pecial ministry were to
supersede the love for kindred; they must be willing to leave father,
mother, son, or daughter, whatever the sacrifice; for, said Jesus "He
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

The significance of this figure must have been solemnly impressive, and
actually terrifying; for the cross was a symbol of ignominy, extreme
suffering, and death. However, should they lose their lives for His
sake, they would find life eternal; while he who was not willing to die
in the Lord's service should lose his life in a sense at once literal
and awful. They were never to forget in whose name they were sent; and
were comforted with the assurance that whoever received them would be
rewarded as one who had received the Christ and His Father; and that
though the gift were only that of a cup of cold water, the giver should
in no wise lose his reward.

Thus charged and instructed, the twelve special witnesses of the Christ
set out upon their mission, traveling in pairs,[706] while Jesus
continued His personal ministry.

THE TWELVE RETURN.

We are without definite information as to the duration of the apostles'
first mission, and as to the extent of the field they traversed. The
period of their absence was marked by many important developments in the
individual labors of Jesus. It is probable that during this time our
Lord visited Jerusalem, on the occasion mentioned by John as coincident
with the unnamed feast of the Jews.[707] While the apostles were absent,
Jesus was visited by the Baptist's disciples, as we have already
seen[708] and the return of the Twelve occurred near the time of the
infamous execution of John the Baptist in prison.[709]

The missionary labors of the apostles greatly augmented the spread of
the new doctrine of the kingdom, and the name and works of Jesus were
proclaimed throughout the land. The people of Galilee were at that time
in a state of discontent threatening open insurrection against the
government; their unrest had been aggravated by the murder of the
Baptist. Herod Antipas, who had given the fatal order, trembled in his
palace. He heard, with fear due to inward conviction of guilt, of the
marvelous works wrought by Jesus, and in terror averred that Christ
could be none other than John Baptist returned from the tomb. His
fawning courtiers essayed to allay his fears by saying that Jesus was
Elijah, or some other of the prophets whose advent had be