Called and Chosen

Acts 1:12-26

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Matthias Chosen

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."

18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his dwelling place be desolate,
And let no one live in it';
and,
Let another take his office.'

21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The church began with Christ ascending back to heaven from the lower part of the creation which He came to love in as a man to demonstrate He was both the Son of God and Son of Man (Daniel 7:13, Mark 9:12) to us.  As they waited for God’s presence to come live within each of them, they prayed as one with earnestness and supplication for one another in that upper room together.  There were about a hundred and twenty disciples there as Peter stood up and addressed them all with a matter of importance which needed to be settled.  They needed to replace the hole among their number left by Judas the betrayer whom they had counted among the twelve but who was not one of them.  The scriptures had told them this would happen but also that another needed to be chosen to replace (Psalm 109:8) the son of perdition (John 6:70-71, 17:12) that they kept the chosen number of apostles at twelve like Jesus had planned.  This traitor was described for what he did and what his end was in the Field of Blood which pointed to the necessity of another taking his place among them.  Therefore, they looked among themselves to identify who had walked with Jesus and them from the time John the Baptist called people to repentance through following Jesus all the way to the cross.  This one should be an eyewitness of Jesus Christ and of His words and work which they all had shared in.  Two were selected and Matthias was chosen by lot after much prayer for God to guide the outcome and put in place the man He had prepared for such a time as this.  Matthias was then to take part in that ministry and apostleship (Romans 1:5) as a witness of Christ to replace the fallen one who went to his own place as a result.  Judas had abandoned the place he was to have by Jesus' side as an apostle and therefore his own place became the Field of Blood which the chief priests bought with his thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10) as an ever shameful end for betrayal of the Son of God for such a pittance of silver.  But God knew this all along, having predetermined and foretold it that we might see His sovereign grace in judgment and that we might fear Him with accountability for all we ourselves do to bear witness of Him as we have been chosen to do as His children.  We are called and chosen as well.  This passage describes God’s choosing of the Called and Chosen by the example of the apostles for our instruction.