¹⁸ “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”

Like Christ, like Christians. We are an extension of Him in this world, on assignment. Our being sent into the world is rooted in Jesus’ being sent into the world. We are carrying on His mission. The word “sent” in our verse today translates the Greek word “apostello,” the noun from which we get our English word “apostle.” Jesus was the first Apostle, the first “sent one” – “Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession…” (Heb 3:1).

John, interestingly, does not use the noun form of the word “apostellos” as a descriptor of the twelve. But he recorded Jesus later repeating this element of His prayer in commissioning them: “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). They are the “sent ones.”

Matthew and Mark, in writing to their original audience, used the word “apostle” only once each. This paucity of use is understandable, because they were not actually sent out formally until the end of Jesus’ ministry. The gospel writers were using language more in tune with the events as they happened. Luke, as a careful historian used terminology that was more familiar later in the expansion of Christianity – specifically that the original twelve came to be well known as “the apostles.” Thus, he had more of fondness for the word enlisting it six times in his chronicle of the Lord’s life. He stands alone in recording that Jesus did in fact name them “apostles” (Luke 6:13).

In the Book of Acts, Luke continues to use the word, enlisting it twenty-eight times. In the first eleven chapters, he uses the word twenty times referring to the twelve (Judas was replaced by Matthias–Acts 1:26). Then, we discover in Acts 14:4 and 14, that Paul and Barnabas are called apostles, expanding beyond the original 12. The rest of the occurrences in Acts are somewhat ambiguous as to whether the twelve are in mind or more. Luke was not using the word “apostle” carelessly, for the word had come to carry great significance in the early church. Paul and Barnabas carried weight like the original twelve did, though they were not originally part of that group.

Having said this, the original twelve had a unique role that Paul and Barnabas had no part in and this will never change. The twelve were the recognized eye witnesses of the life of Christ from the time of John the Baptist until the ascension (Acts 1:22). No one could be added to that number. It will be their names written on the foundation stones of the new city of God (Rev 21:14), not Paul’s name, not Barnabas’ name. The twelve are the unique “sent ones.”

Lord, thank You for the twelve unique men who were faithful in proclaiming You and Your truth at the foundational stages of the church.