1 Then
He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over
all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He
sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor
bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay
there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city,
shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they departed and went through the
towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that
was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John
had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that
Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen
again. 9 Herod said, “John
I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to
see Him. 10 And the apostles,
when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and
went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called
Bethsaida. 11 But when the
multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to
them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Commentary
Vs. 1-2 1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
The Lord Jesus Christ now calls His twelve disciples to Himself and bestows upon them both power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases (vs. 1). Having done so Jesus tells them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (vs. 2). Now there is a couple of very important things to note. First this was done by Jesus for the very specific purpose of reaching the Israel with the Gospel (Matt. 10:5-8). Thus, the twelve having such power and authority bestowed on them, is not a universal gifting that each and every believer now is granted. For this was done before the Holy Spirit’s outpouring, and thus before His gifting believers individually as He wills (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Second whereas the little girls healing and being restored back to life by Jesus was not to be made well known. Here the Lord Jesus Christ is commanding the twelve who will later be His Apostles in the church, to make sure that all of Israel knows that what they are doing is being done as a witness to them of the Kingdom of God having come to them. For they were God’s people who were clearly versed in God’s works down through history that showed that such things being done by Him was His witness to them that He was amongst them (such as with the prophets Elijah and Elisha and the miracles and such they did amongst them). However that being said, in the later church era, after the Holy Spirit’s outpouring and the Gospel now having a written record of all these events, such things need not occur for ones faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for truly the Kingdom of God is at hand, because it is the Holy Spirit who bears witnesses to all these things, convicting men of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11). Thus, though the Apostles of the early church did such signs and wonders as evidential proof of the Gospel (Rom. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:2-4 etc.), these signs and wonders and healings and raising of the dead need not now occur for anyone to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for we now walk by faith, not be sight (2 Cor. 5:7). For in the last days there will be an upsurge of signs and wonders, but not from God, this time from the devil, who will use lying signs and wonders to deceive the world, and if possible, even the elect! (see Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11)
Vs. 3-5 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
Having empowered and authorized the twelve, Jesus now tells them to take nothing for their journey (vs. 3). Instead as they are preaching the Kingdom of God to Israel to stay with whomever opens their door to them, and not depart from there seeking for themselves “better” lodgings (vs. 4). That said Jesus also says to them: “And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” vs. 5 Thus laying forth a spiritual principal that all believers then and now should follow. For whoever receives one of the least of Jesus Christ’s disciples receives Him, but whoever rejects one of us, also rejects Him (Matt. 10:40-42; Luke 10:16; John 13:20; Heb. 6:10 etc.).
Vs. 6 “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
The twelve then being charged by the Lord Jesus Christ and then empowered by the Holy Spirit now go through the towns of Israel preaching the Gospel everywhere and healing those whom needed healing. They are then by doing so preaching to all of the smaller venues where Jesus Himself could not have reached as a Man in the same time frame.
Vs. 7-9 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him.
Now Herod being the tetrarch (i.e. the appointed governor by Rome) over the Jews also heard of all of these things that Jesus was doing, and yet Herod with all of his interest in the Jews religion could not discern nor perceive that Jesus was the Christ (i.e. Messiah) though all of His works were testifying to Him as such. Thus, his eyes like those who were advisors to him, were only blinded to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, Herod was only perplexed when he heard what Jesus was doing, for he heard it said by some that John the Baptist had risen from the dead and was doing these things; while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and even others were saying that one of the old prophets had risen again. None of which was even close to coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but was like taking wild swings in the dark and hoping to hit something. Now Herod (i.e. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great) knew he had already beheaded John the Baptist, and so both his conscience (if he ever had one) and his curiosity was aroused by the things being done by Jesus. Therefore, he sought to see Him (vs. 9). Later though Herod’s increasing guilt about what he had done to John (or fear about what Jesus was doing and the effect He was having on all people, Luke 13:31-33) would only lead Him to seek to kill Jesus, (as his father once tried to do, Matt. 2:1-21) and yet he would not find Him, nor encounter Him until Jesus’ feigned trial before His Crucifixion on the Cross at Calvary (see Luke 23:1-12).
Vs. 10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
The apostles then having completed their mission, now return to Jesus and tell Him all the things they had done. Now when they returned Jesus took them aside privately away from the crowds and multitudes into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida, for some time of rest and refreshing certainly, but also to prepare them again for more and greater service (vs. 10). Now there were two cities called Bethsaida at that time one was on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee and one was on the eastern shores. Likely they were in the wilderness adjacent to the city of Bethsaida on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (BBC).
Vs. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
However, it wasn’t long before the multitudes of people (who were like people are in every generation spiritually hungry, who are looking for answers to their questions, and solutions for their problems) and so knowing where Jesus had gone with the twelve, they followed Him there. Because when all else in this world fails people turn to God their Creator for help. Therefore, Jesus when He saw them, He received them, and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed all who had need of healing (vs. 11). For the Lord Jesus Christ will turn away no one who honestly seeks Him (see John 6:37-39).
Commentary
Vs. 1-2 1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
The Lord Jesus Christ now calls His twelve disciples to Himself and bestows upon them both power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases (vs. 1). Having done so Jesus tells them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (vs. 2). Now there is a couple of very important things to note. First this was done by Jesus for the very specific purpose of reaching the Israel with the Gospel (Matt. 10:5-8). Thus, the twelve having such power and authority bestowed on them, is not a universal gifting that each and every believer now is granted. For this was done before the Holy Spirit’s outpouring, and thus before His gifting believers individually as He wills (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Second whereas the little girls healing and being restored back to life by Jesus was not to be made well known. Here the Lord Jesus Christ is commanding the twelve who will later be His Apostles in the church, to make sure that all of Israel knows that what they are doing is being done as a witness to them of the Kingdom of God having come to them. For they were God’s people who were clearly versed in God’s works down through history that showed that such things being done by Him was His witness to them that He was amongst them (such as with the prophets Elijah and Elisha and the miracles and such they did amongst them). However that being said, in the later church era, after the Holy Spirit’s outpouring and the Gospel now having a written record of all these events, such things need not occur for ones faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for truly the Kingdom of God is at hand, because it is the Holy Spirit who bears witnesses to all these things, convicting men of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11). Thus, though the Apostles of the early church did such signs and wonders as evidential proof of the Gospel (Rom. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:2-4 etc.), these signs and wonders and healings and raising of the dead need not now occur for anyone to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for we now walk by faith, not be sight (2 Cor. 5:7). For in the last days there will be an upsurge of signs and wonders, but not from God, this time from the devil, who will use lying signs and wonders to deceive the world, and if possible, even the elect! (see Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11)
Vs. 3-5 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 4 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
Having empowered and authorized the twelve, Jesus now tells them to take nothing for their journey (vs. 3). Instead as they are preaching the Kingdom of God to Israel to stay with whomever opens their door to them, and not depart from there seeking for themselves “better” lodgings (vs. 4). That said Jesus also says to them: “And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” vs. 5 Thus laying forth a spiritual principal that all believers then and now should follow. For whoever receives one of the least of Jesus Christ’s disciples receives Him, but whoever rejects one of us, also rejects Him (Matt. 10:40-42; Luke 10:16; John 13:20; Heb. 6:10 etc.).
Vs. 6 “So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
The twelve then being charged by the Lord Jesus Christ and then empowered by the Holy Spirit now go through the towns of Israel preaching the Gospel everywhere and healing those whom needed healing. They are then by doing so preaching to all of the smaller venues where Jesus Himself could not have reached as a Man in the same time frame.
Vs. 7-9 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him.
Now Herod being the tetrarch (i.e. the appointed governor by Rome) over the Jews also heard of all of these things that Jesus was doing, and yet Herod with all of his interest in the Jews religion could not discern nor perceive that Jesus was the Christ (i.e. Messiah) though all of His works were testifying to Him as such. Thus, his eyes like those who were advisors to him, were only blinded to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, Herod was only perplexed when he heard what Jesus was doing, for he heard it said by some that John the Baptist had risen from the dead and was doing these things; while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and even others were saying that one of the old prophets had risen again. None of which was even close to coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but was like taking wild swings in the dark and hoping to hit something. Now Herod (i.e. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great) knew he had already beheaded John the Baptist, and so both his conscience (if he ever had one) and his curiosity was aroused by the things being done by Jesus. Therefore, he sought to see Him (vs. 9). Later though Herod’s increasing guilt about what he had done to John (or fear about what Jesus was doing and the effect He was having on all people, Luke 13:31-33) would only lead Him to seek to kill Jesus, (as his father once tried to do, Matt. 2:1-21) and yet he would not find Him, nor encounter Him until Jesus’ feigned trial before His Crucifixion on the Cross at Calvary (see Luke 23:1-12).
Vs. 10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
The apostles then having completed their mission, now return to Jesus and tell Him all the things they had done. Now when they returned Jesus took them aside privately away from the crowds and multitudes into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida, for some time of rest and refreshing certainly, but also to prepare them again for more and greater service (vs. 10). Now there were two cities called Bethsaida at that time one was on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee and one was on the eastern shores. Likely they were in the wilderness adjacent to the city of Bethsaida on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (BBC).
Vs. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
However, it wasn’t long before the multitudes of people (who were like people are in every generation spiritually hungry, who are looking for answers to their questions, and solutions for their problems) and so knowing where Jesus had gone with the twelve, they followed Him there. Because when all else in this world fails people turn to God their Creator for help. Therefore, Jesus when He saw them, He received them, and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed all who had need of healing (vs. 11). For the Lord Jesus Christ will turn away no one who honestly seeks Him (see John 6:37-39).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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