There is a LOT going on in this lengthy chapter, but I want to look at only the first 17 verses – (ok, really just verses 1-6) – for reasons I will explain presently. ⬇️

I had said before that I wasn’t sure if Jesus had 12 + 58 to make 70, or if He had 12 + 70, making 82 apostles (sent ones). The more I have read the texts, they seem to be treated as 2 distinct groups. The numbers 12 and 70 are significant. And I kinda hate to separate talking about them, but I think it will be for the best.

We haven’t gotten to Luke 10 yet and that is the only Gospel that records the sending of the 70. But, chronologically, it happens right after the Transfiguration. And, even though the Transfiguration is recorded in today’s reading of Luke 9, there is a LOT that Luke leaves out between the feeding of the 5000 and Peter’s Confession of Jesus being the Messiah:

• The Discourse on the Bread of Life
• More miracles
• Rebuking the Pharisees
• Jesus tours Phoenicia and visits Decapolis
• Feeding of the 4000
• Blind man healed at Bethsaida
• Jesus goes to Caesarea-Philippi

So, I am going to hold off on writing about the Peter’s Confession, Transfiguration, and the Sending of the 70 (because they are ALL connected) until we read Mark and Matthew’s accounts next week. When we do, I will include the content of Luke 9:18-62. It will make much more sense then.

SENDING OUT THE 12

Jesus sent the 12 strictly to the Jews.

“These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Twelve Apostles.

Twelve tribes of Israel.

This is the part of the story that Paul says is “To the Jew first…”

Abraham and his family were uniquely created by Yahweh to help the rest of the nations find their way back to Him after the global rebellion that was The Tower of Babel. And they did do that, in a very flawed way.

But as we have read over the past several months, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel themselves wandered away from Yahweh more times than not.

So when the Son of God comes to initiate the reclaiming of the all the nations from the influence of the fallen rebel realm, His first priority is to reestablish the role of Israel as “a light to the Gentiles,” (Is. 42:6). This text was about Jesus (Lk. 2:32), but Paul also understood its broader application; that the Jews were to be Yahweh’s light to the nations. Look how he uses it when speaking to a hostile Jewish audience in Antioch of Pisidia (that’s a different Antioch than the one in Syria).

Paul is on Sabbath #2 of proclaiming Jesus to an audience of Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism. But many of the Jews were jealous of the response of the people to the New Covenant Gospel. On this second Sabbath teaching, nearly the entire CITY shows up to listen.

I know something of this jealousy.

I’ve spent my entire life practicing, developing, and using my musical abilities. I’ve taken hours and hours of courses, received critique, and worked very hard to fix the flaws. And our team works hard to be prepared every week. We always cover the worship time and the whole service in prayer. We are there to pour out our hearts and give our very best.

But…put a bunch of fidgeting 3-5 year olds on the platform to sing off key and miss half the lyrics (which they don’t even understand), and they will pack the house. Parents and grandparents and 3rd cousins twice removed will show up enthusiastically, cameras at the ready. Smiling faces, SO excited to be at church!!

If the Jewish leaders in Antioch of Pisidia were anything like me, they may possibly have plastered a patient smile on their faces while wondering, “What are we? Chopped liver?”

If I let jealousy grow unchecked, I might set myself in opposition to all preschooler singing. Shouldn’t be done. They’re unqualified, etc. That’s what these Jewish people had done toward Paul & Barnabas and their shiny new message about Jesus.

And here’s what Paul says,

“Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭13‬:‭46‬-‭48‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So the Jews were intended to be a light to the nations. But first, their candle needs to be lit before they can light anyone else’s.

So Jesus sends 12 Apostles to the 12 tribes.

The 12 sons of Israel were like the Founding Fathers of the nation. The 12 Apostles are about to become the new Founding Fathers of a new nation.

But before they can go out to start lighting candles, they have to be equipped.

Remember how on the game The Oregon Trail, before you start, you have to be outfitted with supplies?

Before they leave, Jesus outfits the group; but not with money and food and extra sets of clothes. He specifically tells them NOT to take any of that.

They are given spiritual “equipment” instead.

“One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus gave them 2 things, dunamis, and exousia. And if we are going to be a light in the darkness around us, we’re going to need this equipment too.

We have already met this word in the healing of the bleeding woman. This is the raw, miraculous, power of God that can rewrite DNA, straighten twisted limbs, and raise the dead.

This kind of “power” is political or legal power. It is delegated authority to bring something about. Jesus delegated His own Divine authority over demonic spirits to His apostles. They would exercise the authority of Christ on His behalf. He has trained and prepared them for this and He would not have delegated this level of power if He did not trust them to use it for His stated purpose of announcing the Kingdom of God.

The announcing of the Kingdom wasn’t just talk. It was action.

The disciples would need BOTH dunamis and exousia to carry out their assignment.

A politician can SAY all day long that he is going to “crack down on crime,” but the citizens could still be getting mugged and murdered every day. The way you “announce” a new administration that means business is to actually DO stuff. You stop the bad guys and throw them in jail.

THAT is how the Apostles (these young men of high school and college age) are going to “proclaim” that the Kingdom has come and there’s “a new sheriff in town” and they are His deputies. They have both the authority and the raw power to put a stop the bad guys (the demonic spirits) and repair what the bad guys have done – namely, heal the diseases and infirmities caused by their mischief. They’re going to DO stuff to prove their message isn’t just talk.

We know from the Book of Acts that this kind of power was not limited to the 12.

• Stephen the Deacon did “great wonders and signs,” Acts 6:8
• Philip the Deacon performed miracles, signs and wonders, Acts 8:4-7, 13. He was also “teleported” many miles 8:39-40.
• Ananias laid hands on the blinded Saul of Tarsus and his sight was restored, Acts 9:17-18
• Agabus was a prophet who accurately foretold the future, Acts 11:28, 21:10-11
• Barnabas performed signs and wonders along with Paul. The text says that these miracles were done “by their hands,” Acts 14:3
• Paul was not one of the 12 and yet he carried this same power and authority and both cast out demons and performed many miracles, including raising the dead.
• Paul instructed the Corinthian believers in 1 Cor. 12-14 about the proper exercising of the gifts of healing, prophecy, and miracles. None of them were “the Apostles,” yet Paul is instructing them on the exercise of these gifts within the church.

I think that much of the Church has for a long time been like a bunch of politicians. A lot of TALK and very little ACTION.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews said that the message of salvation “…was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The miraculous signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Spirit is God’s way of bearing witness to the veracity of the message. They are God’s “stamp of approval”

They are the NT equivalent of the fire from heaven in the OT to show people that this message and the people speaking it are empowered by God Himself.

And THAT is what makes the end-times deception SO bad. False signs and miracles will accompany the preaching of a false gospel and deceive many.

“Look! That preacher healed a man who got up out of a wheelchair! He must be a man of God and whatever he says must be true.”

NOT SO.

We don’t check our brains at the door when we see a miracle. Everything must be tested against the Word of God and we must have spiritual discernment.

If we are going to announce the Kingdom of God to our own generation and push back the darkness of the very real demonic realm, then at the very very least we are going to need to bear the exousia, the authority, of Christ because He has the only authority that counts. Do we really think that Jesus was like – “well, after the Apostles die, then the rest of you are just out of luck and you won’t be able to cast out demons anymore or overturn the harm that they cause in the world.” ?? Do we really think that?

I am personally by no means convinced from scripture that signs, wonders, miracles, healing, and the casting out of demons was meant to be limited to the Apostles or their time.

(For what it’s worth, I also do not subscribe to the Word-Faith view that Christians are supposed to be throwing miracles around like Mardi Gras beads and never meant to be sick a day in their lives or anything less than wildly wealthy. Balance, people. Balance.)

If we detach the spiritual power and authority (which looked like rebuking evil spirits and healing miracles) from the preaching of the Gospel, I wonder if we aren’t taking the engine out of the vehicle.

You or I personally may not be given the gift of performing miracles or healings…

“Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The implied answer is “no.” But just because not everyone is given that gift doesn’t mean that the gift is nonexistent.

May the LORD grant us His dunamis and exousia to accomplish His work of bringing the Kingdom of God into the world – with whatever gift we have been given.