It has been over a year now of Jesus' ministry.

It was time for the Passover again.

We see He has been in Jerusalem for some
weeks now. And He has been closely watched.
Members of the Sanhedrin had reported His
works in Galilee, and it brought a strong
accusation upon Him:

He had kept company with sinners,
He claimed to be able to forgive sins,
He showed slackness in keeping the sabbath.
He was guilty of blasphemy (in their opinion).

Now they were soon to find things against
Him in Jerusalem.

Evangelizing Israel is the most immediate
and important job facing the church today.

After giving His instruction, Jesus sent them
out two by two, and He preached and taught
in Galilee.

He apparently didn't stay long in Galilee for
we see He went to Jerusalem early to be
there for the Passover and another feast
that preceded it.

Matthew 10:23 "But when they persecute you
in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say
unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities
of Israel, till the Son of man be come"

This is an important verse because Jesus jumps
in time to the very end of the age, when the
messengers of the Kingdom would complete the
works of the first apostles.

After 66 A.D. the Gospel preached to Israel all
but ended when the Jewish-Roman wars started.
Israel would be scattered abroad for centuries.

As the ages come to the end, God would gather
them back to their land (did this May, 1948) but still in
unbelief. The task of bringing the message to
them again would have to be done quickly before
the coming of the Son of man.

It appears that these instructions that Jesus
gave to the apostles went further than their
immediate ministry.

Prophetically, it was projected into the future,
when many of their followers would give their
lives to it also.

One, it referred to the age of persecution during
the second and third centries when believers
were "hated of all men for my name's sake"
Matthew 10:22

They were to use wisdom, not to provoke
danger. If force were about to be used on
them, they were to leave and go to the
next town.

Even then, some were brought before
govenors or kings. When that happened
they were not to depend on their own
human wisdom, but that given to them
by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 10:19-20
"But when they deliver you up, take no
thought how or what ye shall speak: for
it shall be given you in that same hour
what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that
speak, but the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you."

Jesus wanted the men to know that God
would provide for those working for Him
and He would bless those who gives and
supports His ministry.

Later when they returned, they were
so very blessed that they were carrying
a purse. So Jesus reminded them that
He had told them not to carry one but
that now He would allow it.

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus warns against
carelessness. They would be among
wolves "be ye therefore, wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves." They were to
use wisdom.

They were not to take money, clothes, or shoes.
Jesus wanted them to depend on Him. He told
them that the "workman was worthy of his meat."

They were going to bless people by healing them,
give them the good news of the kingdom, so they
were worthy to receive those things which were
necessary.

They were not beggars, those who took them in
would be blessed and rewarded. They were not
to move around but find out who in that city
was worthy to take them in.

They were to bless the house where they stayed,
if they were not received well, they were to leave
shaking the dust from their feet as a witness
against it.
Read Matthew 10:9-14

Now He instructs them to go to Israel only.
They are not to go to the cities of the Gentiles.
Matthew 10:5-6

They were to preach, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:
freely they had received, freely they were
to give. Matthew 10:7-8

What a blessed commission he had for
the lost of the world.

Jesus was ordaining them for His ministry.

Matthew 10:2-4 "Now the names of the
twelve apostles are these;
The first, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;
Philip, and Bartholomew;
Thomas, and Matthew the publican;
James the son of Alphaeus,
and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite,
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."

This is how they are listed in Matthew when
Jesus called them. They didn't necessarily
go out in this order as many times they were
sent two by two.

These men came from lowly positions in life,
but He [Jesus] was giving them the work of
the 'christian church'.

They were to become great, but their greatness
was to come from Jesus only. It was Him they
were fit for this huge task.

They started out carnal and rude but through
Jesus they got rid of their ideas of a coming
earthly kingdom.

They saw all He did and heard all He said.
Many times He took them alone to teach them.
They took on His character to do the mission.

"And when he had called unto him his twelve
disciples, he gave them power against unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner
of sickness and all manner of disease."
Matthew 10:1

"And Jesus went about all the cities and
villages, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every disease
among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was
moved with compassion on them, because
they fainted, and were scattered abroad,
as sheep having no shepherd."
Matthew 9:35-36

The multitudes were becoming great.
Wanting to hear Jesus' preaching. He saw
these crowds as the whole world and the
harvest was plenty.

It was time to send out the twelve on
their own because the day was coming where
He would be leaving them and by them going
out it would multiply the work with more being
accomplished.