Jesus’ twelve apostles had just returned from their first mission, where they proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and healed the spiritually and physically sick. As they were sent out by and with the power and authority of Christ, their mission was effective. Even Rome’s regional ruler, Herod the Tetrarch, took notice. But it was a short-term mission, and they soon returned to Jesus, eager to tell him all that they had done.
Author Archives: John Clayton
Resurrection Encouragement
Despite its certainty, as Western-culture moderns, we have a hard time thinking and talking about death. Such talk seems to our ears, well, morbid (which may make you wonder why I am talking about it today on Easter Sunday of all times!).
The Message and Its Miracles
This is the first record we have of the apostles ministering as Jesus did, which tells us less about the apostles and more about the bestowing of Jesus’s power and authority, which is all the more intriguing considering one of the twelve was Judas Iscariot. But called, commissioned, and sent they were, for the purpose of carrying a message, the good news of the kingdom of God. And while the substance of their message and its miracles were specific to their context, we (though not apostles) may glean from God’s work in and through them, starting first with the message they carried.
When God Seems Late
There are times when God seems late, when his timing does not align with our timing, and this can breed frustration even doubt. But think about this with me: If “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” and if “all things were created through him and for him,” and if “in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17), and if “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3), is he really ever late?
Delivered from the Domain of Darkness
The allure of sin is that it will fulfill the desire of our flesh. When it strikes and we submit, we do not think about its impact upon our hearts, habits, or hurt to our neighbor but the fulfillment of our desire. This is especially the case with habitual sin, sin which we commit so consistently that we give little regard to its offense and dismiss its insidious residence. But what if we could see what sin does to us, from the inside out. What would we look like? Would we recognize ourselves?
Peace! Be Still!
While Jesus had been ministering throughout Judea, he decided to take a trip to the land of the Gerasenes by direct route, across the Lake of Gennesaret, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Traveling with a select group of disciples by boat, Jesus boarded and went to bed. Perhaps telling of his fatigue, Jesus slept through what likely began with the serene sway of a rocking boat into a stormy squall, as the cooler air from the surrounding mountains collided with the warmer air of the sea. So fierce was the storm’s surge that the boat began to fill with water. If there were a time for panic, this was it—even for a crew of salty fishermen. Meanwhile, Jesus slept soundly in the stern.
The Family of Faith
When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, from preaching throughout Judea, he didn’t receive what we would call a “warm welcome.” Rather than celebrating his ministry, the people wondered, “Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?” (Matt. 13:54). To them, he was just the carpenter’s son, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Simon, Judas, and his sisters.[2]
Take Care How You Hear
Take care then how you hear, Christian, because this world “is passing away along with its desires” (1 John 2:17a). Let the life, death, and resurrection of your sinless Savior speak to your heart. Let your ears daily hear the truth of his Word, that it may dwell in you richly,[6] training you to confess your sin to your faithful and justice Father,[7] to walk in his righteousness, as the Spirit conforms you to Christ.[8] “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).
The Sown Word
In the tenth chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul describes the necessity of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, as “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” One cannot believe the gospel if one does not hear it, in various ways and various forms, and one cannot hear it unless it is shared or proclaimed. Hearing then is necessary for salvation, but hearing is not enough. The gospel must be truly believed, yet not all who hear believe.
A Gospel Ministry
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!
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 