The Mission of the Twelve
Jesus gathered his twelve disciples together and gave them supernatural power and authority to cast out evil spirits and heal diseases. He then sent them out with a mission: to announce that God's kingdom was coming and to heal sick people wherever they went. Before they left, Jesus gave them specific instructions about how to travel. "Don't take anything with you on this journey," he told them. "No walking stick, no traveling bag, no food, no money, and no extra clothes." He continued with guidance about where to stay: "When you enter a house in any town, remain there as guests until you're ready to leave that area entirely." Jesus also prepared them for rejection: "If the people in any place refuse to welcome you, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that town. This will serve as evidence against them of their rejection." Following Jesus's instructions, the twelve disciples departed and traveled from village to village throughout the region. Everywhere they went, they proclaimed the good news about God's kingdom and healed people who were suffering from various illnesses.
Herod's Perplexity about Jesus
When Herod the tetrarch heard reports about everything that was taking place, he became deeply troubled and confused. People were spreading different theories about who was behind these remarkable events. Some claimed that John the Baptist had come back from the dead. Others insisted that the ancient prophet Elijah had returned to earth. Still others believed that one of the great prophets from long ago had risen again to minister among the people. But Herod knew the truth about John's fate. "I had John beheaded," he said to himself. "So who is this person I keep hearing these extraordinary stories about?" The question haunted him, and from that time forward, he continuously sought opportunities to see Jesus with his own eyes.
The Feeding of the Five Thousand
When the apostles came back, they told Jesus everything they had accomplished. Jesus took them away to be alone together, and they went to a town called Bethsaida. But the crowds discovered where they had gone and followed them there. Jesus welcomed the people warmly and taught them about God's kingdom, and he healed everyone who was sick. As evening approached, the twelve disciples came to Jesus with a concern. "Send these people away," they said, "so they can go find food and places to stay in the nearby villages and farms. We're out here in the middle of nowhere." But Jesus surprised them by saying, "You give them something to eat." The disciples looked at him in amazement. "We only have five loaves of bread and two fish," they replied. "Are you expecting us to go buy food for this entire crowd?" There were about five thousand men there, not counting the women and children. Jesus told his disciples, "Have everyone sit down in groups of about fifty people each." The disciples did exactly what Jesus said, and soon everyone was seated on the ground in organized groups. Then Jesus took the five loaves and two fish in his hands. He looked up toward heaven, spoke a prayer of blessing over the food, and broke it into pieces. He handed the broken bread and fish to his disciples, who then distributed it to all the people sitting there. Everyone ate until they were completely full and satisfied. When the meal was finished, the disciples gathered up the leftover pieces, and they filled twelve baskets with the broken bread and fish that remained.
Peter's Confession of Christ
One day Jesus had gone off by himself to pray, though his disciples were nearby. When he finished praying, he turned to them with a question: "What are people saying about who I am?" His disciples answered him, "Well, some people think you're John the Baptist come back from the dead. Others believe you're the prophet Elijah. And still others say you're one of the ancient prophets who has come back to life." Then Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "But what do you think? Who do you say I am?" Peter spoke up immediately: "You are the Christ—the one God promised to send." Jesus then gave them a stern warning that they must not tell anyone what Peter had just said.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Calls for Self-Denial
Jesus spoke directly to his disciples about what lay ahead. "The Son of Man will endure terrible suffering," he told them. "The religious leaders—the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law—will reject him completely. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be brought back to life." Then Jesus turned to address everyone who was listening. "Anyone who wants to follow me must give up their own desires and be willing to suffer for it every single day. You must follow me no matter what it costs you. Here's the truth: if you try to protect and save your life, you will end up losing it forever. But if you give up your life because of me, you will truly save it. Think about this—what good does it do if someone gains everything the world has to offer but destroys or loses their own soul in the process? "Listen carefully: if anyone is embarrassed by me and ashamed of my teachings, then when the Son of Man returns in his magnificent glory—surrounded by the Father's glory and the glory of the holy angels—he will be ashamed of that person too. "I'm telling you the absolute truth: some of you standing here right now will still be alive when you see God's kingdom come with power."
The Transfiguration
About a week after Jesus had spoken these words, he took Peter, John, and James with him and climbed up a mountain to pray. While he was praying, something extraordinary happened—his face began to change, and his clothes became brilliantly white, shining like light itself. Then suddenly, two men appeared and began talking with Jesus. These men were Moses and Elijah, and they too were shining with heavenly glory. They spoke with Jesus about his coming death, which he would soon face in Jerusalem. Peter and his two companions had grown drowsy and fallen asleep. But when they woke up, they saw Jesus glowing with divine glory, and the two men standing there with him. As Moses and Elijah were preparing to leave, Peter spoke up without really thinking. "Master," he said to Jesus, "this is wonderful! Let us build three shelters here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He had no idea what he was really saying. Even while Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud came down and covered all of them. The disciples became frightened as the cloud surrounded them. Then a voice spoke from within the cloud: "This is my Son, the one I have chosen. Listen to him!" When the voice finished speaking, the cloud disappeared, and only Jesus remained with them. The disciples kept what they had witnessed completely to themselves. During those days, they told no one about the incredible things they had seen.
The Healing of a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
The next day, Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain and found a large crowd waiting for them. Suddenly, a man from the crowd called out desperately, "Teacher, please help my son! He's my only child, and I'm begging you to look at him." The man's voice was filled with anguish as he continued, "An evil spirit keeps taking control of him. Without warning, my boy will suddenly scream out loud. The spirit throws him into violent fits where he shakes uncontrollably and foam comes from his mouth. It attacks him brutally and almost never leaves him alone. I pleaded with your disciples to force this spirit out of him, but they couldn't do it." Jesus responded with frustration in his voice, "You people have no faith, and your hearts are twisted away from God! How much longer do I have to stay with you and endure your lack of belief? Bring your son to me." As the father brought the boy forward, the demon violently threw the child to the ground, causing him to writhe in another terrible seizure. But Jesus spoke sternly to the evil spirit, completely healed the boy, and returned him to his father's arms, whole and free. Everyone who witnessed this was filled with amazement at God's incredible power. While the crowd stood there marveling at everything Jesus had done, he turned to speak with his disciples.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
Jesus looked at his disciples with deep seriousness and said, "Listen carefully to what I'm telling you and let these words stay in your minds: The Son of Man is going to be handed over to other people who will harm him." But the disciples couldn't grasp what Jesus meant by this. The meaning was hidden from them, and they found themselves unable to understand it. They were also too frightened to ask Jesus to explain what he was talking about.
Who Is the Greatest?
The disciples began arguing among themselves about which one of them would be the greatest. Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts, so he called a little child over and had the child stand next to him. Then Jesus told them, "Anyone who welcomes this little child because of me is really welcoming me. And anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the one who sent me. The person who chooses to be the least important among all of you—that person is actually the greatest."
Whoever Is Not Against You Is for You
John spoke up and said, "Teacher, we saw a man forcing demons out of people by using your name. We told him to stop because he doesn't travel with our group." But Jesus answered them, "Don't try to stop him. Anyone who isn't working against you is actually working for you."
Samaritan Opposition
As the time drew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made a firm decision to travel to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him to prepare the way. These messengers entered a Samaritan village to arrange lodging and provisions for Jesus and his group. However, the villagers refused to welcome Jesus or provide for his needs. Their reason was simple: he was traveling toward Jerusalem, and this offended them. When James and John witnessed this rejection, they approached Jesus with a bold suggestion. "Master," they said, "would you like us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy these people?" Jesus turned toward his two disciples and sternly corrected them for such thinking. Without further delay, he and his followers left that place and continued their journey to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship
As they were traveling down the road, a man approached Jesus and declared, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus looked at him and replied, "Foxes have holes to sleep in, and birds have nests in the trees, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Then Jesus turned to another man and said, "Follow me." But the man answered, "Lord, let me go home first and bury my father." Jesus told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. Your job is to go and tell people about God's kingdom." Yet another person came forward and said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go home and say goodbye to my family." Jesus responded, "Anyone who starts plowing a field but keeps looking back over his shoulder is not ready for God's kingdom."