What does Luke 9:2 mean?

Jesus has given the twelve apostles the power and authority to be His representatives. They are enabled to heal, cleanse leprosy, expel demons, and raise the dead (Matthew 10:8). For now, though, they may only do so for the Jews—not Samaritans or Gentiles (Matthew 10:5). Healing is associated with the coming of the kingdom of God and the Messiah, as Jesus read in Nazareth (Luke 4:18–19).

In this passage, Jesus does not elaborate what the apostles are to teach about the kingdom of God. Likely, they teach what God expects of citizens in His kingdom (Luke 6:20–49), but they also know that to enter the kingdom, the people must choose to listen (Luke 8:4–15).

This first section of Jesus' ministry (Luke 4:14—9:50) is more about who Jesus is and what His followers should look like. In the next section, Luke will record stories and parables further illustrating the kingdom of God (Luke 13:18—18:30).

Later, Jesus will send seventy-two disciples ahead to the towns He plans to visit (Luke 10:1–12). When they return, they will celebrate how demons submitted to their word. Jesus corrects them: it is good that Satan and the demons will be conquered. "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:17–20). After Jesus ascends into heaven, more in the church will receive the power to perform miracles to authenticate their teaching that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah. They will spread the news of the kingdom of God beyond the Jews to the Samaritans and the Gentiles (Acts 1:8).