100 Days to a Healthier ChurchSample

Day 80

Today’s Big Idea: Jesus, the equipper. Once we choose to follow Jesus with all our heart and life, we need to be equipped because we’re going to get an assignment.

Key Verse: After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go (Luke 10:1).

Thoughts to Consider: Jesus had more than the twelve followers who were His closest confidants. There were crowds that came and went as well. But in between the twelve and the crowds there was a group of seventy-two people (some translations say it was seventy)[1] that followed Jesus closely enough to have been mentored by Him. They had walked with Jesus, observed His behavior and sat under His training. Then Jesus sent them out two-by-two, as advance teams to towns where Jesus was planning to minister.

It’s important to understand that as much as Jesus was entirely led by the Spirit, it didn’t stop Him from planning, mentoring, delegating and assessing the work. This is why we plan, train and work in teams in the church. We need each other.
   

[1] Some of the translations that say seventy include the KJV, NKJV & NASB. Translations that say seventy-two include the NIV, ESV & NLT. These differences happen because there are an equal number of ancient manuscripts that use each number, and no scholar knows the number for certain. See the note in the NIV Study Bible.