“One Year Bible” New Testament Passage
Matthew 10:1-23
And when He had called His twelve to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Matthew 10:1 (NKJV)
Matthew 10 is a chapter about COMMISSION. Jesus is sending out His disciples and He gives them the ground rules of ministry. He gives them amazing power. They carry not only the news of the Kingdom, thy bring the power of the Kingdom.
Far too often we relegate these dimensions of healing and deliverance to the super-heated realms of hyper-spirituality. We use words like “anointing” or “divine encounter” or “special presence.” And these terms certainly have their place. They are biblical.
But please note, Jesus gives this power PRIOR to the day of Pentecost. These disciples had not yet had the “deeper life” experiences. They had NOT yet had any substantive encounter with the Holy Spirit. That would happen in Acts 2. THEY WERE SIMPLY SURRENDERED TO JESUS.
The only thing you can say for these guys is that they were under Jesus’ authority. So here’s the lesson for us: you are never more powerful than when you are simply surrendered. You are not called to measure uo to someone else’s profile of power. You are called to hear God’s voice to you and then to obey. Do it in humility and self-lessness. There is nothing more powerful.