When Jesus surveys Israel, He sees a people distressed and dispirited, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36). She’s sick, demon-possessed, unclean, dead. 

Jesus answers all Israel’s needs. He addresses all her distress. He proclaims the kingdom, heals the sick, cleanses lepers, raises the dead, casts out unclean spirits. Jesus’ advent is the advent of the Preacher, Physician, Priest, Exorcist.

Jesus doesn’t do it alone. As soon as He sees the depth and breadth of Israel’s distress, He summons twelve of His followers, confers authority on them to make them apostles, His emissaries, and sends them out to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt 10:5-6).

The Twelve do just what Jesus does. The Preacher equips and sends twelve preachers. The Great Physician sends twelve healers. The Priest sends priests to cleanse lepers, the Exorcist sends exorcists to drive out demons. The Lord of Life sends out the Twelve to raise dead Israel.

Their mission isn’t easy. Some cities in Israel won’t receive them. There are wolves among the sheep, and they’ll attack the shepherds. The Twelve will be brought before kings and governors, betrayed by brothers, parents, children, hated by all. A disciple is not above his Master: The Twelve shepherds will suffer like the Good Shepherd.

Like the mission of John the Baptist, the mission of the Twelve to the twelve tribes is preparatory. Jesus says they won’t finish their mission before the Son of Man comes (Matt 10:23). And when He comes, He’ll judge the cities that rejected His apostles. “It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city” (Matt 10:15).

Jesus sends them out to prepare Israel to receive her King. The king has come to inspect, judge, and save. The Twelve are ambassadors of the heavenly King, preparing for His royal parousia.

We confess the church is apostolic, and that means our mission continues the mission of the Twelve. Like them, we carry on the mission of Jesus in the world, filled with the Spirit of Jesus and with His resurrection power. We preach, heal bodies and souls, cleanse sinners, fight principalities and powers, bring the spiritually dead to life.

Our mission is apostolic because it’s preparatory. The Twelve were sent to the twelve tribes to prepare them for Jesus’ arrival. We’re scattered among the nations to prepare the world for His final coming to judge the quick and the dead.

We witness, work, worship until the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the seas. Our aim, like Paul’s, is to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles (Rom 1:5). 

We prepare the world so that when the King returns, He will be received with acclamation, by nations gathered in worship, by a world disciplined by His commandments.

Blessings,
Pastor Leithart