Dear Christian friends:

We like it when someone chooses us for a special honor and gives us an important duty or responsibility. Charlie Kotal knows what I mean because in 1977 he was elected president of ILDA. Last year President Kuntz chose him to serve on the Special Ministries Committee of our Southern California District. Also you who have been elected to offices in our congregation, you know what I mean. We like it when someone or some organization notices us and chooses us and gives us an important responsibility.

In our text Jesus talks about that idea. He has chosen us to be His disciples and He has given important responsibility to us. Jesus honors each one of us very highly. Jesus says to you and to me, "I have chosen you and appointed you." (verse 16)


Jesus has chosen you to be His dear friends, His disciples.

Jesus in our text says to His first 12 disciples, "I have chosen you." Jesus says the same to you and me: "I have chosen you." (verse 16) Jesus honors each one of us very highly. You cannot receive higher honor than this.

We do not deserve this high honor. When the deaf Lutherans elected Charlie President of ILDA they did that because he deserved that honor and office. He has been working hard for ILDA and he is a faithful leader. He has talents. He is worthy of that office. But we Christians are not worthy to be Jesus' friends. Why? Because we are sinners. Jesus shows great love and mercy to us in choosing us. In our text Jesus says to the 12 disciples, "You did not choose Me." (verse 16) Like the 12 disciples we did not choose Jesus. We can't choose Jesus because we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) We are worse than dead, we are enemies of God by nature. (Romans 5:6) Nevertheless, Jesus chose us because He loved us and pitied us.

How could Jesus choose sinners and let them become His friends? Does He agree with sinners and enemies? No! He is God. He is holy. He can't agree with sinners. But one thing He could do. What is that? He gave His life for His enemies, the sinners. (verse 9) He takes away their sin and enmity by forgiving their sins. He can forgive their sins because He suffered and died on the cross for their sins. He has earned forgiveness of sins for all by His death and resurrection. We who were dead in trespasses and sins He has made alive! (Ephesians 2:1) Through the forgiveness of sins He gives us faith and new life, love for Him. We did not choose Him, but He chose us. We didn't want Him, but He wanted us! Because Jesus has chosen us, we are now His friends. Truly Jesus give us a high honor!

Jesus does even more wonderful things for us. He appoints us. He said to His disciples, "I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." (verse 16)

Jesus appoints us to bear fruit. He gives us the life, the ability to be fruitful, productive people. This we heard also last Sunday when our text was part of this chapter. Jesus said to His disciples, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit." (verse 5)

The fruit Jesus wants from us is love and all the various holy works of love. He says to His disciples, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (verses 12 and 17) Because Jesus has chosen us to become His friends we now love Him and love one another. We are no more selfish and proud like before or like the unbelievers. We, like Jesus, show love and pity to others, also to our enemies. We, like Jesus, try to make the enemies become friends of Jesus and friends of us. That is why we share the Good News with others. We support our church's preaching. We tell others about Jesus, our only Savior and hope they will believe in Jesus, too. We support world missions.

Jesus reminds us that we have great joy when we accept this responsibility and bear the fruits of love. We feel very happy and satisfied when we obey His command. Jesus said to His disciples, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (verse 11) We have true happiness and satisfaction when Jesus' love lives in us and remains in us and we love Jesus and also love others.

Much of our joy is in knowing that our work for Jesus will remain forever. Jesus says in our text that our fruit “should remain." (verse 16) Other things we do will not remain. One little verse says:

"Only what's done for Christ will last;
All other things will soon be past."

Last Sunday and Monday evenings the drama of "The Third Reich" was shown on T.V. Hitler told his architect, Albert Speer, that he wanted him to design a new Berlin whose buildings would last a thousand years. Hitler wanted the world to remember his work. We all want people to remember our work long after we have died. Many works are quickly forgotten, but the good works we do for Jesus will never be forgotten. God will remember them always as will all of God's people. That is part of our great joy in being ordained under Jesus.

True it is not easy work or responsibility which Jesus gives us. Jesus knows that. That's why He tells us to pray for wisdom and help, and He promises that His Father in heaven will hear and answer your prayers. (verse 16c) So don't forget to pray!

More important - remember that Jesus gives us the life and power to love others. We need to remember that because we are still sinners. True, we are chosen forgiven and appointed, but we daily forget and do not love one another as we should. We need to stay joined with Jesus like the branch with the vine. (verse 9-10) Jesus loves us and daily forgives us. His love and forgiveness enables us to love and forgive and help others.

Amen.