“Jesus . . . gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” ( Matthew 10:1 Chapter 10 1 And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. ).

Jesus granted the twelve disciples God’s divine authority to do exactly what He Himself had been doing. To do the kinds of works Jesus did would demonstrate they were sent by Him, just as what He did demonstrated He was sent by the Father. The book of Acts catalogs the very works Jesus gave them the authority to accomplish.

The apostles cast out many unclean spirits and healed every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Peter and John healed a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple ( Acts 3:2 2 And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; –8). Their ministry became widespread: “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people. . . . Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed” ( Acts 5:12 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. , 16). To the man in Lystra “who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked,” Paul said, “‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he leaped up and began to walk” ( Acts 14:8 8 And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. , 10).

The apostles manifested the kind of kingdom power that their Lord had mani-fested, and by their faithful obedience they turned Jerusalem and then the world upside down ( Acts 17:6 6 And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; ). Jesus promised they would do even “greater works” than His (in extent, not power), and His words began to be fulfilled.

Ask Yourself

Are your words and expressions of faith pointing others to Christ? Are they reflective of His distinct power and the presence of His Holy Spirit within you? If you sense yourself burning low in the power tank, where do you think the leak is occurring? Be sure that what you do points to Christ.

From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.

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