JesusX30 Challenge—Scene 14: THE COMMISSION & THE FALLEN PROPHET
1. Key Texts
Matthew 10 — Commissioning of the Twelve
Mark 6:7–29 — Sending and the Death of John the Baptist
Luke 9:1–6 — Mission Instructions
Deuteronomy 19:15 — Two Witnesses
Isaiah 40:3–5 — Voice in the Wilderness
John 1:19–34 — John’s Witness to Jesus
2. Outline / Notes
Date & Place
• Summer 28 AD — Galilee and the northern district of Ituraea.
• Jesus’ public campaign is at full momentum—crowds, miracles, and tension rising.
• John the Baptist is imprisoned and executed by Herod Antipas at Machaerus Fortress.
• Jesus commissions the Twelve, sending them out two by two across Galilee’s towns and villages.
Main Accounts
A. John’s Death – The Cost of Truth
• John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and prophetic partner, is executed by Herod Antipas.
• John had publicly condemned Herod for taking his brother’s wife, Herodias—an act forbidden under Jewish law.
• Power retaliates. John is silenced.
• For Jesus, this is not just personal grief—it’s a signal: the prophetic mission now carries lethal risk.
B. The Commission of the Twelve – The Mission Multiplies
• Jesus responds not by retreating but by expanding the mission.
• He sends the Twelve out two by two, giving them authority to heal, cast out demons, and proclaim the Kingdom.
• “Two” ensures credibility (Deut. 19:15) and companionship for endurance.
• They are told to travel light—no bag, no money, no extra tunic. Dependence is part of discipleship.
• This is not about comfort or safety; it’s about trust and urgency.
C. Fear and Power – Herod’s Paranoia
• While the disciples go out, Herod’s court is shaken.
• Rumors of miracles spread, and Herod grows fearful: “It’s John—he’s come back.”
• Fear distorts perception. Power senses the threat of truth even before it faces it directly.
• What the Empire tried to silence has now multiplied.
D. Jesus’ Strategy – Multiply, Don’t Retreat
• John’s death marks the end of innocence in the campaign.
• The movement is now both popular and persecuted.
• Jesus meets violence not with vengeance but with multiplication.
• Instead of hiding, he trains, empowers, and releases others.
3. Main Point
• Scene 14 is the moment when mission meets cost.
• John’s death reveals that prophetic truth will provoke violent resistance.
• Jesus’ response is not fear but multiplication—sending disciples as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom.
4. Exegetical Insight
• “Two by two” mirrors legal witness (Deut 19:15) and emphasizes communal mission, not solo heroism.
• “Sheep among wolves” (Mt 10:16) evokes prophetic vulnerability, echoing Isaiah’s Servant Songs.
• Herod Antipas’ fear (Mk 6:16) shows conscience as a theological theme—power haunted by its own injustice.
• The verb “send” (apostellō) becomes the root of “apostle”—one commissioned, not merely called.
• John’s death foreshadows Jesus’ own: the fate of the prophet becomes the pattern for the Messiah.
5. Reflection Questions
• How do you respond when faith becomes costly or inconvenient?
• What would it mean for you to live “sent”—to carry the Kingdom into your everyday world?
• Where might you be tempted to stay silent when truth demands a voice?
• How does John’s courage and Jesus’ commissioning challenge your picture of discipleship?
6. Action Step / Challenge
• Read Matthew 10 this week. Identify one instruction Jesus gives his disciples that stretches you personally.
• Pray about how to embody that in your own setting—workplace, home, or community.
• Partner with another believer this week (“two by two”) to serve, pray, or witness in a tangible way.
Buy the books!
This 30-day challenge is based on my book trilogy entitled Jesus: The Strategic Life and Mission of the Messiah and His Movement (3 Volumes, Hekhal Publishing Co., 2025).
You can buy or borrow the trilogy at:
Hekhal Publishing Co.
Amazon (print or ebook)
Barnes & Noble (print or ebook)
Hoopla (borrow)
Many more booksellers worldwide!
