Knowing he would be leaving, Jesus prepared for his absence by training apostles to carry on after he was gone and by investing them with authority to rule in his place. By appointing twelve apostles to lead the twelve tribes of Israel, he reconstructed the kingdom around himself. Read the following passages and note the kind of authority Jesus invested in them (some are taken from other gospels to round out the picture)
Matthew 18:18-20 and Catechism No. 553
John 20:21-23
Luke 10:18-20 (Think back to Genesis 3:15. How are they sharing in Christ's mission?)
Matthew 16:13-20 (This account gives more details of Peter's confession than Luke does in 9: What does Matthew add?)
He gave the apostles authority over serpents, scorpions, and all full force of enemy. Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. Jesus trusted Peter with the keys of heaven.
