Luke 9:1-17
Q.1. What did Jesus want the twelve to do? How did Jesus prepare them, and hold them accountable? – (Lk.9:1-6, 10)
Essentially, Jesus wanted the twelve apostles to learn to live as He did, so – He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healings (Lk.9:1-2). Jesus was identifiable as Israel’s Messiah, because He was fulfilling prophecy and performing miracles. His disciples, too, should have been recognised by such miraculous signs (c.f. Heb.2:3-4). They prepared people to receive Jesus, by – … going throughout the villages preaching the gospel and healing everywhere (Lk.9:6). Jesus instructed them to travel lightly, and to not show partiality. He told them what to do when they were rejected (Lk.9:3-5). There was also time for debriefing – when the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida (Lk.9:10 c.f. Lk.10:17).
Q.2. Why was Herod perplexed about the reports of the ministry of Jesus? How could he have confused Jesus with John? – (Lk.9:7-9)
Herod had been trapped into beheading John the Baptizer, as a result of a thoughtless vow he had made to the beguiling daughter of Herodias (Lk.9:9 c.f. Mt.14:6-11). Without the news media images of today, Herod could not distinguish between John and Jesus. The expectation of a reappearance of Elijah and the news of what Jesus was doing, all supported the rumour – that John had risen from the dead (Lk.9:7). Therefore, Herod wanted to meet Jesus (Lk.9:9 c.f. Lk.23:8). Herod’s conscience was bothering him.
Q.3. What do we learn about Jesus from the way He dealt with the crowds? In what way was the feeding of the five thousand further training? – (Lk.9:11-17)
Jesus had planned to spend time with the Twelve – but the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing (Lk.9:11). Since it was late, the twelve wanted to send the crowds to the surrounding villages for food and lodgings (Lk.9:12). However, Jesus threw the challenge to them, to feed the hungry people. He showed them that people are paramount in ministry (Lk.9:12-12). Jesus was about to challenge them to not depend on their limited resources (Lk.9:13-16). He involved them in the organisation, the distribution, and the clean-up afterward (LK.9:14-17). He showed them that by depending on God, they could accomplish great things.