A sermon preached by Dr. John Clayton at Covenant Presbyterian Church of Fort Smith, Arkansas on February 16, 2025.
Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means (Luke 8:1–3).[1]
Daniel prophesied that the Christ to come would be “given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (Dan. 7:14a). Unlike the rulers and reigns of this world, Daniel says Christ’s “dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (7:14b). It’s a description of supreme authority held by Christ the King, which Jesus Christ himself would later confirm, saying to his disciples, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father” (Matt. 11:27). To hear this must have been invigorating for his followers and equally discouraging upon his crucifixion. When he cried out, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30), surely they felt all hope was lost.
Jesus’ resurrection corrected their faulty thinking but also revealed to them the true nature of his kingdom, reiterating, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). Unlike those who anticipated the immediate establishment of an earthly, political kingdom, Jesus explained to his disciples how his heavenly kingdom would be built: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
As Jesus preached “the good news of the kingdom of God” in his earthly ministry, he commissioned his church to advance it, making disciples beyond Israel’s boundaries, teaching the Word and administering the sacraments as Christ’s church to all nations. Christ’s “Great Commission,” as we call it, is the practical advancement of the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. It is grand in scope and fulfillment but also gloriously ordinary in its ministry. It is a commission empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and carried out by sinners saved by grace, the gospel ministry begun by our sinless Savior, which we see in our passage today.
A Preaching Ministry
Luke tells us that Jesus was travelling “through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). What Jesus brought and proclaimed was the good news of Christ’s righteous reign over the forgiven hearts of sinners saved by grace. It was and is a message of hope and salvation; the gospel, as we translate it, is the good news that we are reconciled to God through faith in Christ. And Jesus preached it, everywhere he went, as he told his disciples, “that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38). Jesus was a preacher of the Word and has commissioned his church to carry on.
In the Protestant tradition, we believe in the primacy of preaching in the ministry of Christ’s church. God’s Word created the church[2] and serves as her foundation. Built upon the Word, we depend upon it, to hear it, to know it, to understand it. For this reason, we hold to the expository preaching of God’s Word, not merely telling what the passage says but exposing it, so to speak, so that its truth may be magnified beyond mere description. Michael Reeves explains, through preaching, “God’s life-giving voice is heard, and its reality is present. The listening congregation does not simply hear a preacher claim that God is gracious; right there in his Word, God is being gracious. Right there, God acts in redemption, effectively confronting people with the person of Christ.”[3] Preaching is not an outmoded form of public address but is a God-ordained means of grace, given to the church as “an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.”[4] The gospel ministry of the church is a preaching ministry.
A Diverse Ministry
Who served with Jesus in his gospel ministry? Luke tells us, “the twelve were with him.” These were the twelve chosen by Jesus out of all his disciples to be named his apostles: “Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor” (Luke 6:13-16).
These men were essential to Jesus’ ministry, but what do we know of them? Very little, actually. Perhaps their most defining characteristic was they were not the men you or I would have selected for our executive board or varsity team. Two were polar opposites politically, a zealot and tax collector. At least four but possibly seven were commercial fishermen. The rest were likely tradesmen, but we don’t know for sure. The most extraordinary thing about these ordinary men was not who they were but whom they served, and that made all the difference.
Jesus chose these ordinary men to become the pillars of the New Testament church,[5] not for what they could do but for how he would use them, as instruments in his hands. Of course, we are not apostles as they, but God uses us still, not for who we are but whom we serve. The apostle Paul reminds us,
not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:26-31).
Like those twelve ordinary men, some of us share different political views, some have different tastes in entertainment and education. Some work white-collar jobs, some blue; some are retired. Some of us are city-dwellers, some live in the country. Some of us are men and some women. We have varied ancestry or ethnicity, perhaps different languages, and certainly different accents. But our “boast” is not in ourselves but “in the Lord.”
In addition to the twelve, Luke lists three women by name, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna and refers to “many others.” These three, Luke tells us, “had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,” telling us that they were recipients of God’s mercy. Mary Magdalene specifically had been possessed by seven demons, telling us of the unimaginable spiritual oppression she had lived under before Jesus freed her. It is likely that she was of a significantly lower socio-economic status than Joanna, who was the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager. Given Herod’s arrangement with Rome and his rule over Galilee, it is highly likely that Chuza was well compensated. But rather than enjoying the leisure of her affluence, Joanna gratefully followed Jesus, serving and supporting his gospel ministry.
From different politics to different bank accounts, from the formerly possessed to the faithful few, Luke’s snapshot of Jesus’ gospel ministry points to unity within the diversity of Christ’s church. As the apostle Paul explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28). Paul is not implying that the church consists of indistinguishable sameness but rather as the church we are united as one in One.
We, “though many,” Paul says, “are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” This does not mean we have the same “function” (Rom. 12:4-5). The apostles were one with Mary, Joanna, and Susanna, but their function within the body was different. Paul explains that each part of the body, whether foot, hand, ear, or eye, is not independent of one another, “as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” Nor can any part of the body divorce itself from the other, as if to say, “I have no need of you”: “But God has so composed the body,” Paul explains, “giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:16-26).
You and I are different, perhaps in many ways. Your gifts are different than mine, as is your service in the body, but no less valuable, because what we have has been given to each of us by Christ. By God’s sovereign choosing we have been brought together; we need one another and so are united as his one body, for his glory and our good.
A Supported Ministry
In addition to listing the women, Luke also tells us financial support for Jesus’ gospel ministry came through them. I would imagine their means were as diverse as the church but so was their faithfulness. I am reminded of the conviction of my wife in our first few months of marriage, that we would faithfully tithe to the church. Her resolve was greater than mine, but she knew the importance of giving faithfully.
Scripture is not silent on the matter. As Abraham gave a tenth of his increase to the priest Melchizedek, establishing the principle of the tithe, so the Old Testament Church was commanded to tithe. As time went on, however, the people kept more and more for themselves, ignoring the precedent of their father Abraham and God’s law. But God will not let his people keep what is his, finally saying to them,
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, “How have we robbed you?” In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Mal. 3:8-10).
It’s a fascinating rebuke, isn’t it? God condemns them in their sin and simultaneously promises prosperity for their faithfulness.
God promises the same to his New Testament Church. Our Lord Jesus put it simply, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), and Paul reminds us, “God loves a cheerful giver.” How much we give, Paul says, must be decided in our heart, “not reluctantly or under compulsion,” but “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6-7). I love R.C. Sproul’s practical advice on this, when he says,
I honestly believe that if you invest in the kingdom of God, you won’t lose anything in the final analysis. Tithe from the top, and learn to do that as early as you can in life. If your child gets a dollar allowance, make sure that the first ten cents goes into the collection plate on Sunday, so the child learns the principle early. We know we cannot spend the tax the government takes out of our paycheck. We must live on our “take home” pay. Our obligation to God takes precedence over our obligation to government. God should get paid first, “from the top.” If you want to know how serious you are about investing in God’s kingdom, look at your checkbook. It is an objective, concrete record of where your treasure is and where your heart is.[6]
We don’t know how much Mary, or Joanna, or Susanna, or the many others gave, but we know where their heart was, right where ours should be, supporting the gospel ministry of Christ.
This is how Christ builds his kingdom, through the faithful preaching of the Word and sacraments, through the diverse use of our gifts in service, and through our tithes and offerings. It sounds remarkably ordinary, and it is, but God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; what is weak to shame the strong; what is low and despised to build Christ’s church, that in it and through it he might be glorified. All glory be to Christ!
[1] Unless referenced otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2001).
[2] 1 Pet. 1:23
[3] Michael Reeves, Preaching: A God-Centered Vision (Bridgend: Union Publishing, 2024), 34.
[4] “The Shorter Catechism” Q. 89, The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms (Lawrenceville: PCA Christian Education and Publications, 2007), 89.
[6] https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/stewardship-tithing-and-giving
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 