Smoodock's Blog

Jesus dispatched his disciples to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. He sent them out two by two and gave them his authority (Luke 9:1-5), because he would not be physically with them. They would act in his name, confronting demons, healing diseases and speaking his word, i.e. the Gospel.

I remember when I was a boy that power was present in a good name. If my parents desired credit at a certain department store, they would sit down with someone in authority to talk and sign papers. Then the store’s official would decide, based upon my parents past history of paying their bills, whether they received credit at that store. Today, it is much easier to receive credit. Universally accepted credit cards backed by large financial institutions pay all the stores for us, and we pay one bill to the credit card company. In almost every store there is a visible advertisement that they accept several credit cards. They know the name and trust in it. They also know if I buy on credit, that I’ll probably buy more than if I were paying in cash. Consequently, the economy of the nation soars, because there is more commerce, i.e. more buying and selling. Much of this success is due to businesses trusting in the good name backing the credit card we use.

That may be a crude example, but it serves the purpose of showing what Jesus was doing. In his name the demons fled. In his name disease lost its power. The disciples were finding out firsthand what the Centurion in Luke 7 already knew, i.e. there is power in the authority of a respected name. Authority does not need the presence of the powerful individual to be felt. The emperor didn’t have to leave Rome to exercise his power throughout the empire, and usually respect for that authority alone was enough to keep the peace.

Jesus gave authority to the twelve and sent them out two-by-two, and their activity caused great commotion throughout Galilee, as they preached the Gospel. For the second time Scripture records Herod’s attention became focused upon Jesus (Luke 9:6-9). In Matthew 2, Herod the Great wanted to kill him, because he viewed Jesus’ birth as a threat to his throne. The pilgrims from the east had caused a considerable stir when they entered Jerusalem, seeking the child Messiah. About thirty years later the apostles again brought significant attention to the name, Jesus. If each team of two preached at only one town, then six towns would have been reached. As many as two or three dozen villages may have been visited, before the twelve returned to Jesus (Luke 9:6, 10).

The disciples learned about authority, while preaching in the towns of Galilee. In Jesus’ name, they spoke the word of God, and demons became subject to them. In Jesus’ name, they healed diseases. The people received them and tended to their physical needs. For the first time the apostles came to experience the working of the Body of Christ, submitting to its Head. The hearts of many people were aroused through the apostles’ ministry (Mark 6:31). After they returned to Jesus, the disciples didn’t have time to eat or rest.

There is power in a name that has authority. Authority cannot be seen, but its presence is unmistakable. One knows when he or she is in the presence of authority, and at times it can be very intimidating. But, Jesus is not this way. His authority is expressed with grace through love. He will not force anyone to receive him as his or her Lord. Each of us must do this on our own through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Receiving Jesus as my Lord means he now has authority over my life, but this isn’t a bad thing. As seen above he then executes his power over all the ‘demons’ in my life and addresses all my weaknesses and gives me the strength I need in this world. When Jesus writes his name upon me, it is no small matter; because he has taken responsibility for everything I say and do. Wow! Doesn’t that give one pause?