OTKC 25: Demonstrate Kingdom Rule

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.  Matthew 10:8 (ESVUK)

What Did Jesus Mean?

The instructions Jesus gives to the disciples as they carry out His work in Matthew 10 are specific to them at that time. Those instructions are to be read in the understanding that Jesus was being specific to those followers at that time for that purpose. Other commands may be applicable to all followers at all times. These can be appreciated for their specificity.

Yet in that, there are still aspects of the instructions that inform what we do as believers today. In the previous instruction, Jesus commanded the disciples to proclaim – this is an instruction to use the mouth to make clear what is going on. Jesus wanted His disciples to use their mouths to utter things for people to hear and consider. In this command, Jesus is just as keen for his followers to follow him in demonstrating what he’s talking about. This is to say, for Jesus, actions don’t speak louder than words – they reinforce the Word. In the same way that in the beginning, God spoke and what was made reflected what He said, similarly, Jesus spoke and then demonstrated to reinforce what He said.

In this case, Jesus’ instructions reflect the nature of the demonstration of Kingdom rule. That demonstration featured interacting with matters that required the divine touch. The sick, the dead, the diseased and the demon-possessed were prevalent problems that could not find regular means of remedy.  Indeed, some of these – such as being dead – could never be remedied without divine intervention. These were expressions of the rule of darkness, what happens when people choose to reject God. The rule of God demonstrated, underlined how He was there to reach parts that could not be reached other than through Him.

Jesus calls disciples to a grace-shaped ministry that ministers to the whole person—spirit, soul, and body—through the authority he supplies.

Jesus and the Early Church Demonstrating Kingdom Rule

Jesus himself modelled this pattern. He gave the Twelve authority and sent them to preach and to heal, mirroring His own ministry of teaching, healing, and deliverance. When he later sent them out, they “cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them,” embodying the commission in action and showing that Kingdom power flows through obedient servants. The Gospel pattern consistently yokes healing and deliverance, presenting them as integral to the unveiling of God’s rule.

The early church continued this demonstration. After facing opposition, the believers prayed not for escape but for boldness and for God to “stretch out [his] hand to heal, and signs and wonders” to be done through the name of Jesus, indicating that miraculous works were expected accompaniments to Gospel witness. God answered: in Jerusalem, the sick were brought into the streets so that Peter’s very shadow might fall upon them, a vivid picture of Christ’s power advancing through his people. These accounts demonstrate that the apostolic community understood Matthew 10:8 as a living mandate: to preach Christ and expect the Spirit to confirm the word through works of mercy and power.

Importance of the Command in the Believer’s Life

Obeying Matthew 10:8 is vital for every believer, as it authenticates our faith and advances God’s kingdom. It reminds us that Christianity isn’t just intellectual assent but active participation in divine power, as James 2:17 states: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Demonstrating the kingdom combats spiritual complacency, fostering reliance on the Holy Spirit rather than self-sufficiency.

This command builds the church’s witness. In a world marred by suffering, acts of healing and deliverance point to God’s reality, fulfilling Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21: “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

It shapes a whole-Gospel witness: Matthew 10:8 forms believers to minister both word and deed, embodying the compassion and authority of Jesus rather than a merely theoretical faith. It confronts the powers: Deliverance and healing are signs of the Kingdom displacing darkness; practising them keeps the church engaged in spiritual warfare with the confidence of Christ’s victory.

It builds boldness and prayerfulness: The church’s prayer in Acts 4 models a posture of asking God to act while we speak; obeying Matthew 10:8 requires a life formed by prayer and courageous obedience. It witnesses to the world: Tangible mercy—healing, cleansing, deliverance—makes the invisible Kingdom visible, compelling attention to the name of Jesus and opening hearts to the Gospel.

Practical Steps to Follow the Command

• Depend on the King who gives the command: Read through the Gospels and Acts, to engage with Jesus’ demonstration of the kingdom. Note how often these were a part of the ministry and the early church and see how it was always dependent on a right relationship with the Father.
• Be sensitive to the needs around: Those in need of being delivered, healed, cleansed and reintegrated are everywhere. It’s essential to trust God to know who to serve and how, in the power He gives, as you remain aware of His presence and the need for the demonstration of His rule.
• Step out in faith and trust: Some things require talking, and some things require doing. These are not things we can do in our own power; they’re done as we listen and then respond to God about putting into action what He demonstrates.
• Deal with resistance and opposition with Spirit-filled boldness: Many reasons and voices would suggest that these actions are no longer for today or relevant for expressions of the faithful church. The Word of God and the rule of God by His Spirit should be the source through which we overcome those barriers.
• Be Prayerful Throughout: The practice of Jesus and the early church points to the ongoing practice of being prayerful as crucial to conducting these activities. Communication with God offers the opportunity for guidance and reassurance before, during and after the experiences.
• Cultivate operating in partnership: Obeying the commands of Christ is done in relationships. These commands were given to disciples called to go out in pairs. The power of relationship and agreement, complementing and supporting each other, can be hugely helpful in demonstrating God’s rule.

People will not always be convinced by observing the miraculous and the amazing. People, however, will not be able to deny encountering the rule of God in the demonstration of the Kingdom in how people who should stay dead, be diseased and disassociated, demon-possessed, and sick are delivered. Nothing has changed from the world in which Jesus lived to the one we live in. Recognising that can make us more aware of the opportunities around us and how, by His power and grace, we can engage with them for His glory.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom

Questions for Reflection

• What challenges do you face in how the command to demonstrate Kingdom rule is applied today?
• How would you work out if someone is demon-possessed today? What role do evil spirits play in the environment of your local community?
• What can you do with a trusted friend in the faith this week to prepare for and make the most of opportunities to declare and demonstrate the Kingdom of heaven?