-THE LIFE OF CHRIST - THE GALILEAN MINISTRY
-Sending Forth the Apostles by Twos / A Third Tour
-Matt 9:35-11:1; Mark 6:6-13; Luke 9:1-6
-Earlier, Jesus had told His disciples,
concerning the Samaritans, ‘…lift up your eyes and look on
the fields, that they are white for harvest’ (John 4:35b). Here He used
corresponding imagery
regarding the Galileans…with the addition of this sad note: ‘but the
workers are few’ (Mathew
9:37)…Christ
needed help to reach His fellow countrymen”
(Roper, 5, pg 38).
-“These verses contain the reason why Jesus
separated his apostles from himself, and scattered
them among the people. The masses of the people in
Galilee
had been deeply stirred by the
teaching and miracles of Jesus, but they knew not as yet what direction
was to be given to this
popular movement. They were in a bewildered state, like shepherdless
sheep, scattered over
the hills and faint from running” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 363).
-Jesus now sends the apostles out in groups of
two and gives them the ability and authority to cast
out demons and heal the sick.
-“In the first circuit of
Galilee
some of the twelve accompanied Jesus as disciples…; in the second
the twelve were with him as
apostles; in the third they, too, are sent forth as evangelists to
supplement his work” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 362).
-At this point, Jesus gives His apostles some
words of instruction and admonishment:
-They were to go to the Jews, not the Gentiles or Samaritans. Their
message was to be:
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 10:7).
The time for the establishment of the
prophesied kingdom was drawing near. The
miraculous works would confirm that message.
-“It was set up about a year later, on the day of
Pentecost, under the direction of the Holy
Spirit” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 364).
-Their task would not be an easy one. They would be persecuted but
God would still be with
them. Notice Matthew 10:22.
-Verse 24 – Jesus, the master, suffered persecution – the worst yet to come. As
followers
of the
Master, the apostles would also suffer.