It is written of Jesus and his disciples—And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:13-14, ESV).
Jesus called to him those he desired, enabled them to respond, and he appointed them so that they might be with him and to send them out.
It is certainly true that these men needed Jesus, but they also needed one another, and by their response to the Jesus’ call they constituted themselves a fellowship. Later, when they were ready to go out, “he [Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two” (Mark 6:7, ESV).
This indicates their dependence not only on Jesus, but also on one another. This is why the rest of the New Testament commands church members to bear one another’s burdens, encourage one another, exhort one another, pray for one another, confess our sins to one another, speak the truth in love to one another, admonish one another, build up one another, teach one another, comfort one another, submit to one another, serve one another, patiently bear with one another, be hospitable to one another, greet one another, live in peace with one another, regard one another as more important than ourselves, care for one another, exercise our spiritual gifts to serve one another, be kind and tenderhearted to one another, be devoted to one another, accept one another, forgive one another, and to love one another.
In calling out his church, Jesus had purposes of far reaching importance in his Kingdom. Some of these will only be realized in eternity. But he had one immediate purpose which can and should be fulfilled in the present experience in each of us who claim to be his follower – fellowship. Jesus knows our need for community – a place to belong. He knows our need for friendships that go beyond “Hey. Hi you doing? Nice weather we are having.” He knows our humanity and provided the fulfillment of these needs through the church.
