1. A plentiful harvest (1-2)

The Lord appointed 72 of his followers and sent them out two by two ahead of him into the towns he was planning to visit. Jesus was ready to reap a harvest of new believers! In our sinful generation, we might think that the harvest is slim or even nonexistent. We might give up in despair and think that such labor is pointless. However, Jesus says the harvest is plentiful. The fields are ripe for the picking! In every generation, God has been working and bringing people to salvation. He is working today in the lives of those around us. Jesus told the 72 to pray for even more workers. We too must pray for God to send more and more workers into the mission fields until the whole world is evangelized.

2. The Lord's instructions (3-16)

Jesus gave clear directions to the 72. They were to depend on His power and provision as they went out. They were to declare God's peace, heal the sick, and proclaim the kingdom of God. They were to be content with whatever was offered to them and when they faced rejection, they were to declare God's judgment. In this way, they served as official ambassadors of Jesus, our Lord and King.