“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“

Acts 1:8

Witness. When we hear that word, we think of evangelism. Sharing our faith. Proclaiming the gospel. We think of a set of truths we’ve studied, memorized, and can articulate. We think of truths like those articulated by one of Sonlife’s ministry partners, Dare 2 Share.

God created us to be with Him.
Our sin separates us from God.
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

That’s what we think of when we hear the word witness. But what did Jesus have in mind when He told His disciples that they would be His witnesses?

Shortly after Christ spoke those words and ascended back to the Father, the eleven apostles were determining who would replace Judas so their number would remain Twelve. Listen to the qualifications they understood for being an apostle.

“Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a WITNESS with us of His resurrection.“

Acts 1:21-22

Perhaps you’ve never noticed this. The Twelve were there with Jesus from the time of His baptism right on up to His ascension. Even before they were followers, disciples, they were in the crowd as curious onlookers, observing Jesus.

The disciples understood Acts 1:8 to mean that they were eyewitnesses who would be required to give testimony to what they had seen and heard. They weren’t just articulating truth they had been taught. They were to share their experience, which reflected the truth of the gospel message.

Shortly after appointing Judas’ replacement, Peter preached at Pentecost. My perspective of this event has been that of Peter standing up on the southern steps leading into the temple with a crowd of thousands gathered on and below the steps listening to him preach. That’s not exactly what happened though…

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and addressed the crowd….“

Acts 2:14a

Peter didn’t stand up alone to preach. He stood up with the other eleven apostles. Yes, he was the spokesperson for the group. But all Twelve were taking a stand, attesting to the fact that they were witnesses there to verify every word that Peter was speaking. They were standing in agreement. Don’t miss Peter’s words as the spokesperson for the group.

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all WITNESSES of it.“

Acts 2:32

We are all witnesses! We have seen and heard that which we are testifying about today.

Later, when Peter and John were walking into the temple through the Beautiful Gate and encountered a crippled beggar, Peter’s response to the man was that of a witness.

“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.‘”

Acts 3:6

Notice Peter did not say, “What I do believe, I tell you.” He did not say, “What I do know, I share with you.” No! Peter said, “What I do have.”  It wasn’t just something Peter believed. It was something Peter possessed. What he had seen and heard had changed him.

As the crippled man stood to his feet healed, he went running, skipping and dancing into the temple, shouting and praising God. He caused quite a stir. Peter addressed the crowd.

“You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are WITNESSES of this.“

Acts 3:15

As Peter and John were interrogated by the religious leaders for the disturbance they caused in the temple and the religious leaders tried to silence them, Peter and John replied:

“But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have SEEN and HEARD.‘”

Acts 4:19-20

When the religious leaders interrogated Peter and John, what did they take note of? Was it the towering intellect behind the theological arguments they presented? Was it the eloquence of the masterfully crafted message they shared? No!

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.“

Acts 4:13

Unschooled. The Greek word used here is agrammata, or “without grammar.” They don’t speak good! They were uneducated. Ordinary. The Greek word used here is idiota. Yes, the same word we get “idiot” from. Peter and John were a couple of uneducated idiots, or at least that’s what the religious leaders thought of them. Peter’s and John’s words were made powerful by their experience. They had been with Jesus. Their lives were transformed by the power of what they had experienced with Jesus.

After being released, when Peter and John joined the other apostles and the growing number of believers, this was their collective response.

“With great power the apostles continued to TESTIFY to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.“

Acts 4:33

When a legalistic, zealous Pharisee, by the name of Saul, encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, this was what he was told His calling would be.

“Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You will be a WITNESS to all people of what you have SEEN and HEARD.‘”

Acts 22:14,15

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have TESTIFIED about me in Jerusalem, so you must also TESTIFY in Rome.‘”

Acts 23:11

WITNESS…TESTIFY…SEEN AND HEARD.

So, what did Jesus have in mind when He told His disciples, “You will be my witnesses?“

A witness is one who testifies to what they have seen and heard. A witness is one who shares the personal encounter they have had with Christ with another person in such a compelling way that it is obvious that this witness has been with Jesus. A witness is one whose life has been transformed by the truth they’ve encountered. 

Being a witness is where His story collides with our story, and we have a new story to tell.

Who will you be a witness to today?

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com.

Have you ever considered the miracles Jesus performed and the potential purpose for these events? A friend asked me this week if Sonlife had a study specifically on the miracles of Jesus, and though our Harmony Study does cover these events, it doesn’t specifically look at them as a group.

How many miracles did Jesus perform during His ministry? We don’t know. He certainly performed more miracles than we have recorded, and some of what the Gospel writers do record do not identify individual miracles but rather an event that included many miracles.

I’ve identified 60 miraculous events in the 3 ½ year ministry of Jesus. Some of the miracles I’ve included might not be considered miracles of Jesus in a classic sense, as they were miraculous things that happened to Him, like the Transfiguration, Resurrection, Ascension, or even other events like the temple curtain tearing in two and tombs splitting apart at His death and dead people coming out of the tombs alive and walking into Jerusalem. While including these events in the list, I omitted the miraculous events that happened through the Twelve as they were sent out Two by Two (Matthew 10) as well as the miraculous events that happened through the Seventy Two as they were sent out Two by Two (Luke 10), as these miracles were done by the disciples and not Jesus Himself.

The Miracles of Jesus

1. Turning the Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)
2. Miraculous Signs at Passover (John 2:23-25)
3. Healing of the Royal Official’s Son (John 4:46-54)
4. Healing a Demoniac in the Synagogue (Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37)
5. Healing Peter’s Mother-in-law’s Fever (Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31 Luke 4:38-39)
6. Healing the Sick and Demon Possessed brought to Peter’s House (Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:32-34, Luke 4:40-41)
7. Preaching, Teaching, and Healing tour throughout Galilee (4:23-25, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44)
8. First Miraculous Catch of Fish (Luke 5:1-11)
9. Cleansing of a Man with Leprosy (Matthew 8:2-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-16)
10. Forgiving and Healing the Paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26)
11. Healing of an Invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)
12. Healing of the Man with a Shriveled Hand (Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11)
13. Casting out Demons and Healing the Sick on the Mountain (Luke 6:17-18)
14. Large Crowds come to Galilee for Healing (Matthew 12:15-21, Mark 3:7-12)
15. Healing of the Centurion’s Servant (Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10)
16. Raising the Widow’s Son from the Dead in Nain (Luke 7:11-17)
17. Healing the Sick and Giving Sight to the Blind (Luke 7:21)
18. Ministry Tour with the Twelve and women disciples, of whom Jesus Drove Out Seven Demons from Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3)
19. Healing the Demon Possessed, Blind, and Mute Man (Matthew 12:22-23)
20. Calming the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25)
21. Delivering the Demoniacs and Casting Demons into Pigs (Matthew 8:28-34,, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39)
22. Healing of the Bleeding Woman (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 8:43-48)
23. Raising of Jairus’ Daughter from the Dead (Matthew 9:23-26, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:49-56)
24. Healing Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31)
25. Healing a Demon Possessed, Mute Man (Matthew 9:28-34)
26. Laying His Hands on a Few Sick People in Unbelieving Nazareth (Matthew 13:58, Mark 6:5)
27. Preaching, Teaching, and Healing Tour in Galilee (Matthew 9:35-38)
28. Healing the Sick in Bethsaida (Matthew 14:14, Luke 9:11)
29. Feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:4-13)
30. Walking on the Water (Matthew 14:24-33, Mark 1:6:47-52, John 6:16-21)
31. Healings in Gennesaret (Matthew 14:34-36, Mark 6:53-56)
32. Healing of the Syro-Phonecian Woman’s Daughter (Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30)
33. Healing a Deaf and Mute Man (Mark 7:32-25)
34. Healings in the Decapolis (Matthew 15:29-31)
35. Feeding of the 4000 (Matthew 15:32-38, Mark 8:1-9)
36. Healing the Blind Man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-28)
37. Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36)
38. Healing of Demon Possessed Boy (Matthew 17:14-20, Mark 9:14-29, Luke 9:37-43)
39. Miraculous Catch of Fish with Coin in Mouth to Pay Temple Tax (Matthew 17:24-27)
40. Healing of a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-7)
41. Delivering a Mute Man from Demon Possession (Luke 11:14-16)
42. Healing a Crippled Woman (Luke 13:10-13)
43. Healing of a Man with Dropsy (Luke 14:1-4)
44. Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:17-44)
45. Healing of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-21)
46. Healing of the Crowds in Perea (Matthew 19:2)
47. Healing of Blind Bartimaeus and His Companion (Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43)
48. Healing of the Blind and the Lame in the Temple (Matthew 21:14)
49. Cursing of the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-19, Mark 11:12-14)
50. Performing Many Signs in Their Presence (John 12:37)
51. Jesus’ Declaration Knocks Guards Over (John 18:4-6)
52. Reattachment of Malchus’ Ear (Luke 22:50-51, John 18:10)
53. The Temple Curtain is Torn in Two at Christ’s Death (Mark 15:37-38)
54. Raising of the Dead to Walk Jerusalem at Jesus’ Crucifixion (Matthew 27:52-53)
55. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:5-8, Mark 16:2-8, Luke 24:1-8, John 20:1)
56. Identity Hidden from Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:15-16,31)
57. Post Resurrection Appearance in a Locked Room (Luke 24:36, John 20:19)
58. Second Appearance in a Locked Room (John 20:26)
59. Second Miraculous Catch of Fish (John 21:1-6)
60. Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:9)

A few observations about the miracles of Jesus for us to consider.

1. The vast majority of Jesus’ recorded miracles occur after He called the Four to be “Fishers of People” and before His final journey to Jerusalem. 

Jesus challenged Peter, Andrew, James and John to fish for people 18-21 months into His public ministry. They were all present at His baptism and began to follow Him as His disciples after Jesus returned from His 40 days of fasting and prayer in the desert. His call to fish for people was His invitation to minister alongside Him. Were Jesus’ miracles instrumental in the training of His disciples? Evidently so, because after appointing the Twelve, before sending them out on their first ministry assignment, He told them they would be doing this:

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:7-8

2. Very few of Jesus’ miracles of healing and deliverance were done for believers.

Though we don’t know at what point people put their faith in Christ, it appears that the only likely believers that Jesus healed during His public ministry were Peter’s mother-in-law and Lazarus. This would suggest that the overwhelming purpose of Jesus’ healing and deliverance ministry was evangelism. We could look at these miraculous events throughout Jesus’ ministry as outreach events, where He was attracting a crowd, demonstrating His spiritual power and authority, and inviting people to believe in Him as the promised Messiah.

“Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.” 

John 12:37 

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

John 20:30-31 

3. Jesus’ miracles confirmed that He was the promised Messiah.

Isaiah specifically prophesied that the promised Messiah would perform the kinds of miracles that were a part of Jesus’ ministry.

“In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see…Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped…to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

Isaiah 29:18, 35:5, 42:7

The Apostles’ preaching would rely on the evidence of these miracles to prove Jesus was the Messiah and the Savior of the World.

“’Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.’”

Acts 2:22 

“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

Acts 10:38

Even with a brief look at just sixty of Jesus’ miracles, may we have confidence that through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we are able to overcome what we are powerless to conquer alone. May Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:57 be the response of our hearts,

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com.

John 14 concludes with Jesus and the disciples leaving the Upper Room, so Jesus’ teaching and prayer in John 15-17 happens somewhere between the Upper Room and the Kidron Valley opposite the Mount of Olives. On the walk down toward the valley, before crossing over and entering the olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, Jesus stopped, perhaps at a vineyard, to teach.

“’I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.’”

John 15:1 NIV

Who was with Jesus at this moment? Just the Eleven? Judas had already left during the Last Supper. Additional disciples? John Mark was there when Jesus was later arrested in the Garden, fleeing as the crowd grabbed his cloak to leave him running away naked. Women followers? They were there as He was condemned and crucified.

On the walk toward Gethsemane, Jesus identified FOUR LEVELS of fruit-bearing for those who are “in Him.” Why was Jesus obsessed with fruit at this particular moment?

1. NO FRUIT

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…”

John 15:2a NIV

Though some might think this refers to the unbeliever, Jesus specifically said that this branch that bore no fruit was in Him. Is it possible for some who belongs to Jesus to go through seasons where they bear no fruit? Evidently so.

2. SOME FRUIT

“…while every branch that does bear fruit…”

John 15:2b NIV

Though there might be seasons where those who are “in Christ” bear no fruit, the norm is clearly that Christ-followers do live fruit-bearing lives.

3. MORE FRUIT

“…he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

John 15:2c NIV

In order for most Christ-followers to move toward a more fruitful spiritual life, some “pruning” will be required. Pruning doesn’t sound fun, right? Pruning can be painful, but pruning is necessary. Pruning is the removal of those things that would diminish our fruit-bearing capacity.

4. MUCH FRUIT

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:5, 8 NIV

The progression of Jesus’ metaphor shows the Father’s desire for our lives. He will always be at work in us to glorify Himself by accomplishing His plan through us. 

He is responsible for our fruitfulness. He grafts us into the vine. He cultivates, cares for, and prunes us. He produces the spiritual fruit. 

We have one responsibility. Abide. Remain. Stay connected to. 

Not “connected to” in the sense of salvation, but rather connected to in the sense of relationship. Abide, as in “be with.” As we spend time with Him, in His Word and in prayer, we are abiding in Him. Our daily time alone with the Father is our spiritual lifeline. 

Abiding cannot be separated from the work of the Holy Spirit. The two chapters in the Bible that record Jesus’ most significant teaching on the Holy Spirit are John 14 & 16, and Jesus’ challenge to abide is sandwiched right between them. This is not by coincidence. 

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would not just be with them but would actually live in them. 

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:16-17 NIV

Abiding with Jesus would be possible after Jesus departed because He would send the Holy Spirit, who would be a permanent fixture in the disciples’ lives. This is how Jesus would fulfill His promise to the disciples to “never leave you or forsake you.” He promised to not leave them as orphans.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you…. When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”

John 14:18, 15:26 NIV

Abiding with Him is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us (Word) and guide us (prayer). 

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will TEACH you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 14:26 NIV

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will GUIDE you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

John 16:13 NIV

Spiritual fruit is produced by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. “The fruit of the Spirit…”

How does the Holy Spirit manifest this fruit in our lives?

1. Supernatural Power in Answered Prayer

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John 15:7 NIV

2. Supernatural Joy in Loving Obedience

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:11 NIV

3. Supernatural Love through Great Sacrifice

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:12-13 NIV

4. Supernatural Friendship through Divine Intimacy

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15 NIV

5. Supernatural Impact through Divine Appointment

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

John 15:16 NIV

The kind of fruit Jesus is speaking of here in John 15 is the spiritual harvest, disciple-making fruit. “Go and bear fruit” is the same message Jesus would later give, “Go and make disciples.”

6. Supernatural Strength to Endure Hardship

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

John 15:20 NIV

Here in John 14-16, on the night before Jesus would go to the cross, He revealed His “Spiritual Secret” to His disciples. Jesus’ spiritual secret is this: ABIDE

Abide in Christ.

Abide by walking in the Spirit.

Abide by being filled with the Spirit.

Abide and glorify the Father by bearing much fruit.

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com.

Have you ever thought about how Jesus strategically used His teaching to prepare His disciples for the harvest work He had invited them to join Him in? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each record large portions of teaching that the disciples were exposed to, and besides considering the themes and audience present for Jesus’ teaching, there is also great value in considering the placement of each teaching within the overall context of Jesus’ ministry.

Just before getting in the boat with His disciples to cross to the “other side” (Gentile area on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum) where He would deliver the two demoniacs, Jesus taught His parables on the kingdom, the most famous of which is the Parable of the Sower. It’s the only parable from this group that is recorded, along with its explanation, in all three Synoptic Gospels. When compiling a list from the three Synoptics, we see that Mark adds an eighth parable to Matthew’s list of seven, and both Mark and Luke record an illustration used to further illuminate the Parable of the Sower. 

PARABLES ON THE KINGDOM

1. Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4 & Luke 8)
  • Explanation of the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4 & Luke 8)
• Illustration of a Lamp on a Stand (Mark 4 & Luke 8)
2. Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13)
3. Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4)
4. Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13 & Mark 4)
5. Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13)
6. Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13)
7. Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13)
8. Parable of the Net and the Fish of Many Kinds (Matthew 13)

Mark’s addition to Matthew’s list, the Parable of the Growing Seed, offers encouragement for the nature of the harvest in God’s growing kingdom. 

“Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:27-29 NIV

In this parable, it is God who provides the soil, and it is God who provides the rain. The farmer might scatter the seed. He is faithful in that. But the farmer cannot control what that seed does. The seed’s growth is in God’s hands. 

In the work of evangelism, scattering seed as we share the good news, there is our part, and then there is God’s part. It’s a mystery. We don’t know what’s going on in a person’s heart. We don’t know what factors are at work that ultimately bring them to a place where they will be ready to respond. We just know that it is God’s Spirit who must germinate that seed and bring it to life. 

The teaching on the Sower and the Four Soils, the teaching on a disciple’s part and God’s part in the harvest work, comes after Jesus has appointed the Twelve (Mark 3:13-19 & Luke 6:12-16) but before He sends them out Two by Two to preach the Good News (Matthew 10:1-8, Mark 6:7, Luke 9:1-6). 

Because of the placement of these kingdom parables in Jesus’ ministry, we should see them as being strategic preparation for the disciples before they were sent out. The Twelve were chosen to be sent out to preach the Good News, and they would need to understand that the kingdom impact of their mission would be dependent upon God’s power and not their own performance. 

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might BE WITH him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”

Mark 3:13-15 NIV (emphasis added)

The key to their success would be the “be with” factor. He was calling them to “be with” Him. He would promise to “be with” them.

Before going to the cross, Jesus told the Twelve that the Spirit was being sent to “be with” them. 

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and BE WITH you forever…” 

John 14:16 NIV (emphasis added)

Before His ascension, Jesus reminded the disciples that “making disciples of all nations” would be possible because He would “be with” them. 

“’and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I AM WITH you always, to the very end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:20 NIV (emphasis added)

The disciples obeyed Jesus’ commission and experienced His presence and power WITH THEM as they went out to preach the good news.

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked WITH THEM and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

Mark 16:19-20 NIV (emphasis added)

As the disciples began their ministry at the birth of the early church, it was obvious to everyone they encountered that they had BEEN WITH Jesus.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had BEEN WITH Jesus.”

Acts 4:13 NIV (emphasis added)

We are called to be faithful in spreading the seed of the Good News. That is our part. God’s promise is that He will BE WITH us as we do, empowering the message for an eternal kingdom impact. That is His part.

Just as Jesus emphasized for His disciples in their preparation for harvest work, He also wants to remind us again and again…

Be with Me! Walk with Me. Delight in Me. Depend upon Me.

I will be with you! I will strengthen you. I will guide you. I will fill you. I will use you.

BE WITH! This is the spiritual secret giants of the faith like Hudson Taylor, D.L. Moody, Gladys Aylward, George Mueller, Amy Carmichael, and Billy Graham learned and lived out. This is the dynamic Christ-life we’ve been invited into.

As you go, BE WITH Jesus!

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com.

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.‘”

John 20:21

This past weekend, we moved our daughter into her new dorm at the University of Florida. The weekend before that, we drove another daughter up to Long Island University for her final year as a musical theater major. And this coming weekend, we drop off yet another daughter at Word of Life Bible Institute in New York for her second year in Biblical studies. In the midst of sending off three daughters to college this month, I found myself thinking about the Biblical concept of “being sent” and how Jesus lived sent and prepared His disciples to live sent.

With each of our girls, there is the preparation to go. The shopping, the packing, the check-listing, the schedule-making, the car oil changing. After all that preparation, there is the commissioning to go. The conversations over “last suppers,” the instruction and encouragement on the long drive, and the hugs and prayers before we leave. Finally, after preparation and commissioning comes the sending. They are on their own, figuring out their way, learning to make wise decisions and follow Jesus even when those around them might be headed in a different direction.

Living sent is about following Jesus with an everyday, anywhere, anytime, with anyone intentionality. It’s about having a missionary mindset right where you’re at.

We see this Biblical concept of being and living sent throughout the Gospels.

Jesus made it clear that He was sent by the Father.

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

John 6:38

When you’re sent, you have an obligation to fulfill the purpose for which you were sent.

Jesus knew the purpose for which He was sent.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:17

When you’re sent, the primary purpose of your mission is the salvation of those who are far from God. You might be sent to a specific group, or focus on specific needs, but the primary purpose remains the same: make new disciples!

Jesus knew whom He was sent to.

“He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’”

Matthew 15:24

When you’re sent, having clarity on the WHO helps to focus your HOW.

Jesus understood that being sent didn’t mean He was now alone.

‘The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

John 8:29

When you’re sent, the one who has sent you, though maybe not visible, still provides encouragement and accountability.

Jesus knew that the mission He was sent to accomplish would require supernatural power.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…”

Luke 4:18

When you’re sent, you might feel like you’re in over your head, but when God sends you on a mission, He provides everything you need to accomplish the mission. The anointing of the Spirit is the divine enablement to finish the work you’ve been sent to accomplish.

Jesus accepted the fact that the mission given to Him was something that required God’s involvement to accomplish.

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.“

John 5:30

When you’re sent, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but just remember who sent you.

Jesus trusted God to give Him the right words to say at the right time.

“Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.’”

John 7:16

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

John 12:49

When you’re sent, ask God what specific message He is sending you to deliver.

Jesus understood that being sent was time-sensitive.

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”

John 9:4

When you’re sent, it should be with a sense of urgency for the mission that needs to be completed.

Jesus found a great sense of fulfillment in living out His purpose.

“‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’”

John 4:34

When you’re sent, celebrate the great privilege and honor that you’re being given to know and live out your purpose.

Jesus made it clear that it’s impossible to follow Him and not accept the responsibility of being sent.

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’”

Matthew 4:19

When you’re sent, see that this is a significant part of the journey for every Christ-follower. It’s an oxymoron to be a non-sent Christian.

Jesus’ presence with you prepares you for the inevitability of being sent by Him.

“He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach….”

Mark 3:14

When you’re sent, reflect on the intimate moments you’ve experienced with Jesus as He’s prepared you for this moment. 

Jesus prepared His disciples for the inevitability of hardship when they were sent.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” 

Matthew 10:16

When you’re sent, expect obstacles. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks, but rather, see them as set-ups for God to do what only He can do.

Jesus wanted His disciples to trust in God to provide for everything they would need as they were sent.

“Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’ ‘Nothing,’ they answered.“

Luke 22:35

When you’re sent, remember this: God’s vision never lacks God’s provision. He will provide everything that is needed to accomplish His work in His way.

Jesus saw the value in being sent with others.

“Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.“

Mark 6:7

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.“

Luke 10:1

When you’re sent, who is God pairing you up with for this mission? How do your strengths complement one another? How can you “spur one another on” in the mission?

Jesus prays for everyone He sends.

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

John 17:18

When you’re sent, know that you are the answer to Jesus’ prayer, the fulfillment of His mission that He was sent by the Father to accomplish.

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com in 2020.

If Jesus’ disciples were to fulfill the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” and be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” they needed to be equipped to minister cross-culturally. How would this differ from the equipping they would receive in the Jewish towns throughout the Galilee region? The disciple-making skills of preaching, teaching, healing, and casting out demons would largely be the same. Their message and methods, though, would need to adapt to a Gentile audience. Even bigger than their message and methods, their hearts would need to change toward the Gentiles.

Jesus had spent time outside of Israel in Egypt as a child. How did this childhood experience shape His worldview as the Father was preparing Him for His Messianic assignment? Some of the formative experiences of my childhood growing up in Southern California were the “road trips” where our family loaded the back of our station wagon with bags of groceries, clothes, and toys and crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico to share God’s love with families living in cardboard box houses.

How do cross-cultural experiences shape the worldview of our disciples and prepare them for the calling the Father has placed on their lives? Jesus modeled and ministered with His disciples cross-culturally on at least six different occasions. How did Jesus do mission trips?

FIRST MISSION TRIP ~ SAMARIA

“Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph…. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.”

John 4:4-5, 40-41

Early in His ministry, before He even challenged His disciples to be “fishers of people,” Jesus took them to Samaria. Since this was not the usual route Jews would travel between Judea and Galilee, this was an intentional route change to accomplish something in Samaria as well as in His disciples. Jesus understood that there were things his disciples couldn’t learn within their own culture and context – he had to get them out of their comfort zone so they would have the opportunity to “lift up [their] eyes and look on the fields” which were prepared for harvest (John 4:35). 

The Samaritans were a mixed race, and they practiced a mixed religion. Jesus modeled relational evangelism. Where the Jews demanded a sign, miracles and healings to authenticate Jesus’ message, the Samaritans simply responded to the message itself. Jesus found common ground with the Samaritans, as they and the Jews both had common ancestry in Jacob. This short-term mission trip, which lasted less than a week, was a heart check for Jesus’ young disciples as they grew up judging and despising Samaritans. 

SECOND MISSION TRIP ~ GERASENES

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him… They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him…. So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” 

Mark 4:35-36; 5:1-2, 20

Jesus had already appointed the Twelve as Apostles, and just across the lake from their home base in Capernaum was a whole different world. That region was called the Decapolis, a region made up of ten Gentile cities. Going to “the other side” literally meant leaving the safe haven of the Jewish towns and villages in Galilee (their comfort zone) to minister in Gentile towns dominated by Greek and Roman culture. The Gerasenes, also called the Gadarenes, were notorious for a few things – Gentiles, pig farmers, tombs in the caves, and a couple of tormented demoniacs. After Jesus ministered to the demoniac, He and the disciples immediately returned to Capernaum, so this mission trip lasted only a day. Since the delivered demoniac was told to go throughout the Decapolis and tell what God had done for him, a strong argument could be made that his testimony paved the way for the large crowds that came when Jesus fed the 4000. The impact of just one changed life!

THIRD MISSION TRIP ~ TYRE & SIDON

“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’”

Matthew 15:21-22

Jesus’ mission trip with the disciples to Tyre and Sidon comes after an intense time of ministry as well as the feeding of the 5,000, so it served a dual-purpose: short-term mission trip and a seaside retreat. Tyre and Sidon are in Lebanon, about 70 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. While it’s certainly possible that ministry happened on the journey to and from Tyre and Sidon, the only ministry we’re told of during their stay in Tyre and Sidon was the healing of the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter. There again, the distinction between Jew and Gentile is drawn, both from a cultural and religious standpoint, and we find Jesus modeling for His disciples the importance of crossing those barriers to demonstrate God’s love and power.

FOURTH MISSION TRIP ~ DECAPOLIS

“Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis… During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.’” 

Mark 7:31,  8:1-2

This trip back to the Decapolis happened probably just a few months after Jesus fed 5,000 Jewish men, plus women and children, in Bethsaida. His disciples experienced that miracle first hand. Now here we have a crowd of 4,000 men, plus women and children, who would have been largely Gentile. The disciples could have said, “Hey Jesus, remember what you did in Bethsaida? You should do that again! That was amazing.” Instead they began to make excuses about how many months’ wages it would take to feed this crowd. Were their memories really this bad? It’s more likely that their disdain for the Gentiles caused them to not want Jesus to bless the Gentiles in the same way He had blessed the Jews. After all, whose Messiah was He? Think about this. When Jesus would challenge His disciples to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth, He was telling them He was the Messiah for the Jews, the half-Jews, and the non-Jews. Returning to the Decapolis on this short-term mission trip provided the opportunity for Jesus’ disciples to expand their thinking and develop a broader understanding of the mission to which they were called.

FIFTH MISSION TRIP ~ CAESAREA PHILIPPI

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’”

Matthew 16:13

On this fifth mission trip, Jesus went beyond just the cultural influences of the Gentile culture and took His disciples right to the heart of the pagan world. Banias, Caesarea Philippi, was the home of a pagan temple that was at the heart of the pagan worship of that day. The crevice in the rock face from which water flowed into and through the pagan temple was called “the gates of hell” because they believed this was the location where the spirits traveled from the underworld to this world. While Jesus might have done ministry with His disciples in the region during this time, the significant event that’s recorded is Peter’s confession of Christ and Jesus’ declaration that He would “build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.” The disciples learned through this cross-cultural experience that Jesus’ spiritual power and authority transcends all cultures, contexts, and cults. His church marches across the globe as an unstoppable force!

SIXTH MISSION TRIP ~ SAMARIA & BEYOND

“And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him… Then he and his disciples went to another village…. After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

Luke 9:52,56; 10:1-2

After declaring that He would build His church, Jesus began to warn His disciples that the Father’s plan was for Him to go to Jerusalem to die. On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus sent a scout team ahead of Him to the villages He would visit. We don’t know exactly where they were sent, but it appears that Samaria was part of their travel plans. Jesus came first for the Jew, and then for the Gentile. He fed 5,000 Jews first, and then 4,000 Gentiles. He sent out the Twelve two by two throughout the Jewish towns in Galilee. Then He sent out the Seventy Two workers two by two to all the places He was about to go, among them towns inhabited by Gentiles. Here, Jesus was impressing upon His disciples that the spiritual harvest had extended beyond the borders of their comfortable Jewish community to the ends of the earth.

How was Jesus using mission trips to shape His disciples’ hearts and minds? What did Jesus’ disciples learn through all these cross-cultural experiences? What were the disciple-making threads that created a pattern and blueprint for ministry not only in Gentile territories but back home in Jewish territory as well?

1. GOD’S LOVE transcends culture.
2. GOD’S TRUTH transcends culture.
3. GOD’S POWER transcends culture.
4. GOD’S KINGDOM transcends culture.
5. TRANSFORMED LIVES transcend culture.
6. THE HARVEST transcends culture.

Cross-cultural mission experiences open eyes, hearts, and hands to the great harvest God is ushering in around the world, and they provide invaluable training opportunities within the disciple-making process. Without a doubt, Jesus’ disciples were shaped by these cross-cultural mission trips, and the fruit of these experiences wasn’t limited to Gentile areas. The disciple-making principles and priorities they learned in cross-cultural contexts truly provided a foundation for multiplication in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com.

Jesus-style equipping was purposeful, practical, and portable. Immediately after He challenged the disciples to become “fishers of people,” He took them on people-fishing expeditions.  They were learning in the laboratory of real life how to bring the good news to both the religious and irreligious, to people with varying backgrounds with a multitude of needs in diverse contexts. When they were initially learning to fish, they were watching while Jesus modeled ministry for them. This is the first step in the equipping process. The simple five step process looks like this:

STEP 1: I DO, YOU WATCH
STEP 2: I DO, YOU HELP
STEP 3: YOU DO, I HELP
STEP 4: YOU DO, I WATCH
STEP 5: YOU TEACH OTHERS

We can see this process at work as Jesus began to take His disciples on ministry tours throughout Galilee and the surrounding areas. In the first two tours, the disciples were most likely watching and beginning to help, steps one and two. By the third tour, when Jesus sent out the Twelve two by two, they were in steps three and four of the equipping process. Then, when Jesus sent out the Seventy-Two in the fourth tour, the Twelve were likely in steps four and five of the process. Though we’re not told specifically that the Twelve were involved in discipling and training the Seventy-Two, it would represent a natural progression in their development as leaders for the movement.

Let’s take a closer look at these four ministry tours.

FIRST MINISTRY TOUR 

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.”

Matthew 4:23-24

Jesus’ first tour with the disciples happened shortly after He challenged them to be fishers of people. Traveling throughout the towns and villages of Galilee by foot, this first tour could have easily taken a few months. After returning to Capernaum, their home base, Peter and the others went back to fishing, so Jesus issued His second challenge for them to be fishers of people (Luke 5:1-11). On this tour, we’re only told that Jesus was doing the ministry, so it appears that His disciples were still in the “I DO, YOU WATCH’ step of equipping. Notice the ministry He was modeling for them: 1) Teaching 2) Preaching 3) Healing 4) Deliverance from demons.  Large numbers came to Him, and news about Jesus spread far and wide. As His ministry influence grew, Jesus was setting the table for His disciples to have ready-made opportunities to minister to others. The demand was great.

SECOND MINISTRY TOUR

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

Luke 8:1-3

By the time Jesus’ second tour came, He had already appointed the Twelve as His Apostles. In the first tour, we can assume that the Twelve were with Him and being equipped by Him, but we can’t say that it was only the Twelve. Acts 1:22-23 indicates that the Apostles were with Jesus from the time of His baptism in one form or another. Matthew was invited by Jesus to “Follow Me” after the disciples returned from the first tour (Luke 5:27-28), but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t in the crowd following Jesus from town to town throughout Galilee to see His ministry. It’s important to note that by the second tour, several women joined Jesus’ growing group of disciples. Because women are identified as being with Jesus at the cross, there’s no reason to think that they weren’t with Jesus from this time forward. Yes, Jesus had women disciples! 

THIRD MINISTRY TOUR

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick… So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”

Luke 9:1-2,6

Throughout Jesus’ first two tours, as word of the miracle working preacher who might just be the Messiah spread throughout Israel and its neighboring nations, the opportunities for ministry grew substantially. The harvest was great! The Twelve had been identified and equipped. They were now sent out two by two throughout the towns and villages of Galilee. Were they making return visits to the places Jesus had visited earlier? How did Jesus pair them up? Were the brothers together, or separated? Peter with Andrew? James with John? I wonder who was paired with Judas Iscariot? It seems possible that as the two were sent to a village to minister, other disciples, including the women, might have joined them in the ministry efforts they were leading. When you look at the specific ministry Jesus’ modeled on the first tour, it was the exact ministry He was expecting them to replicate on this third tour.

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Matthew 10:7-8

FOURTH MINISTRY TOUR

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Luke 10:1-3

Jesus’ final ministry tour comes after several significant events. John the Baptist had been beheaded. Jesus fed the 5,000. Jesus ministered in the Decapolis and fed the 4,000. Jesus traveled to Caesarea Philippi with the Twelve, telling them He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain where He was transfigured before them. Jesus began to tell His disciples that He would go to Jerusalem and die. The Twelve had a successful ministry tour when they were sent out two by two, and the harvest continued to increase, prompting Jesus to send out seventy-two other disciples two by two. They were sent into the towns and villages between Galilee and Jerusalem ahead of Jesus before He made His way to Jerusalem for Passover. Were each pair among the Twelve that were sent out two by two given their own twelve to disciple and prepare for this final tour? Were the Seventy-Two made up of people the Twelve had reached and discipled from their earlier tours with Jesus, demonstrating the fruit that Jesus was calling them to produce? We’re not told specifically what the Twelve were doing while the Seventy-Two were sent out, or what happened with the Seventy-Two after this ministry tour, but I would imagine that Judas’ replacement as well as the Seven Deacons selected in Acts 6 were among the Seventy-Two that had been trained for ministry on this fourth tour.

Jesus effectively equipped His disciples for ministry and leadership because He not only prepared them but also gave them opportunities where their preparation could be proven. These opportunities were every bit as real and consequential as the ministry they’d seen Jesus do earlier. He was not giving them the junior varsity experience. Equipping on the go means our disciples are both seeing us engage in real life ministry as well as being given the opportunity to participate in real life ministry.

To be more intentional and effective in equipping disciple-makers, we need to continually look for opportunities to bring others into the ministry assignments God has given us and learn to give ministry away even when it might be easier for us to do it ourselves. Equipping and unleashing proven harvest workers is absolutely essential for leadership multiplication and disciple-making movement building.

This blogpost originally appeared on Sonlife.com