JESUS SENDS OUT THE TWELVE
Mark 6:1-29
Key Verse: Mark 6:7 – “Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.”
We thank God for the great things that He does for us – for each member and for the Church.
(Take a moment to celebrate the graduating students in our midst).
In the name of Jesus, we pray to receive God’s direction in our next steps; that we may glorify God in all our decisions; that our graduation may draw us closer to God and not push us far away. Amen.
What a privilege for us to study Mark’s gospel and learn Jesus, the Servant King. Jesus served the needs of the people through teaching, healing and feeding ministry. We learned about many miracles Jesus did to show God’s Grace to the suffering world. Jesus also served the will of God for our salvation. He was the only acceptable ransome paid for our sins.
Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Today’s passage teaches us about Jesus sending out His disciples into the world to preach that people should repent. The world at that time was dark, unbelieving, and filled with wickedness. Wicked people in Jesus’ hometown rejected Him. The wicked King Herod imprisoned and eventually killed John the baptist for preaching the truth. Yet in the middle of such darkness, Jesus did not stop His ministry. Instead, He raised disciples and sent them out with authority and power, to preach and challenge darkness in the world.
Today’s world, as well, is spiritually dark and confused. Many reject the truth. Many are controlled by sin, fear, pride, and unbelief. But the work of God does not stop because of rejection, opposition, or difficult environments. Jesus is still sending us as individuals and as groups into the world to preach the gospel. May God teach us through this passage how to believe/accept Jesus, depend on God, and work together to preach the gospel. Amen.
1. Faith Is Important (1-6)
Many people from regions where Jesus visited experienced His divine power to heal them and cast out many demons. In the previous sermon, at Capernaum, two people received remarkable miracles from Jesus. The woman with the issue of blood secretly touched Jesus because she had faith in Him, and she was healed. Jairus patiently waited for Jesus to come heal his daughter, and even when he got news that she died, he did not surrender to the power of death, rather, he listened as Jesus encouraged him with the words; “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36). In the end, Jairus’ daughter was raised to life. These two and many others who were blessed by the ministry of Jesus, were blessed because they put their faith in Jesus. Faith is always important if we must experience the divine power of Jesus.
While people from other regions were being blessed by Jesus, some people from Nazareth – Jesus’ hometown – who knew Jesus so well, could not benefit from Jesus’ ministry because they did not believe in Him.
Look at verses 2-3.
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Look at that! Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth. He taught the people like He always did everywhere He went. At first, His people were amazed at His teaching, they recognized His wisdom and power. They also know about many miracles He performed. But suddenly their attitude changed from amazement to contempt. Instead of believing, they were offended and began to question Him: “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son?..”
The people of Nazareth knew Jesus so well; they knew Him as a carpenter, they knew His earthly family. When they saw Jesus with human eyes, they were agitated by emotional feelings and began to take offense at him instead of recognizing him as the Son of God. Because of familiarity and a fixed mindset, they could not accept that He truly was Almighty God with us. They focused only on Jesus’ human background rather than His Divine nature. So they became offended at Him.
Sometimes when we hear the word of God repeatedly, we can lose our spiritual sensitivity. We may begin to treat the Bible as ordinary. We may listen to sermons casually without expectation or faith, and may even become offended when the servant of God addresses our weaknesses. But the word of God remains living and active, capable of bringing great blessings/deliverance to the one who can overcome their fixed mind and believe. Amen.
All the Jews had expected to see the anointed Messiah who was promised to come. The long-awaited Messiah came and visited his hometown and spoke to them the good news of the Kingdom of God. But they despised and rejected him. The best gift was placed in the palms of their hands, but they could not take it. Man’s tragedy is not his human condition; it is his spiritual blindness and lack of faith.
Jesus was not hurt by their rejection. Rather, he understood it in light of the sinful tendency of people to dishonor prophets in their hometowns. Jesus said in verse 4: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
And the consequence of this lack of faith is seen in vs.5. It says that Jesus could not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Jesus has great miraculous power, but unbelief (lack of faith) prevented the people from receiving His blessings. Faith is very important in our relationship with God, and “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” – Heb.11:6.
Sometimes we become like the people who rejected Jesus, and we reject God’s servants. We may be blinded by prejudice and begin to overthink things:
“How can this person teach me?”
“What can I learn from him?”
Brothers and sisters, know this: God often works through ordinary people like you and I. Jesus Himself came as a humble carpenter. And He was rejected, even though He was the Son of God. When we focus on human definition and weakness, we may miss God’s message.
God may raise young leaders, JBF (Junior Bible Fellowship) students, or even our campus Bible students as messengers or testimony sharers, and they will declare some powerful Word of God. But if you do not accept them by faith, and you judge the person, you will miss the divine power of God at work in them.
On the other hand, for you who are rejected when you are doing The Lord’s work, we can learn how to handle rejection, because Jesus was rejected too. You are not the problem. When we are misunderstood or rejected for following Christ, we should remember that Jesus experienced the same thing. So we must not let rejection stop the great assignment that God has assigned us. As we overcome rejection and continue to serve God’s mission, God will do great work through your life and ministry, just as it was in the case with Jesus. Never give up the good work! Amen.
May God help us remove familiarity, prejudice and unbelief from our hearts, so that we can receive the Word of God by faith every time in Jesus’ name. Amen.
2. Fieldwork Training (7-13)
Jesus’ sending out the Twelve is the central event in this passage. It is placed between Jesus’ rejection by his hometown people, and the narrative about the beheading of John the Baptist. These events tell us that the environment Jesus and His disciples worked in was unfavorable, but they did not relent in doing the work of God. The world of our time is very much like that of Jesus’ time in its unbelief and wickedness. Sometimes we wonder what we can do when confronting the evil of this generation. In such a time, Jesus sent the disciples to preach the gospel.
See vs.7 – Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
We can consider this sending out to be a kind of Fieldwork training, or internship.
Today we are celebrating some students who graduated from this University. So far it has been mostly class learning. At this point, you will have to step into your professional world and go practice what you learned. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples had been with Him for sometime. They had listened to His teachings, they saw Him serve others, they also saw Him heal the sick, cast out demons and do many other miracles, but they did not get the chance to practice gospel ministry. This fieldwork moment was a new stage in their training. Until now, the disciples had mostly stayed with Jesus and observed His ministry. Now Jesus wanted them to participate personally in gospel work.
First, Jesus sent them two by two. Why did Jesus send them out two by two for fieldwork training? Jesus knew that in a battle, cooperation is most important. While one dashes toward the enemy bunker, the other must cover him. This truth also applies to spiritual warfare. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
Second, Jesus gave them authority over impure spirits. This is very important. Jesus did not give them money, social status, or worldly influence. He gave them spiritual authority.
The greatest equipment for ministry is not money, appearance, or human ability. The greatest equipment is the authority of Jesus. For Christians today, we have the authority of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Eph.1:13 – And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
Let us declare this: The Holy Spirit is enough for me. Amen.
Many people today depend on money, programs, technology, or outward appearance. But Jesus taught His disciples to depend on God alone.
Look at verses 8-9 – These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.
Jesus instructed them not to take extra supplies for the journey. Why? Jesus wanted them to trust God completely. They were not to depend on money or comfort. They were to depend on God’s provision and power. John 15:5 says: “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
In 2022, I was sent as a Missionary to America. I was still growing as a Bible disciple. I was not excellent in everything, but my Shepherds prayed for me and sent me off by faith. It was also a low possibility mission due to the difficulty in obtaining immigration documents as a young Nigerian man. But thank God Who made a way for me to cross the Atlantic ocean and now I am serving American Bible students. Glory be to God. Amen.
When believers pray together, preach together, and encourage one another, God works powerfully among them.
This summer, let us take up this fieldwork training to practice the Word of God that we have learned. Bible students must grow to become Bible teachers. The young generation must grow into confident missionaries of the gospel. Those who are actively preaching the gospel on campus can help others who struggle. There’s a lot we can achieve, if we work together. We can pair up two by two, and help our less experienced members step by step as we go out to preach the gospel. Notice that Jesus sent His disciples by faith, even though they were spiritually young. They had been with him for only a short time. They were often fearful. They did not yet know how to pray. Still, Jesus sent them out for a short-term mission. Jesus did so by faith in God Almighty who was with them to protect them and use them. We need this kind of faith to send young people out into the mission field, even for short-term missions. They may be young spiritually, but we must see them with the eyes of faith, as Jesus does.
This graduation season, some graduates who have been with us during their student days will go to various places for further study or to begin their professional careers. We must send them with faith that God will be with them and use them. Who knows? They may become missionaries and chapter pioneers in the future.
With this spirit of two by two coworking, with faith and prayer, we will be fruitful in our mission to save many lost sheep. Remember, and believe, that Jesus has empowered us with His Holy Spirit. Jesus still gives us power to drive out demons in His name. So go with faith, preach and deliver the oppressed. Amen.
See vs.11: “If any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.”
Jesus knew that not everyone would accept the gospel. The disciples were not to become discouraged or distracted by rejection. They were to continue preaching faithfully.
This is important for us today. Society may not welcome the gospel message. Some may mock Christianity or reject biblical truth. But we must not lose focus. We must rather obey Jesus’ great commission and continue preaching Christ faithfully. And by the grace of God, the result of our obedience will be similar to the success which the disciples experienced. Look at verses 12-13: “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
When the disciples obeyed Jesus, God’s power worked through them. Demons were driven out. Sick people were healed. The kingdom of God advanced.
May God help us depend on Him alone and boldly preach repentance in our generation. Amen.
3. Stay Faithful In A Dark World (14-29)
Vs.14 – King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
In verses 14-16, we see the impact of Jesus’ ministry spreading everywhere. Even King Herod heard about Jesus. But Herod was disturbed and fearful. Why? Because he had a guilty conscience from his killing of John the Baptist – a man who stayed faithful and confronted the darkness of his time. Herod believed Jesus might be John the Baptist raised from the dead. So Herod could not escape the memory of his sin.
In verses 17-29, we see the dark and immoral generation in which Jesus, the disciples and John the Baptist lived. In such a dark world, John was called to preach the gospel of repentance and show the Messiah to the world. In such a dark world, Jesus did the will of God, preaching that people should repent for the Kingdom of God is near. Mark 1:14b-15 – Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
In this dark world, many people chose to do evil. Herod committed adultery by taking his brother’s wife to become his own wife. But John the Baptist boldly rebuked him and said:
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
John spoke the truth courageously, even though it was dangerous.
John the Baptist teaches us that God’s servants must stand for truth, even in a corrupt society.
Today many people compromise truth to gain acceptance. But John feared God more than man. Herodias hated John because the truth exposed her sin. Eventually, through manipulation and Herod’s pride, John the Baptist was beheaded.
This event shows us the kind of world into which Jesus sent His disciples. It was a world filled with immorality, pride, violence, brutality, and unbelief. Our world today is not very different. And Jesus still sends His people out with the gospel.
Remember, Jesus described believers as sheep among wolves. The world may be dark and dangerous, but we must stay faithful and true to our Lord and Savior Jesus. He still calls us to preach the truth courageously, and this we must do because He is surely with us even till the end of age.
John the Baptist remained faithful until the end. Jesus later described John as a great man. Success in God’s eyes is not comfort or popularity, but faithfulness.
May God help us live as faithful servants of God’s mission like John the Baptist until the end, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Conclusion
Today we learned three important lessons.
First, faith is essential. The people of Nazareth missed God’s blessing because of unbelief and prejudice. We must see Jesus with the eyes of faith, and we will surely be blessed.
Second, Jesus sends His disciples into the world. He teaches us to depend on God alone, preach repentance, and continue serving even when facing rejection.
Third, the world may oppose the gospel, but faithful servants like John the Baptist continue standing for truth until the end.
The world today is spiritually dark, but Jesus still advances His kingdom through His disciples. May God help us become faithful messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Key Verse:
Mark 6:7 – “Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.”