NEVER DEPARTED:

NEVER DEPARTED:

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” -John 14:3

In Matthew 10 Jesus commissioned the twelve apostles and “gave them authority to drive out evil/unclean spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (10:1).

Throughout the rest of that chapter we get a glimpse of their inaugural ministry of healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing those with skin diseases, and even driving out demons.

As Matthew 11 begins we read, “And it came for Jesus to complete the thorough instruction of His twelve disciples, so he departed from there to preach and teach in their cities” (11:1).

Jesus’ goal was to thoroughly, intensely, and systematically instruct and command the Twelve - and He accomplished it - not so much by preaching and teaching in their cities, but rather in departing...

Immediately after, in the ensuing section, we read about John the Baptist in prison. In the midst of his doubt, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Following Jesus’ commissioning of the Twelve apostles with the authority and power to perform miracles - we read that Jesus makes it His goal to complete their thorough, intense, and systematic training. He accomplishes this by departing. Jesus departs, and immediately we read about John in prison riddled with doubt...

Imagine what this might have looked like to the Twelve. Not only does Jesus do nothing to alter or resolve John’s dire situation - He’s gone to a whole different region! Then John, Jesus’ predecessor and friend, is beheaded!

Imagine the questions, the doubt, the insecurities running through their minds - maybe they’re running through yours too. Their inner thoughts might have been something like, “Sure, Jesus gives us some nifty parlor tricks, but when we’re really in trouble - is He just going to abandon us like He did to John - and do nothing?”

Remember that Jesus’ goal was to work toward completing their training. To do this He had to leave. Jesus departs because we wrongly aspire for a life and ministry of power and miracles, but eschew the ministry of solitude, rejection, hatred, persecution, discomfort, and death.

The Twelve were at the beginning of their ministry so Jesus gave them power to do the outwardly amazing and miraculous.

John the Baptist was at the very end of his ministry so Jesus departed, leaving him in prison to wrestle with his questions and doubt.

Jesus gave John’s disciples an unequivocal answer to his question riddled with doubt: “Are you the one?” Jesus’ answer, from Isaiah 35:4-6, was a resounding implicit “YES!” Jesus answered John by telling him, (paraphrase) “I’ve done the things Scripture said the anticipated Messiah would do.”

Before sending them out Jesus forewarned the Twelve regarding the intense level of resistance they would experience: rejection, arrest, hatred, persecution, and even death. Then He said, “…anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

It seems harsh to us that Jesus did nothing to rescue John from prison, but death in prison was John’s God-ordained final ministry – as it likely was for the Apostle Paul, and certainly has been for countless faithful saints and martyrs throughout history.

At the beginning of their ministry Jesus’ disciples had immediately become intoxicated with “their” power ability to perform miracles. They quickly twisted God’s blessing it into a competition of personal pride and acumen.

While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17) the majority of his disciples were squabbling over who was “the greatest.” Meanwhile, ironically, they were simultaneously befuddled as to why none of them were able to drive out an evil/unclean spirit (Matt 17:19).

Ministry, i.e. serving Christ, happens neither by our abilities nor in moments of doubt, but rather in the contentedness and joy of daily picking up our cross and following Jesus.

Sometimes this leads to opportunities where God does the miraculous via His almighty power through us broken vessels. Sometimes it leads to miraculous healings from disease or the driving out of evil/unclean spirits, but -as this section of Scripture points out- this is typically the inception and infancy of ministry.

Ultimately, ministry brings us to the darkest solitary places when sin and evil run rampant. Serving Jesus brings us into places where our own knowledge, skills, and abilities are utterly worthless - where we have nothing apart from desperate dependence on Him.

When we bring the light of Christ into the darkness Jesus tells us there are intense and severe consequences: rejection, arrest, hatred, persecution, suffering, and even death.

Between the miracles and doubt is where the truly miraculous happens. This is where the love of God transforms selfish to servant, sinner to saint, enemy to friend, and graciously moves in and through us to bring others from death to eternal life.

In the beginning we are readily fascinated, and contented, with the miracles and experiences of Jesus and the Christian life. Ultimately we become content to await death in a dank prison cell - whether literal or figurative - for we know with absolute certainty He truly is the One who was to come, and Who has overcome.

By faith we arrive at the destination of unshakable surety knowing that, while departing, He never truly departed.

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com