12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. (Luke 6:12-19 KJV)
The Twelve Apostles
In these verses, we see our Lord Jesus in secret, in his inner circle, and in public, and in each setting, he remains consistent with his character.
In secret, Jesus prayed to God (Luke 6:12). Luke frequently mentions Christ’s retreats for private prayer, setting an example for us. Secret prayer is vital for maintaining our communion with God and for the health of our souls. During a time when his enemies were furious and plotting against him, Jesus gave himself to prayer, as David said, “For my love they are my adversaries, but I give myself unto prayer” (Psalm 109:4). He went up to a mountain, seeking solitude, away from distractions. He stayed in prayer all night. While we often think even thirty minutes is long for personal devotion, Jesus remained in prayer for hours, delighting in communion with God and engaging in earnest intercession.
The next morning, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them to be his apostles (Luke 6:13). After spending the night in prayer, one might expect him to rest, but instead, he moved straight into another important task. In serving God, we must make good use of time, letting one act of devotion lead into the next. The selection of the apostles was done with exceptional prayerfulness. Their names are listed again here, as in other Gospels, but the order differs each time, reminding us not to be concerned with rank or position.
The one called Thaddaeus in Mark is called Judas the brother of James here—the same who wrote the Epistle of Jude. Simon, called the Canaanite in Matthew and Mark, is here called Simon the Zealot, likely for his intense devotion. These twelve were greatly privileged to live with Christ and learn from him daily. Yet even among them was Judas, who turned out to be a traitor (Luke 6:16). Christ knew his heart from the beginning and still chose him, showing that his decision was not made in ignorance.
In public, Jesus devoted himself to preaching and healing—his two main ministries (Luke 6:17). He came down from the mountain with the twelve and stood on a level place. A large crowd had gathered—not just his usual disciples, but also people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and even from the coastal regions of Tyre and Sidon. Though Jerusalem had many respected teachers, people traveled long distances to hear Jesus, valuing his teaching above what was locally available.
They came to hear him preach and to be healed (Luke 6:17-18). Some suffered physical illness, others were afflicted by evil spirits, and Jesus healed them all. His power extended both to diseases and to their spiritual causes. Even those without specific ailments wanted to touch him, because power flowed from him and brought healing (Luke 6:19). Everyone who came into contact with him was helped in some way. There is a fullness of grace in Christ—power to heal and restore—and it is available to all who seek him.