The Second Most Important Work that Jesus Accomplished

Before unpacking the truths of our text in Mark 6, let me explain the meaning of the title I have given this lesson, “The Second Most Important Work that Jesus Accomplished”. In history’s holiest moment, in John 19:30, Jesus spoke the one word which is probably the most important single word ever spoken. The word is tetelestai, "finished," "complete," "done." The work that was finished at that moment is the Work of REDEMPTION, the one inclusive word which describes all that Jesus did to glorify God and to fully save sinners.

In John 17:4, Jesus used that word again: "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." This is the second most important work that Jesus completed. What work had Jesus finished at this point? Most commentaries say that this statement also applies to the work of redemption which Jesus accomplished on the cross, but this clearly cannot be the case. Jesus used a past-tense verb, and the cross was still in front of Him! No, He was not speaking here of the work of REDEMPTION, but the Work of REPRODUCTION.  At this point, His entire training process for His men was complete: So, Jesus came to accomplish two primary and essential works: REDEMPTION and REPRODUCTION. Without the indispensable work of Redemption accomplished by Christ's death on the cross, there would have been nothing worth reproducing, but without the indispensable work of Reproduction through enlarging numbers of Christians, the work of Redemption would be only partially, poorly, or pitifully known.

Our text in Mark 6:7-13 - typical of Mark’s hurried, straight-to-the-point, narration – tells us about the first solo ministry assignment of the twelve disciples, also known as the Apostles.

Jesus has just left His hometown of Nazareth, where He was rejected for a second time (Luke 4:16-30; Mark 6:1-6). That experience will impact the counsel He gives His 12 apostles as they go on their evangelistic/mission assignment (Mk. 6:4, 11). He moves on to other villages where He continues His teaching ministry.

After discipling and mentoring the Twelve for an extended period, it is now time for them to get their feet wet, to move to the next level. We are going to consider some significant principles in every available believer’s assignment to be a disciple and make disciples to advance the kingdom of heaven.

1. Jesus Sends His Disciples Out with Power as His Kingdom Partners - Mk. 6:7 

“And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” 

Luke’s gospel account of this event in Luke 9:1-2, reads: “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” 

Matt. 10:2-4 lists the names of the twelve and WOW, what a kaleidoscope of humanity! A tax collector (Matthew) and a tax hater (Simon the Zealot); the impulsive Peter and the quiet, analytical Philip; the ambitious James and John beside the more reserved Andrew and Bartholomew; a man who was willing to die (Thomas) and a man who just couldn't take it (Judas). Bill Hull makes an excellent point when he observes: “The genius of Jesus' choice of these men is that when we look at them, it is like looking in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I see the impulsiveness of Peter, the apprehension of Andrew, the skepticism of Thomas, the calculating doubt of Philip, and even the mutinous leanings of Judas.”

Yet, this handful of men turned the world upside down. Unlettered, unknown men from the region of Galilee - then considered a rural, backwater home - changed the world as never before. They were successful because of their Master and His training.

If spiritual multiplication is to take place, converts must mature into established disciples who must then ripen into equipped laborers. These laborers in turn need to be able to nurture and train other disciples through the same process. The great commission hinges on this process (Matthew 28:19-20).

Having selected the Twelve, Jesus spent time with them, modeled for them how they should conduct ministry, clarified His expectations, and then released them. There was no formal curriculum, no audition process, no lecture to attend, no tuition to pay, no established course of study, no written examination. They had only limited access to the Old Testament Scriptures to read and the divine Author of those writings to teach them.

Mark writes, “And He called the twelve to Himself” (v. 7a). We need to remember who these twelve were. Earlier in Mark, we saw that Jesus "appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons" (3:14-15). He told them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God" (4:11a). Since that time, they had been with Jesus, traveling about with Him and observing Him as He taught and performed wondrous signs. The twelve included Peter, James, John, and nine others (3:16-19).

He taught the crowds, but He trained the twelve. He gave his life on the cross for millions upon millions, but he gave an estimated 85 percent of his 3 ½ years of public ministry to 12 men. Only because of what He had done with them, were they able to do what He gave them to do in Matthew 28:19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in lie name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you." and Mark 16:15: "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

When Jesus said to "go and make disciples," they knew exactly what He meant. He wanted them to go out and do what He had done with them. Training, not just teaching believers, is more than just telling them truth. It is more relational than dispensing information to a large group by a speaker who is virtually unknown to the audience.

Jesus followed an apprentice model, and we have settled too often for an academic one. We have accepted a crowd mentality. Buildings and budgets, programs and events dominate our time and drive us to do more buildings and budgets, more programs and events.

We have filled our church buildings with consumers instead of producers; with those who come and sit in their seats rather than training them as those who are to go on their feet to make disciples. But we should not blame them. We have trained them to watch and listen and evaluate the program, hoping they will "buy in.”

We have a serious lack of conversion growth, partly because I believe we have an expectation that the full-time, special-called, ministers will "bring them in." We have said, “build a beautiful building and they will come” instead of building men and women who will be going everywhere making disciples.

We must take steps away from the "Jesus and me" mentality to the first century "Jesus and we" way of life. Away from our Me-thinking culture to a We-thinking one. Away from "It's all about me" to “It’s all about we”. The "we" may only be two who are together, but Jesus is present (Matthew 18:19-20).

Jesus knew the importance of a few good men and never committed himself to the crowds. He knew that making lifelong lovers, learners, and leaders begins with relationships. He knew that becoming like him involves being with him; that doing what he did involves imitating him.

I ran across a quote from the Cuban communist dictator, Fidel Castro, which confirms Jesus’s discipleship strategy: “I began my revolution with 82 men. If I had to do again, I would do it with 10 to 15 men and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are providing you have faith in a plan of action.”

The goal of our churches should be to transform a congregation of spectators being led by a minister into an army of ministers being led by a pastor. We must replace our “a few ministers and all the rest of the church being members, with a house full of ministers being equipped to do the work of the ministry by a few specifically called persons to do the equipping (Eph. 4:11-12).

2. King Jesus Sustains His Disciples with His Kingdom Provisions – 6:8-10

Jesus gave his men precise instructions concerning this first solo session.

1. Going Two by Two – 6:7b – “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two…”

Bishop N.T. Wright adds what is probably the preeminent reason for Jesus giving the 12 this specific plan for the sharing of his urgent mission. He said, “It was not, then, simply an example of a good leader choosing to delegate, to give his followers experience and get the work done more quickly - though no doubt that is all true as well. It was a deeply symbolic act of witness to the Israel of his day as to what time it was in God's urgent timetable. History - Israel's history, the world's history - was rushing towards its climax, its showdown. Off go the Twelve, symbolic of God's renewed people, driving out evil before them, awakening memories of old prophecies of the sick being healed as the kingdom came. Jesus, it seems, was doing three things: he was gathering support, he was giving as many as possible a final chance to repent before the great moment came, and he was preparing the ground for the very different work that would take place in the aftermath of the great catastrophe.” (The catastrophe being the utter destruction of the Jewish Temple and the end of Judaism in AD70.) Deut. 17:6, “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.”

If we are to make this passage our own today, therefore, it won't do either to suppose that we must copy exactly Jesus' instructions to his followers, which were for a specific time, place and purpose, or to imagine that we can set the whole thing aside as irrelevant.

But as a model for us to follow as far as making disciples, there are several reasons for sending laborers in pairs rather than in trios or quartets. The smaller duo gives both people the opportunity to fully utilize their gifts. When two people work on a project, each one is required to do a diversity of jobs.

These twelve men had been watching Jesus for more than sixteen months. They were bursting with information and untested knowledge. But they needed the freedom to translate theory into action. They would have to do their own thinking, planning, praying, trusting, and preaching. Without the luxury of turning around to ask Jesus for advice, they would learn fast how to think on their feet.

But, practically, there are numerous positive and practical reasons to go on missions in pairs.

A team of two offers a positive opportunity for personal closeness. It is much easier to develop a trusting relationship with just one other person than it is with several others. A team of three or more may bring about competition for intimacy or the chance of turning on one. When two are out in the field by themselves. They tend to rely on each other rather than competing with each other. Ecc 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” 

Another positive characteristic is the accountability factor. A man alone is open to many more temptations than he is when he has someone to whom he must answer and be held accountable.

2. Trusting Confidently in the Lord’s Provision – 6:8-10 - As a word of caution in understanding this passage, Jesus' words at the beginning of the chapter are specifically aimed at theseparticular disciples on thisparticular occasion. For example, the command not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), but only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (10:6), had a specific purpose in Jesus' day concerning speaking the gospel to Jewish people. However, we know that Jesus later commanded these same disciples, and by implication all disciples, to go to "all nations" (28:19) with the good news of the gospel. As Matthew 10 progresses, the marching orders become more general, applying to all disciples at all times. In Matt. 10:24, for instance, Jesus says, "A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master." Based on the rest of this Gospel and the New Testament more broadly, we know this truth applies to all believers. This proven by what Jesus said in Luke 22:35-36, “And he said to them, ‘When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.’”

As they ministered from place to place, they would encounter both hospitality and hostility, both friends and enemies. He cautioned them to stay at one house in each community and not to “pick and choose” when it came to their food and accommodations. After all, they were there to be profitable servants, not pampered guests. If a house or a village did not receive them, they had His permission to declare God’s judgment on those people. It was customary for the Jews to shake the dust off their feet whenever they left Gentile territory, but for Jews to do this to their fellow Jews would be something new (Luke 10:10-11; Acts 13:51).

Looking at the overall picture of Matthew’s entire 10^th chapter, which Mark gave only 7 verses to, we begin to see what Jesus' summons to "go" actually looks like, including the kind of reception we should expect as people who are commissioned by Christ the King. In Matthew 10:7-8, He calls his disciples to go to great need: "As you go, announce this: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons. You have received free of charge; give free of charge." By the world's standards, this is an unlikely group for the disciples of Jesus to target - the diseased, dying, despised, and dirty. But these were precisely the King's orders.

3. Being Content with the Available Hospitality - 6:10 - Jesus commanded them, "Don't take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. Don't take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker is worthy of his food" (vv. 9-10). As they reach out to the needy, the disciples will find that Jesus is sufficient for all their needs. In other words, when they go to great need, He will meet their needs along the way.

3. King Jesus Strengthens His Disciples with His Spirit-Empowering Presence - 6:11-13

“And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”

The disciples went out in the power of the Savior, and they saw Him move and work in power and glory. God will confirm His work in and through his disciples, then and now, in powerful ways. He will manifest His power as He confirms His message.

Professor Daniel Akin suggest that “in order to move from comfortable Christianity to a Mark 6, Luke 9, Matthew 10 kind of Christianity, we ought to be praying. First, God, give us supernatural awareness of the condition of the lost. We need help to see what God sees. We need to see it in the people right around us, the people we work with and live among, and the people who surround us in the world. All of them - every single person around us and around the world - will spend eternity either in heaven or in hell. God, give us a supernatural awareness of the condition of the lost.

Our second prayer should be this: God, give us sacrificial obedience to the commission of Christ. Obedience to the commission of Christ is the only proper response of those who celebrate communion with Christ. This commission requires great risk, but the reward is more than worth it - both for us and for countless others who come to know Christ through us.

Finally, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew’s account of their first mission assignment, in Matt 10:14, “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

Remember, there is no neutrality toward Jesus. He told his disciples to that those who rejected the Gospel would face a harsh judgment someday. In fact, their punishment would exceed the judgment that fell on ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? All Sodom and Gomorrah had was the testimony of a wayward believer named Lot. These villages had the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and that of the first group of his personally trained disciples! They would face a harsh judgment for rejecting His offer of salvation.

The primary message of the disciples was a message of hope and salvation. However, those who rejected the offer of salvation were given a message of judgment and damnation.

Repent or perish is still the message today.