King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 24 notes
1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
How did he do this? How did he give or impart this power?
I believe by proclamation or speaking. He might have said something like this:
Go, I give you power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the Enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt thee.
Just like he gave the Great Commission, so here he sends his disciples two by two, though alive...
In the Acts of the Apostles, such commissioning was by laying on of hands... Just like Paul was commissioned by laying on of hands of his friends.
Or I think the church commissioned some people by laying on of hands and praying, if I'm not mistaken.
3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5And 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.
6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7Now 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;
8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
Jesus's fame had now spread to the corridors of power... Herod now desired him.
10And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
The kingdom of God is so vast... There was always something new to teach... Even up until this moment.
12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
These people came to a desert place, where they had no acquaintance, to hear Jesus and to hear the truth of the kingdom 👑.
The word of truth was indeed rare.
Yet today the word is all over, and even disdained, and the enemy steals the word out of people's hearts 💕 a lot, so it bears not fruit 🥝.
13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
Likely this was for the disciples themselves for the evening 🌃.
They were in a desert 🏜 place so they could retreat and rest, but that was not to be... But by evening everyone has to go home...
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
These people had not bothered about food 🍲; they just wanted to hear the truth and to hear this prophet, Christ.
They indeed sought the kingdom first. And they did get bread to eat as well. For Jesus had taught men to give up all for the sake of the kingdom, and here they were putting it into practice.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
He was alone praying 🙏; were his disciples also praying 🙏 themselves, or were they just there?
But that shows you the sacrifice of a leader.
19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Why such a command, when that was the whole idea of his coming?
At this stage people had different perceptions about him, but none was really sure where to classify him.
Some suspected he was the Messiah, none was too sure, and he himself did not emphasize that.
Even up until the point of his death, the Pharisees had to ask him if he was the Christ... Laughable.
Now to the point: the reason for his command is seen in the next verse.
Luke 9:22 KJV
Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Yes, he must; it was necessary that he suffers and dies. How could he have gone through all this if he is believed as the Messiah?
JESUS was sent with a plan and specific mission, and he was not going to fail.
He needed to be rejected and killed. It was all part of the plan.
How did Jesus know all of this? The Father has revealed it to him.
22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Strange, so the so-called teachers and scribes did not have what it takes to know the Messiah, though he was right before their eyes.
This is a true lesson for us.
The experts, so-called, are sometimes just title holders. Seek the truth yourself.
Must suffer??? 😳 He said it like it was ordained to be so.
Yes, it was ordained; in Isaiah 53 it was so prophesied.
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
So there is the glory of the Father, and the glory of the Son, and that of angels 😇.
Each radiating their own glory in their own right.
27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
He took these three to pray... He prayed often with his disciples, but with these three he was taking them the extra mile...
They spent all night on the mountains ⛰.
How cold was it, or was it warm enough? Insects? Flies? Who knows.
Why did Jesus isolate these three, who became pillars in the early church ⛪?
It was not for nothing; they had gained extra grounding because they went the extra mile.
But these were not the only ones of weight, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles.
29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
Was it that his natural clothes took on a new nature 🏞, or was it that his glorified body, which comes clothed, overshadows the natural body and clothes?
The latter seems so.
30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
How did they know it was Moses and Elias?
31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
I'm tempted to wonder what the exact details of this divine chit-chat were.
32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
Not knowing what he said, indeed, yet he spoke truth, reality.
That still begs the question: how did he know it was Moses and Elias, if not by the Spirit?
34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
They spent all night on the hill.
38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
So Jesus expected them to be able to cast the devil 👿 out.
And he blamed it on their faithlessness.
42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
So it was hid from them...
Because Jesus on numerous occasions and times told them, without mincing words, of his death, but they understood it not, though it was right before their eyes 👀.
This is akin to the parable of the sower and of the seed that the birds took.
These, the devil 👿 stole the word from their heart, err, before it could even take ground.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
Where did such reasoning come from?
They knew they were in a privileged position, being in such close proximity to the Christ.
They knew that history was unfolding right before their eyes 👀.
And now they wondered how they might maximise it.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
Such in tune 🎶 with the Spirit. LORD GRANT ME yieldedness.
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Why was this the case? Was it because they realised that his ultimate goal was to head for Jerusalem, and was only transiting through their town?
And since they, the Jews, have no dealings with Samaritans, why should they make preparations for him to transit?
They were not going to be treated second place.
So they refused to help him.
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
We all know how Jesus sent for the Last Supper to be prepared and how he sent for the donkey for the triumphant entry.
What happened here?
Did he not know that it was the wrong choice to make?
This shows the humanness of Jesus. He knew only as revealed by the Spirit of God.
He was indeed fully man and worked the supernatural not based on his ability but based on that of the Spirit.
He was limited in knowledge and power like any other man and could do the supernatural only by the power of God.
He could do anything he wanted only in the sense of receiving answers to prayer, which he did receive always.
For instance, whiles on earth as a man, he could have changed his mind at any time and aborted mission, and he would immediately be in his divine role and form, full of the glory and power he had with the Father before he came on the 🌎 earth.
John 17:5 KJV
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
But there was a script to be followed, and he did, to the letter, despite the pain and shame of being in the flesh and following the script.
Indeed, the moment he came in the flesh and accepted the role, he was limited and constrained until his glorification.
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
The kind of spirit we are of destroyeth not, but saveth. This bears more study, to clarify when we are permitted to pass judgment on the wicked and death ☠
57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.