Barton's Bible Study Notes

Life of Christ: Unit 18 - Sections 72-74

Read Matthew 10:5-11:1, Mark 6:7-13 and Luke 9:1-6. It is at this point in our Lord’s ministry that He sends out the twelve men He has already chosen. They are to preach the message of the coming Kingdom, to heal and to cast out demons. These Twelve had traveled with Jesus for almost a year now. They had listened to Him and been taught by Him. Now, having received some training, they are ready to go out on their own in pairs. Mark and Luke record for us the central core of the instructions our Lord gives to the Twelve; Matthew gives much more detail.

To accurately understand our Lord’s instructions in Matthew 10:5-11:1, it must be realized He is instructing them for a particular time period, still yet to come. The age or time in which we now live is the church age. It is a special period that was hidden in the Old Testament and, for the most part, in the Gospels as well. It was not revealed until after Jesus had ascended back into heaven. As God reveals His plan or purpose for history in the Bible, we learn of the following events to take place.

1. God would send the Messiah to His people, the Nation Israel.
2. Messiah would be rejected by His people and die as a sacrifice for sin.
3. He would be resurrected and return to heaven.
    (The Church Age – beginning at Pentecoste and ending at the rapture)
4. He would return seven years later to establish a Kingdom. During this 7-year period, while the Messiah was absent, Messiah’s followers would face difficult times as they proclaimed the message of His soon return.

From the New Testament epistles, we learn there is a hidden period of time between #3 (The ascension into heaven) and #4 (The seven-year period before the return to establish the Kingdom), indeed, a long period of time we call the church age. In this age, God deals with Gentiles, non-Jewish people, offering salvation to all by simple faith in the Messiah. At the end of this church age, all believers will be raptured or removed from the earth. God will then turn His attention once more to the nation of Israel. Many people turn to God in faith following the rapture; they are the ones who are proclaiming the soon return of the Messiah. They will face difficult times as they are persecuted for their faith. It is to them these instructions are primarily addressed. For about seven years, they will proclaim the message, “Repent! the Kingdom is at hand!” and then Messiah will return and set up the kingdom.

1. Why do you think Jesus tells His followers to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?

2. What kind of reception will our Lord’s followers receive?

3. What do you think our Lord means when He says, (a) “Whoever loves father, mother, son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” and (b) “He who has found his life shall lose it and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.”

4. Why do you think our Lord instructed them to take nothing for their journey, no food, money, change of clothes?

Read Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29 and Luke 9:10-17.

5. Describe the circumstances leading to the death of John the Baptizer.

Read Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:1-15. Two events lead up to this miracle. One is the fact that the apostles, who had been sent out by Jesus to preach, heal the sick and cast out demons, returned and were reporting to Jesus all that they had done. They were tired and needed rest. Jesus tries to take them somewhere so they can be alone, but the crowds follow. The other event was the death of John the Baptizer. Jesus retreats from the public eye, not wishing to stir up any rebelliousness on the part of the people who considered John to be a prophet. Our Lord does not wish to cause a public disturbance. Unsuccessful in getting His disciples alone, Jesus turns to the crowd and begins teaching and healing. When it was late, Jesus asked His followers to feed these people.

6. What question did Jesus ask Philip? Why did He ask this question?

7. When Jesus asked His disciples to feed this great crowd, about what, do you suppose, was He testing them?

8. Jesus refused to turn stone into bread when He was hungry and tempted by Satan, yet He turns nothing into bread here, enough bread to feed well over 5000 people. Why do you think it was wrong in one instance but not the other?

The Applications:

What are the applications of these passages to our lives today? Identify as many as you are able.