Luke 6:12

Jesus’ choice of the Twelve followed His conflict with the Jewish leaders. Luke implied that that hostility played a part in Jesus’ decision to spend the night in prayer before selecting the apostles. In view of mounting hostility it was imperative that He receive direction from His Father in this choice. A mountain or hill was a traditional place to pray since it provided seclusion and its elevation gave the person praying a special sense of nearness to God. Luke alone mentioned Jesus’ all night prayer vigil. It shows Jesus’ conscious dependence on God, a special emphasis in the third Gospel. The early church followed Jesus’ example (Acts 13:2; Acts 14:23; cf. Acts 1:2; Acts 1:24-26).