Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus Taught Us Many Things as He Travelled
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus was out for three years teaching the gospel...He saw a large number of people needing to be taught the Way, the Truth, and the Life of the gospel...And Jesus saw the world's need for the gospel...And He also saw the need of people who could teach the gospel, and who knew the gospel and would know and practice His teachings...And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction...When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd...Then He said to His Disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the LORD of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest...
So Jesus was telling and teaching His Disciples about harvesting and sowing for new and future followers...So as He travelled from village to village the gospel that He preached and taught, was not only being preached but was being practiced as He went about His travels around Israel...
But still Jesus saw the need for people to learn the gospel...So Jesus sent out the Twelve, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel...And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’...Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons...You received without paying; give without pay...Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food...And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart...As you enter the house, greet it...And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you...And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town...Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town...
So the Twelve Disciples got some practice of preaching the gospel before Jesus ask them in the Great Commission to go out in the world to teach about Christianity...So after His death on the cross, He talked to them about this Great Commission...And Jesus came and His command to His Disciples was this, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me...Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...And behold, I AM with you always, to the end of the age."...