Luke 9:1 says, Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave the power and authority over all devils, not just a few or the small ones. He gives us the same authority today under the power of the Holy Spirit. He also gave them the power to cure diseases, but it doesn't say all diseases. Through prayer with faith in God, we may have Him heal people who are suffering from diseases today, if it is His will that they be healed. Just as the disciples were given the ability to do these things by the power and under God's guidance, so are we. Verse two adds, And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Jesus sent the disciples to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. As followers of Christ today, we are to share the gospel and help those who are spiritually sick be healed if they accept the gospel. Verse three states, And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. Jesus told them not to take anything with them that they might need, but to go by faith. Matthew Henry says that they were not to go too far away from Jesus when they went, and spiritually we are never to go too far from Jesus when we go to witness, and since rhe Holy Spirit lives within us, as long as we are obedient to Him, we will never be too far away. Verse four adds, And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. Jesus told them to stay in whatever house they were invited to stay in until the departed that area. Jesus did not say find the best house and demand to be lodged there. Sometimes today, when people say they are going to preach the gospel, they seem to believe that only the best will do for them, and want to ensure that they have it before they leave. Verse five continues, And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. Jesus said that if people wouldn't receive the disciples, they were not to attempt to force them to, but were to shake the dust off their feet when they left as a testimony against them. We cannot force people to listen to the gospel today, and that is not our responsibility. We are simply to share the gospel. Verse six concludes, And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. The disciples left, doing what Jesus had told them to do. As followers of Christ today, we must go where God sends us and do what He calls us to do. Verse seven says, Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; Herod was perplexed by what Jesus was doing, because some people said He was John the Baptist come back from the dead. Since Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, it is easy to understand His being perplexed by this thought. People today too often fail to believe Who Jesus really is. Verse eight adds, And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. Others claimed that Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets who had risen again. They were not accepting Jesus for Who He really is. We must acknowledge Jesus by faith as the only begotten Son of God Who died for our sins in order for us to be saved. Verse nine continues, And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. Herod said that since he had John the Baptist beheaded, he wondered Who Jesus was and desired to meet Him. This was more from curiosity than from believing in Jesus. Some people today are curious enough to want to know a little bit more about Jesus, but they, like Herod, never come to Him by faith accepting Him for Who He really is, and that will never bring them salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment