Dec 23
31
Old Testament Reading: Malachi 4
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 9:1-6
“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.’ And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” (Luke 9:1–6, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Here in Luke 9:1-6 we hear of Jesus granting power and authority to his twelve apostles so that they could cast out demons and heal. And after granting them this power and authority he then sends them out to “proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” I have three observations about our text to present to you. Firstly, this was the Apostle’s first mission. Secondly, this first mission was, in some respects, an unusual mission. Thirdly, this first mission was a momentous (significant or consequential) mission.
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The Apostles’ First Mission
First, let us see that this was the Apostle’s very first mission.
It was back in Luke 6:12-16 that the twelve apostles were first named. Jesus had been gathering a following ever since he returned from his time of fasting and temptation in the wilderness and from the start of his public ministry. But in Luke 6:12 we read, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor” (Luke 6:12–16, ESV). Jesus has many followers, but these 12 were set apart as prominent and special. They alone were given the title, “apostle.” And so these twelve spent time following Jesus and learning from him. They watched him minister to people. They saw him perform many miracles. They listened carefully to his teaching. And they learned from him in this way knowing that the day would come when they would be sent out as his representatives. After all, that is what the word “apostle” means – it means delegate, ambassador, or messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters, there is a sense in which this is true of every Christian. Every Christian is a disciple or learner of Jesus and is called to be a kind of ambassador of Jesus too. Every Christian is called to “honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks… a reason for the hope that is in [them]; yet [they are to] do it with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV). So all Christians are to learn from Christ and his word and they are to do so knowing that they are to share the wonderful truth of the gospel and the hope that it brings with others too. But with that said, we should not ignore the special and pronounced obligation that ministers of the word of God have to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor should we gloss over the very special role that these twelve apostles of Jesus played in the history of Christ’s church.
These twelve apostles sat at Jesus’ feet and learned from him personally and in the flesh. Their eyes beheld the miracles he performed. They watched him heal the sick. They were in the boat with him when he calmed the stormy sea. They were witnesses to his casting out of demons. They even watched him raise the dead. Though it is true that all Christians are, in a way, called to be messengers or ambassadors for Christ, it would be a serious mistake to diminish the very special role that these apostles of Jesus played or to treat the office that they held as if it were common or ordinary.
It was the twelve who were sent out first.
Notice their number. There were twelve apostles. Those familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures will recognize the significance of this number. How many tribes were there in Old Covenant Isarel? There were twelve. So, when Christ selected twelve apostles, the meaning was clear. These would be the foundation of the Israel of God under the New Covenant. Also, you might remember the spies that were sent out by Moses as recorded in Numbers 13. There were twelve who were sent to space out the land that was promised to Israel. These were to function as the tip of the spear if you will. Things did not go so well for the Old Covenant people of God. Most of these spies lacked faith. Things went much better for these twelve, for they went forth in faith and with the power that Jesus, who is the second and greater Joshua, supplied.
So then, the number twelve is significant. And it is also significant that these twelve were sent out first. If we turn over to Luke 10 we will see that Jesus did not only send out the twelve but would later send out 72 (some manuscripts say 70) on a very similar mission. We will consider this text in detail when we come to it. For now, it is worth noting that it was not only the 12 who were sent, but many others also. The twelve were first. And the twelve were marked off as unique and special. But it would not be the twelve only who were sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom, to heal, and to cast our demons as a demonstration that the power of the kingdom of God had come – other eyewitnesses would be sent out too. .
The instructions given to both of these groups – first the 12 and then the 72 (or 70) were very similar.
Firstly, both groups were commissioned by Christ to heal and cast out demons as they proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:9). As I have said before, it was the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom that was primary – the healing and the casting out of demons was a demonstration that the kingdom of God was near.
Secondly, both groups were instructed to take nothing for their journey. To the twelve Jesus said, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.” (Luke 9:3, ESV). To the 72 (or 70) Jesus said, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road” (Luke 10:3–4, ESV). So, on this initial mission, the apostles and the disciples of Jesus were to travel very light.
Thirdly, both groups were to trust in God’s provision and protection as they relied on the hospitality of others. To the twelve, Christ said “And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart” (Luke 9:4, ESV). And to the 72 (or 70) Christ said, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house” (Luke 10:5–7, ESV).
Fourthly, both groups were warned that not all would warmly receive them. Some would reject them. And they were not to be discouraged or derailed by this. To the twelve Christ said, “And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them” (Luke 9:5, ESV). And to the 72 (or 70) Christ said, “But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town” (Luke 10:10–12, ESV).
As we focus our attention again on the sending of the twelve in Luke 9 we are told in verse 6 that the apostles “departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere” (Luke 9:6, ESV). They went on their own apart from Jesus. It was time for them to fly the nest, to sink or swim. It must have been scary, but they flew the nest. They swam in reliance upon God and Christ.
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A Unique Mission
This was the Apostles’ first mission. Before I move on to highlight the momentous nature of this mission, I think it is important to note its uniqueness. Here I wish to warn against interpreting this text as if it establishes the norm for ministers of the word of God from this day forward. Yes, this mission was momentous. By that I mean it was significant and influential in setting the tone for and shaping the mission of the church moving forward. But it was also unusual and unique in some important respects. The uniqueness and this first mission given to the apostles needs to be highlighted so that we do not err in treating this mission as if it is the standard or norm for the mission of the church from this point onward.
Firstly, we must remember that the apostles were unique (and so were the 72 (or 70), for they too were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection). These twelve apostles were an utterly unique group of men. Yes, Judas was a traitor. Christ knew that from the beginning. And yes, Judas would be replaced by Mattias as recorded in Acts 1:26. By the way, some think that Mattias must have been numbered among the 72 (or 70) that are mentioned in Luke 10. I think that is very likely but hard to prove. And yes, Paul was appointed as an apostle by the resurrected and ascended Christ as one “untimely born” (1 Corinthians 15:8). But with these exceptions, this group of twelve apostles was unique. After Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles) no other apostles were named. The office of apostle was temporary, you see. It consisted of men who were appointed by Christ personally. All of them were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. Most of them walked with Christ very closely in his earthly ministry. The office of apostle was unique and it was temporary.
Friends, there is no apostolic succession that can be traced throughout the history of the church. After the age of the apostles, the church was led by elders (or bishops/pastors) and deacons. These are the two offices that continue in the church to this present day. But there is no office of apostle in the church today, for that office has ceased. And there is no apostolic succession. The office of apostle was unique and confined to the earliest days of the church.
Many have errored on this point of doctrine, and through this error, many other errors have crept into the church. The Roman Catholics teach that there is a form of apostolic succession that can be traced through bishops and popes of the church. Yes, they will acknowledge that there was something foundational and unique about those original apostles who were eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection, but they go on to teach a form of apostolic succession through the bishops. And it is through this error that the error of regarding the pope as the vicar of Christ on earth and of his ability to speak authoritatively the word of God has crept into the Roman system. Other groups claim apostolic succession too, the most prevalent in our time and place being certain Pentecostal groups. Some of these claim to have apostles ministering in their midst even still.
We say no to all forms of apostolic succession. These men and the office they held was unique and temporary. It does not matter if men are connected to them through birth, or through the laying on of hands in ordination. What matters is that we are faithful to teach what Christ, the apostles, and prophets taught and that we are faithful to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper according to Christ’s command. What good is it if a man can demonstrate some external and worldly line of succession if his doctrine and practice deviate from the doctrine and practice taught by Christ and his apostles as recorded in the Holy Scriptures?
The point that I am here making is a simple one. As we read our Bibles we should not think that everything Christ and the apostles did is to be done by us, nor that every power and authority possessed by them will be possessed by us. Why? Because Christ and his apostles were in some ways unique – they were in a class all their own. And this is why Paul described the church as being “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone…” (Ephesians 2:18–22, ESV). A building has one foundation. It is upon the foundation that the structure is built up. Christ, the apostles, and the prophets are the foundation of the church. Those who believe in their word and align with their word are the living stones out of which the church of God is built.
So then, the apostles were a unique group of men. Secondly, we must remember that the power and authority to cast out demons and to heal was uniquely granted to the apostles. “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1–2, ESV). And the same observation can be made concerning the 72 (or 70) from Luke 10:1-12 and 17-20). If the apostolic office was temporary we should not be surprised the miraculous sign gifts that were granted to them were temporary too. That there were others alive in the age of the apostles with miraculous sign gifts is undeniable. But the principle still applies. In these early days of the church – in the days of Christ and in the days of the apostles when the foundation of the church was being laid – power and authority was granted to some to heal and to cast out demons as a sign that the kingdom of God was now present with power. It would be a mistake to assume that this power and authority to cast out demons and to heal would present within the church always.
Thirdly, we must recognize that the instructions given to the apostles (and later to the 72 (or 70) concerning their minister were unique to this moment in time. I mention this because some may look upon this text and conclude that ministers of the word must never own property but must always wander about with “no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money” and with only one tunic, relying only on the hospitality of others” (Luke 9:3, ESV). We know this is not the case, for in Luke 22:35 we find Christ speaking to his apostles, saying, “‘When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.’ And they said, ‘Look, Lord, here are two swords.’ And he said to them, ‘It is enough’” (Luke 22:35–38, ESV). When we compare this passage in Luke 22 with the one we are considering today in Luke 9, we see clearly that the mission given to the apostles in Luke 9 was unique. This was a time of testing. This was a time for training. By going out with no supplies and in utter dependence on those who would show them hospitality, these apostles learned to rely fully upon God for protection and provision – a valuable lesson indeed. It would be a mistake to conclude, however, that this arrangement was to be the norm.
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A Momentous Mission
Having now acknowledged the uniqueness of this first mission of the apostles, let us now consider the momentousness of this mission. Here I wish to emphasize the timeless lessons that were taught to the apostles, and through them, to us, in this first mission of theirs.
Firstly, the apostles of Jesus learned through this experience that they would not only be learners of Jesus but his ambassadors too. Christ had called them, not only to sit at his feet to learn but to be sent out to proclaim the same gospel of the kingdom that he proclaimed. And so it is for the church in every age. We assemble each Lord’s Day to learn from the word of Christ and then we are sent out into the world to testify to his goodness and his grace.
When Christ sent out the 12 initially it was but a foretaste of the commission he would give to them after he died on the cross, rose from the dead, and before he ascended. He would come to them and say, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). In Acts 1:8 we hear Christ speak to his disciples, saying, “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, ESV). In Mark 16 the great commission sounds like this: “Afterward [Jesus] appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs” (Mark 16:14–20, ESV). By the way, some have thought that this ending of Mark teaches that the miraculous sign gifts will always be present within the church. The text says no such thing but seems to limit the miraculous sign gifts to the apostles – to the 11 now that Judas had fallen. These were the ones who were moved from unbelief to belief. These were the ones who” went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” But the main observation I am here making is that the sending out of the 12 in Luke 9 was in preparation for a much greater commissioning yet to come, namely, the great commission that would be issued by Christ to his church through his apostles after he rose from the grave and before he ascended.
Brothers and sisters, do you view yourself as one who has been commissioned? If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are a follower or learner of Jesus – that is true. But disciples of Jesus are also sent. And no, I am not saying that every Christian is called by God to go somewhere other than here. And neither am I saying that every Christian is called to be a minister of the word of God. We all have gifts and callings that differ from one another. But together, as the church, we are on a mission. Together, we are called by Christ to make disciples of all nations, to baptize, and to teach. We do not all have the same role to play, but we do share the same mission. It is the great commission that Christ gave to his disciples of which the little mission of Luke 9 was but a foretaste. I might ask you, how are you contributing to the accomplishment of this mission? Are you giving of your time, your treasures, and your talents to help the church accomplish the mission that Christ has given to her?
The second timeless lesson taught to the apostles (and to us through them) in this first mission of theirs, was that their work would involve the overthrow of Satan’s kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Question: Why were the apostles given power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases? Answer: These miracles were a demonstration or a sign that the kingdom of God was present with power and that the kingdom of Satan was now being overthrown.
Question: How is the kingdom of God advanced? And how is the kingdom of Satan overthrown?
Answer: Not through the casting out of demons or through the healing of diseases, but by the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notice our texts says that Jesus “called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1–2, ESV). And in verse 6 we read, “And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” So then, two activities are mentioned. One, the apostles were sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. Two, they were sent out to preach with the power and authority to perform miracles, namely, to cast out demons and to heal the sick.
Question: What is the relationship between these two activities – the activity of preaching and the performance of these miraculous deeds? Answer: The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God is primary. It is the permanent mission of the church. It is the means through which the kingdom of God is advanced. It is the means through which the kingdom of Satan is overthrown. Sinners are rescued from the kingdom of darkness and are ushered into the kingdom of light through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the Spirit works upon their minds and hearts enabling them to believe upon Christ as he is offered to them in this gospel. The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God is the primary and permanent mission of the church. These miraculous deeds performed by Christ, his apostles, and other disciples of his who were eyewitnesses to his life, death, and resurrection, functioned as signs. They were a visible demonstration – that the kingdom of God was present with power, that it was expanding, and that Satan’s kingdom was being overthrown. What was the relationship between the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom and the miracles? The miracles confirmed the validity of the preaching. The miracles demonstrated visibly the presence of the kingdom of God and the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan which are impossible to perceive with our natural senses.
There is an interesting text in Luke 11. There we are told of Jesus casting out another demon. People could not deny that he was doing this work, and so some who did not believe in him attributed his work to Satan, saying, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons…” (Luke 11:15, ESV). Christ responded, saying, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul…” (Luke 11:17–18, ESV). And a little later he said, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, ESV). Do see the argument? Christ’s claim was that he cast out demons as a demonstration that the kingdom of God had come with power and that Satan’s kingdom was now being laid waste.
The passage I read from the end of Mark also teaches this relationship between the preaching of the apostles and the miracles they performed. Mark 16:20 says, “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20, ESV). Here the miracles are called signs and it said that the purpose of these signs was to confirm the message they proclaimed, namely, the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Nowhere is this relationship between the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom and the miracles performed by Christ and his apostles more clear than in the gospel of John where the miracles of Jesus are often referred to as “signs”.
John 2:11: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11, ESV)
John 2:23: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” (John 2:23, ESV)
John 3:2: “This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”” (John 3:2, ESV)
John 6:2: “And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.” (John 6:2, ESV)
John 6:14: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” (John
John 7:31: “Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, ‘When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?’”
John 9:16: “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was a division among them.”
John 11:47: “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.’”
John 12:18: “The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.”
John 20:30: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book…”
The point I am making is this: signs are never the main thing – signs point to the main thing. And so it was with the miracles that Christ, his apostles, and some of his other disciples performed. The miracles were signs. They were never the main thing, They did point to the main thing, though, which is the presence of the kingdom of God and the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.
So I have said that the second timeless lesson taught to the apostles (and to us through them) in this first mission of theirs, was that their work would involve the overthrow of Satan’s kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Indeed, when Christ commissioned his apostles before his ascension he did not say, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, go therefore and cast out demons and heal the sick. No, this was never the primary mission. Instead, he commissioned his apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. This is done through the preaching of the gospel. And they were also commissioned to baptize these new disciples of Jesus and to teach them to observe all that Christ had commanded. This is how Christ’s kingdom is expanded; this is how Satan’s kingdom is destroyed – through the preaching of the word of God and the administration of the sacraments. The miracles performed by Christ’s apostles and some of his first disciples confirmed that the gospel of the kingdom they preached was true. They demonstrated the presence of God’s kingdom and the overthrow of Satan’s.
The third timeless lesson taught to the apostles (and to us through them) in this first, momentous mission of theirs, was that they would need to go forth with the power that God supplies, trusting ever in God’s provision. The apostles of Christ learned a powerful lesson as they went forth with no money and no supplies – not even a knapsack or a change of clothes. They learned to trust in God. And so we must trust in God too. Even if we live in homes of our own and have money in the bank and food in the pantry, we must trust, not in ourselves, but in the Lord. The concluding remark in the great commission of Matthew 28 reminds us of this too, for there Christ says, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV).
The fourth and final timeless truth taught to the apostles (and to us through them) in this first, momentous mission of theirs, is that not all would receive their word. Many would reject them. This was not to discourage them, and neither should it discourage us. Christ told his apostles to “shake of the dust from their feet as a testimony against” those who rejected their word and to go on to the next town, proclaiming the gospel of peace to all who would listen. We must do the same. We must be faithful to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God to all who will listen and leave the results to God.
