Home > Jesus is God in Mark's Gospel
Crowds were following him, and yet, these were not close friends. It was a lonely time, a dangerous time. Jesus called twelve men to be his special companions. To them he granted power to perform miracles in his name. He gave them the message of the kingdom of God. If something happened to him—and he knew it would—there would be a band to take his message to the world.
Mark 3:13–19 - 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 and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus had spent the night in prayer before appointing the twelve.
Luke 6:12 - In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
“mountain” - The mountain setting of this scene is a deliberate "Sinaitic" parallel. Jesus goes up "on the mountain" and calls to Himself those whom He desired.
“the twelve” - By appointing exactly twelve men, Jesus is acting as the New Lawgiver/Creator. Just as Yahweh established the twelve tribes of Israel, Jesus is establishing the foundation of the New Covenant people.
“have authority to cast out demons” - Jesus gives them authority (exousia) to preach and cast out demons.
Only God can delegate His own unique power to men. The fact that the Twelve could perform miracles in His name confirms that He was the source of that power.