This summer, during “Our Next Guest” series, the Daily Bible Readings will take you on a journey through the book of Mark. We’ll take an in-depth look at the life of Jesus, introducing you to all of the different guests, themes, and spiritual disciplines Jesus interacted with and practiced throughout the book. Our hope and prayer is that you’ll meet Jesus in new and fresh ways as we journey together through the Gospel according to Mark.
Day Five Mark 3:13-19
13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose:
Simon (whom he named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). Mark 3:13-19 (NLT)
Discover
1. What specific roles does Jesus give these twelve men?
2. What criteria does Jesus use to choose them?
3. What do you learn about the Twelve from verses 16-19?
Respond
Jesus chose a group of twelve men to be His closest followers, and they could not have been more different from one another. Notice the very first task He gave them was to accompany Him, or, in other versions, to be with Him. Think about that for a few minutes. Before we can ever do anything effectively as followers of Jesus, we must first be with Him. We cannot serve, we cannot love, we cannot do the work He has called us to without first sitting at the feet of our great Teacher, knowing Him and learning from Him. Make sure you set aside time in your day to simply be with Jesus.
For Further Learning: Bible Reading Rhythms video with IWU professor Dr. Dave Ward
For Families with Kids at Home
Before we ever do anything for Jesus, we’re called to be with Him, just like the disciples were! Encourage your kids to make space throughout the day to pray, whether that’s before starting the day, as they transition to new activities or breaks in the day, or before bedtime. Emphasize that the win is not to do for Jesus, it’s to be with Jesus.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.