone else. Why?

“Jesus …called to Him those He wanted…” - words of life. Precious words. He wanted Judas to be His friend, His companion, His APOSTLE. And even though Judas betrayed Him, isn’t Christ still glorified thru the person of Judas? His work was accomplished; He made the goal with Judas. Judas may have been an “apostle gone bad”, but you can’t talk about Judas without talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is big to me.

As I realize that Jesus wanted the person who He knew would later betray Him, I look back over the list of names and I see who else Jesus wanted: Simon Peter, the one who knew without uncertainty that he wouldn’t deny Jesus…just before he denied his friend; James and John who fought for self-importance; even the future Doubting Thomas was someone Jesus WANTED.

We don’t often think of Jesus having emotion, not like this. We know He wept when Lazarus died, we know He cried over the city of Jerusalem. But to think that Jesus called people He wanted is something so amazing. What’s also amazing is that THEY CAME. Simon Peter came. James and John came. Thomas doubted Jesus was alive later on, but he still CAME!! And Judas. Bless his heart, he came. He betrayed Jesus for money in the end, but there was a point in his life where Jesus said, “Come” and he went. Not only did he follow Jesus as His disciple, His apostle, but as His friend. Jesus wanted him. With all his faults, Judas was loved and he was WANTED.

I’m very close to tears as I realize the enormity of this. I desperately want to be wanted like this. The story of Judas gives me great hope. The story of the disciples gives me unspeakable joy. Because the 12 of them combined makes up the human race. Do we not fight for self-importance? Do we not say vehemently that “we will” or “we will not” and then we don’t, or we do? Do we not doubt Him, like ALL the time? And maybe we’re not as obvious as Judas, but betrayal comes in many forms. I stand ashamed that I’m all this and more.

This week I’ve been caught off guard by the love of Jesus. I believe the whole Bible is for each of us, what Jesus said there, He says to me personally, as well as you personally, as we read it. It’s my very own love letter from a Holy God. I am called because I am WANTED. I am loved and I have been given authority by God. It’s scary to think that the gifts He gave them are extended to me. That’s the real reason I’ve been pondering this scripture. And in studying that, I have been given a treasure in the middle of the scary. And maybe it’s the key to it not being so scary.

I asked a question on Facebook this week, “If Jesus said to you, “Come”, would you go?” The response, in essence, was, “How can I not?” Oh, beloved, you do have a choice. Following Him requires your whole life, your whole being. No breaks, no vacations, no restroom breaks. I don’t know where my study of this passage is going to lead me. But I do know thing:

I am wanted. And beloved, so are you.

If you ever doubt this, remember Jesus wanted the men who betrayed Him, denied Him and doubted Him to be His friends. You and I have done this and more.

We are in good company.

We are wanted.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
John 15:15-16