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Response
Jesus officially selected His twelve disciples in Luke 6:12–16. This group included Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot. Among these twelve, Peter, James, and John appeared to have a closer relationship with Jesus and formed an “inner circle” around Him.
Peter, James, and John were among the earliest followers of Jesus who had been by His side for an extended period (Luke 5:4-11). However, the Bible does not explicitly state why Jesus specifically chose Peter, James, and John to be part of His inner circle. These three individuals were present with Jesus during significant events, witnessing His transfiguration (Mark 9:2-3), observing Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Luke 8:49-56), and accompanying Him during His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-38). Therefore, these three witnessed both the glorious moments and the darkest trials of Jesus, forming a close bond with Him.
It is possible that Peter, James, and John were chosen by Jesus to be part of His inner circle because He intended to prepare them for the leadership roles they would later assume in the early church. Peter, whose nickname meant “the rock,” was the first disciple to confess faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God «And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. », (Matthew 16:16). Despite his denial of Jesus, Peter was restored by the Lord and became a prominent figure in the early church.Church (John 21:15-19). Notably, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter fearlessly preached to the crowd, and the Holy Spirit stirred the hearts of the listeners, leading 3,000 individuals to embrace faith in Jesus on that day «Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. », (Acts 2:41).
James and John, known as the “Sons of Thunder” due to their boldness (Mark 3:17;Luke 9:54), emerged as prominent leaders in the early church. Both demonstrated readiness to face martyrdom for their faith in Jesus «But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. », (Matthew 20:22), and both endured suffering for Christ. James was the first disciple to be martyred for Christ (Acts 12:1-2), while John was the final of the Twelve to pass away, having been exiled for his faith «I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. », (Revelation 1:9).
Jesus intentionally selected His twelve disciples and also designated His inner circle. Following Christ’s ascension, the eleven remaining apostles were entrusted with the same task: to spread the gospel and disciple all nations (Matthew 4:19).
