Mission of the Disciples and Mission of the Seventy SS3 Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Lesson Note

CONTENT 

1. The Mission of the Twelve(Matt.10:1-15;Mark 6:7-13) 
2. The Mission of the Seventy (Luke 10:1-20) 
3. Differences in the Synoptic Accounts of the Mission of the Twelve 
4. The Achievements of the Twelve and Seventy Disciples 
5. Differences and Similarities in the Mission of the Twelve and the Seventy Disciples

Lessons to Learn from the Two Missions and Significance 

The Mission of the Twelve(Matt.10:1-15; Mark 6:7-13) The mission of the disciples was part of Jesus ‘preparation of His followers for full evangelical activities. They had worked with Him for some time, and at this stage, He sent them out on their own for brief practice, as part of the training for the ministerial task ahead. After Jesus had taught His disciples both privately and publicly, He decided to send them out to practicality what they had learned. 

The following were the instructions given to the twelve disciples: 

• They were charged to preach that the kingdom of God is at hand. 
• They were given authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out unclean spirits. 
• They were directed to go only to the lost sheep of Israel and not the Gentiles or Samaritans. They were grouped two by two. The Significance of the Mission of the Twelve Jesus trained his disciples before he sent them out on a mission to practice what they had learned. It is necessary for those called by God to receive training before they start their ministry. 

Jesus gave his disciples authority over unclean spirits and to heal the sick. The disciples made use of it and it worked for them. For those who are called by God to succeed in ministry, they must be endowed with the gifts and the power of God. Jesus warned the disciples that the power was given to them free and they should freely make use of it. We should learn that God’s services are to be rendered free of charge. 

The Mission of the Seventy (Luke 10:1-24) 

Only the Gospel according to Luke recorded a separate account of the mission of the seventy disciples. According to Luke, Jesus appointed Seventy other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every place where he was about to go. 

 The Significance of the Mission of the Seventy 

The disciples in the mission of the seventy cast out the evil spirit through the name of Jesus. Faithful Christians are doing the same today. They are performing miracles, signs, and wonders in the name of Jesus, in Churches, Crusades, revivals, Christian retreats, and meetings. The disciples were obedient to Jesus ‘instruction and they were able to cast out demons. When we obey the instructions of God as written in the Bible, it shall be well with us. We must also learn to obey constituted authorities like religious leaders, parents, and teachers to achieve success. The mission of the twelve disciples represents the mission to the Jews, while the mission of the seventy represents the mission to the Gentiles (foreigners). God wants us to reach out to all the people in the world.