Sent Out Like Sheep
As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Matthew 10:7 · Berean Standard Bible
As you go, tell everyone: 'God's kingdom is right here, right now!'
The message was simple and thrilling: the thing Israel had been waiting for, God's reign, was finally arriving.
Jesus, giving them the most important message.
The same announcement Jesus made, He now entrusts to ordinary people to carry forward.
The message they are to proclaim (keryssete) is identical to Jesus' own: 'The kingdom of heaven has drawn near' (engiken he basileia ton ouranon), echoing 4:17.
The disciples' message replicates Jesus' own proclamation word for word, establishing them as authorized heralds of the same kingdom.
Jesus, giving the mission message.
The continuity of message from John the Baptist (3:2) to Jesus (4:17) to the Twelve (10:7) shows a unified divine announcement.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
Read all of Matthew 10 — Jesus hands his authority to twelve ordinary men and sends them into a hostile world. The mission briefing is searingly honest.
This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.
Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad