Matthew 10:27-31

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27 Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ~ Matthew 10:27-30

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus continues to instruct His disciples on being disciples. Discipleship is a life-long process whereby the believer in Christ  becomes more Christ-like. In today's passage the Lord Jesus continues to address the issue of fear in the life of the believer. The Bible mentions two types of fear. The first is reverential awe of God and is obviously beneficial to us. The second causes us to run from God and is a detriment and is to be overcome. 

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."

The Lord Jesus had been teaching His disciples secretly about His kingdom which is light to the darkness of this world. Spiritual darkness describes the state of a person whose sin has not been atoned for and who lacks a personal relationship with God. Most people live in rebellion to God without even knowing it. Fortunate for us the darkness of separation from God is overcome through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 1:4-5 we read, "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Then the Lord Jesus told His disciples to take His teachings to the whole world and proclaim them from the housetops. In that day, the roofs of the peoples houses were the place to make announcements. And, the announcements made from the rooftops of the houses have always been the best. The message we are to share with the people is life-giving. The message rescues people from eternal death and separation from God. Once made alive to God, it is normal and natural for the believer to deeply desire to see the lost enter into a personal relationship with God. This is due to the fact that God is giving to us His heart for the lost.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

It is the fear of the rejection by man that strangles effective evangelism most. Self-preservation is the biggest culprit here. For those who live in the light of eternity, sharing the truths of the Bible is natural. This is the second of three "fear nots" that the Lord uttered to His disciples that day. In these statements the Lord underscored the fact that if we fear God, we will not fear man or anything else. Having a proper understanding of God is what enables the believer to battle our fears. A proper reverence of God will lead us into the darkest places in this world to share the truth of God's Word with whomever will listen. And, why should we fear those yet in the darkness when all they can do is to kill our bodies and not our souls. We all know that we will live on into eternity. And, when we are in eternity God will give us new glorified bodies.

In v.29-31of today's passage we read, "29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

The Lord used the copper coin to illustrate the seeming insignificance of a sparrow. Just two copper coins added up to a Greek "penny." About sixty-four Greek pennies made up a denarius, or a day's wage for a laborer. In light of God's care for the smallest of His creation, the Lord Jesus used the third of the three "fear not" statements. This time the Lord used this phrase in the context of what seems to be insignificant animal life. Nothing happens in the most insignificant parts of this life that God does not know or care about it. In fact, He knows the very strands of hair on our heads. His point is that we have nothing to fear, especially in light of the fact that God is aware of even our most difficult moments and we can trust Him with it all. Not only does God see the sparrow when it falls, but the sparrow would not fall to the ground apart from the His will. It’s not as if the sparrows fall at random from the trees and God takes note when it happens. The sparrows fall because God willed them to fall, and if He didn’t, the sparrows would never fall to the ground. This means God cares about us much more than the sparrows and He meets their every need. 

After all is said and done, in a given moment we see only bits and pieces of God’s plan for our lives. Sometimes those bits and pieces don’t make much sense to us. We lack the ability to see how each piece fits together. I find it helpful to be very aware of where to begin in my thinking regarding these things. If we start with the things that frighten us, we will find it hard to reason back to God. We must always start with what we know to be true about God. Even then, we have a difficult time making sense out of our fears. It was John Nelson Darby who once said, "That which is darkness to my intellect has become light to my soul."  When we realize that whatever has happened to us has come through the sieve of His will for us, we can rest assured that it will render a good result for us. What we must do is to keep our eyes on Him and to be patient with Him and to trust Him through it all. 

Matthew 10:24-26

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24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. ~ Matthew 10:24-26

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus was preparing His disciples for their first ministry opportunity. Every believer in the Lord Jesus is called by the Lord Jesus to "make disciples." As the Lord Jesus sent the very first disciples out to make disciples, He was making of them disciples. Disciple-making is a relational activity. When a rabbi called disciples to himself, he was calling them to follow his way of living closely. 

The Lord Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, to do life together with Him. Later, after the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders and teachers for trial. When the leaders saw the courage of Peter and John, realizing they were unschooled, ordinary men, the leaders were astonished and recognized that Peter and John had been with the Lord Jesus. This is the key to being a disciple of the Lord Jesus, that is to do life with Him as the Disciple-Maker.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master."

The word "disciple" means learner which morphs into becoming a disciple-maker. But, being a disciple of the Lord Jesus means much more than leading people into a personal relationship with Him. That is not the end of our commission; that is merely the beginning. Disciples of the Lord Jesus have been called into a relationship with Him that is so profound that it reproduces itself in others. The Lord Jesus is the Disciple-Maker and as we find our faith in Him, He gives us the courage to conquer our fears because He is and will always be greater than our fears.

The best learning is observed learning because more is caught than is taught. Since God had equipped His disciples with His Word and the Holy Spirit, it is a must that we assume the posture of the servant. This is part of the reason the Lord Jesus brought in the word "servant" here which literally means slave. The disciple must lose sight of his own will in order to be embraced by the will of the Master. The disciple has been set free from sin and made a willing servant who gladly serves the Lord over self.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!"

The Jewish religious leaders had previously accused the Lord Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Beelzebub which was another name for Satan. Beelzebub literally means “lord of the house.” Israel was meant to be God’s house, with God ruling over them, but they relinquished God's rule when they went the way of Satan in the Garden of Eden. The point the Lord Jesus was making was this: persecution will come to those who resemble their Master, the Lord Jesus. The world hates the Lord Jesus and therefore anyone else that is truly reflective of Him.  The disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ can be confident. We do not need to fear the future regardless of the strength and intensity of any persecution that may come upon us because God has given us eternity. There is no cause for us to worry about our Savior’s love, for God is personally and intimately involved with us. His love for us is infinite in keeping with His own character.

In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."

The persecutors of the Lord Jesus watched Him do good but they refused to acknowledge Him as good. Instead, they acknowledged Him as the arch enemy of God. They totally misunderstood the Lord Jesus and His ministry. As such they resisted Him to the greatest degree! The Lord Jesus said, "Do not fear them." Certainly, the Lord Jesus’ admonition to not fear is not limited to the Pharisees. It certainly applies to everyone who would resist God's truth as it is presented.  Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ will be misunderstood in this world. The fact is that we will be hated by world because it is not aligned with the Lord. 

This is the first of three times in the greater context here that the Lord Jesus reminded the disciples to not fear. He said this because God will clarify everything in the end. At the end of time, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will be included on His side which will triumph over evil. He will overcome that which has caused us fear. He will do this by the truth. At the end of time, people will see how sinful and wicked they were to resist the Lord Jesus. And, just as He will be vindicated by the truth, so also will we be vindicated. In that day, God will set all records straight. The truth that we have been telling people for years will be demonstrated to be true and it will endure.

Matthew 10:21-23

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21 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ~ Matthew 10:21-23

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus is instructing His disciples before He sent them out two by two for the first time into the surrounding towns in Galilee. Many times in the Bible, prophetic words have double application. Today's passage is just that. The description in today's passage applied immediately to the disciples, but these words also apply to believers at the end of times we know it. The main idea is that the disciple keeps his eyes on the Lord. It is only through knowing the purposes of the Lord for our trials are we able to endure them best.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death."

In Matthew 10:5-15 we learned of the authority of the Lord Jesus over sickness, death and demon-possession. In Matthew 10:16-23 the tables are turned. Here, we learn of the persecution and even martyrdom that awaits the disciple of the Lord Jesus. This type of severe persecution has come to pass many times over the centuries. As indicated in this passage, Christians have been handed over and even put to death by their own family members. The history of the church is written in the blood of the martyrs. Almost all of the disciples were martyred for their faith. One didn't because he didn't see the resurrection coming. After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the disciples were changed and emboldened because they had not one doubt that the Lord Jesus had risen.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."

History informs us that each of the original disciples sent out by the Lord Jesus was persecuted and jailed but not during this first trip. Later on they were killed for bearing His name. Still, the Lord Jesus said that those of them who endure to the end will be saved. He did not mean that they would escape death at the hands of the persecutors. He meant that by enduring all the way to the end of their lives in faithfulness to His calling, they would immediately enter into their salvation in His kingdom.

People see the Lord Jesus as dangerous because He threatens the safety of their sin. Yes, it is hard to believe but people garner a certain amount of comfort from their sin. Our loving Shepherd, the Lord Jesus has given us boundaries to protect us from sin and from our lack of wisdom. In the face of real danger, God's warnings are motivated by His love for us. God warns us because He knows both the true depths of sin’s destruction and the true heights of His mercy. He knows the threats that exist and He wants to protect us from the destruction of sin in our lives.

The Lord Jesus speaks to us with warnings of perfect love. He warned His disciples because naming the fear is the first step to being freed from it. John reminds us that it is the love of God that casts out our fear. His love, although sometimes frightening, gives us freedom from our fears. Even though we have been imprisoned by fear, God's love frees us from its shackles by convincing us that His definitions of life are best for us. As believers in Christ, we have the life of God living in us. But, if we aren't being defined by His life, we will be defined by that which brings with it unhealthy fear. There is a healthy side of fear. The type of fear that causes God to be bigger in our lives is healthy. But, God's love has to be made perfect to us and it is made more perfect in us as we give ourselves to His definition of things. When we obey Him, we will know that we are being defined by Him. The more we know His love for us, the more we will have a more mature and correct understanding of His love for us.

In v.23 of today's passage we read, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

Persecution sometimes serves us by convincing us to not waste our time at a particular place. The Lord Jesus implored the disciples to move on to the next city. We are admonished in the same way, to move on to the next person because time is of the essence. The disciples struggled with this information because they were convinced that the Lord Jesus was there to usher in His kingdom permanently. They didn't understand that at least two thousand years would pass before the end of this world would come. They didn't know about the second coming spoken of in Zechariah 12 where Israel will recognize Him as the one whom they crucified.

When the Lord Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the donkey the people waved palm branches because they expected Him to usher in His kingdom into this world. With it, they along with the disciples, expected the overthrow of the Roman government. But, it didn't happen that way. These first century seekers didn't understand that through the cross God's kingdom would be ushered in by addressing the sin that separated fallen man from God. They didn't know that His first coming was about making atonement for sin. This was the point of all of those passover lambs down through the centuries. Yet, it was in no way what they expected. 

When the Lord Jesus captured our heart, we were equipped to recognize His work in our lives. It isn't a guarantee that we will understand what He is doing in our lives. Even though the disciples struggled to understand all these things, with the coming of the Holy Spirit who makes the believer alive to God, they were enabled to adjust to the plan that God had for their lives. We are no different. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that enables us to eventually understand God's plan for our lives. And, our ultimate calling is to bring glory to this One who laid aside His glory to redeem us back to God so that we could bask in His shared glory.

Matthew 10:16-20

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16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. ~ Matthew 10:16-20

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus was preparing His twelve disciples for their first missionary venture. The Lord Jesus explained to them how they were to present the Gospel to their hearers. He also explained to them how to respond when they rejected their message. The best words we can ever give to others are the very words of God. In Hebrews 4:12 we read, "For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are." Today's passage underscores what has always been most important to the Triune God which is relationship with Him and others.

In v.16-18 of today's passage we read, "16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles."

Today's passage begins with the word "Behold" which is always used of the Lord to let His hearers know that what He is about to say is worthy of their greatest attention. The important message was that He was sending out the twelve as if they were sheep among wolves. The Lord likened His disciples to sheep which are perhaps the most clueless animals of all. As a result, sheep are utterly helpless and they cannot defend themselves at all. The only defense they have is to run and sheep are not built for speed. 

Now, wolves are the greatest enemy of the sheep. As a result, the number one task of the shepherd is to defend his sheep. The danger to the sheep at the hands of the wolf was very common in biblical days. And the Lord sent the disciples out as sheep in the midst of wolves. This, I am sure, was not the most thrilling call to the ministry for the disciples. Yes, they would have great and awesome powers but the Lord Jesus reminded them that they were going to be in the greatest of danger.

The danger that awaits any believer is a very useful tool to remind us all that our paramount pursuit is intimacy with the Lord. And, there is nothing more useful at pushing us most closely to the Lord than trials. If we let them, trials will convince us to be more and more dependent upon the Lord. And, as we seek Him more ardently, we will grow in great intimacy with the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. 

When we think about the stories from the Bible of people God used most, we think of them because they endured such hardship. God entrusted Job, Joseph, Daniel, Moses, David, Isaiah, Paul, and many others with major trials. We remember them because they faced the most horrific of trials. Had they never faced a major trial, we probably would not know their names. 

The wolves, on the other hand, are those who look to persecute the believer. This warning from the Lord wasn't immediately realized by the disciples because they didn’t experience any persecution till after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. After His resurrection, the disciples were called before Governors and Kings and were treated most poorly for the sake of the Lord Jesus. When we remember that anything we do for the glory of the Lord will last on into eternity, we will be poised to endure hardships while on this earth.

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

The Lord Jesus guarantees all who are serious about sharing the Gospel with others that we will be treated badly by some of them. And, if God can control the vast complexities of the universe, we can trust Him with whatever happens in our lives. There are days that we have been known to worry that God isn’t good. By worrying, our actions say to God and everyone around us that He doesn’t have our best in mind. This has been the malady of everyone who has ever believed in the God of the Bible. Then add in the fact that He just guaranteed persecution, it is natural for us to struggle with the whole idea of trusting Him. 

In the final analysis, the Lord reminded the disciples to not worry about what to say to their persecutors because He would give them the message they would need at that time. It is most difficult when we are desiring to be used of the Lord to help others see the truth of the Gospel. Sometimes we speak too quickly and sometimes we must be patient before we speak.

Recently, I was in a Bible Study with a man who said, "All religions lead us to the same God." I wanted to come out of my shoes but I modulated my emotions. I quickly asked the Lord to give me the words to speak to this man who has yet to see the light of the Gospel. At that point the Lord gave me the words. I then said to the man, "What is love?" He stumbled for a few words. I then reminded him that the greatest definition of love was uttered through the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ when He said, "There is no greater love than that you lay down your life for your friends." The Lord Jesus definitely did that when He bridged the gap created by our sin between us and God. He did that on the cross of Calvary. Then I reminded that no religious leader has ever laid down his life for his friends. The Lord Jesus is the only one to ever to lay down His life for His friends. That must make a difference in our understanding regarding who is the author of love. The Lord Jesus is the only one to lay down His life for His friends. He did it because had He not we would be damned forever. 

Matthew 10:11-15

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11 Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! ~ Matthew 10:11-15

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus was giving to His twelve disciples instructions for their first mission trip without Him. He sent them out in pairs with the goal of giving witness to the coming of the kingdom of God. Here the Lord Jesus, for the first time, sent His disciples out to do ministry. In order to be most effective, they were to give the profile of an effective witness, they were to share the gospel, they were to show the people compassion and they were to trust the Lord to meet their needs. To make the disciples most effective, the Lord Jesus gave each of them the power to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, to raise the dead, and to cast out demons. 

In v.11-13 of today's passage we read, "11 Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you."

Hospitality was huge in biblical days. A traveler back then, didn't have to look for a hotel when he arrived in a town. It was the responsibility of the town to show hospitality and to give what was necessary for those who were traveling. A stranger was always invited into the people's homes for a night of two. In those days traveling preachers wanted to stay just long enough to get money out of a family and then go to the next place. They kept moving to the next house, collecting more money from everybody. 

The Lord Jesus countered that practice by telling His disciples to look for faith in the people with whom they conversed. It is our faith in the work accomplished at the cross of Christ that makes any of us worthy before the Lord. If the people were amiable to the Gospel, the disciples were to lodge with them if they invited them in. The disciples were to remain at one house and to lodge there the whole time they were in that city. They were to start there and they were to leave for their next destination from there. 

When the disciples went out, they went out with the gospel message informing the people that their sin could be forgiven. And, whoever believed in the Lord Jesus would not be separated from God for eternity. Their message was a message about God's forgiveness and His free gift to them of His salvation. It also included telling the people to repent or to change their mind about salvation, that it was a free gift for those who had long tried to earn God's favor. This enabled them to enter into that which God had in mind all along, a personal relationship with Him.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet."

The practice of shaking the dust off of one's feet was a rabbinical practice. The rabbis when they would travel to Gentile land and reenter the land of Israel, they would do this, they would shake the dust off their feet publicly so as to say, every particle of dust from this heathen area, we're leaving off of our bodies because they believed that even the Gentile dust would defile them. Their idea of shaking the dust off was to reveal their disapproval of the paganism of that place. 

If the people didn't receive the disciples, it was due to their lack of positive response to their message that the Lord Jesus was their promised Messiah of the Old Testament. When this was the case, the disciples were to "shake off the dust from their feet" meaning if the people refused God's free gift of salvation, the disciples were to move on from that area. To shake the dust off one's feet was a testimony against the disbelief of the people. This was quite different than the religious leaders practice.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" 

Just as it didn’t turn out very good for Sodom and Gomorrah, so it will not for anyone else who rejects the free gift of forgiveness of sin through Christ. Since there is the truth, there must be an answer to that which threatens the truth and that threat is called sin. At the heart of sin is self-reliance. Due to the self reliance of the people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, fire and brimstone rained down on them. Sadly, there is no trace of either of those cities today. God delivered absolute and total devastating and eternal judgement upon them both. And, it will be worst for the people who lived in Galilee who rejected the truth of the Gospel because they were exposed more to truth than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. You see, at the end of the day what will determine our eternity is how we responded to the truth. It is only by the truth of the Gospel that anyone has hope beyond this fallen world. Believing in the One who said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" is the only ticket to spending eternity in the blissfulness of heaven.

Matthew 10:5-10

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5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. ~ Matthew 10:5-10

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the focus has turned to the disciples being sent out by the Lord Jesus to preach to the people of Israel about the kingdom of God. Here, we enter into the second major discourse in the Gospel of Matthew. The first is known as the Sermon on the Mount while this second is the sermon about the mission. Up until now, the Lord Jesus has been doing all the healing, speaking, and preaching. At this point the Lord Jesus equipped them and sent them to do ministry. 

Here, we find the Lord Jesus and His disciples half way through His three years of ministry. They were eighteen months into the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Only eighteen months or so are left until the cross. The disciples had been with the Lord Jesus for eighteen months being discipled. With this first mission, the learners were transitioning to preachers. This was their first real ministry opportunity. 

When it comes to doing ministry, it is really important that we are authentic with people. Most see through phony fast. Putting up the appearance that we have it all together is dangerous to ministry. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are often tempted to put up the image that everything is good, and when do this, we choose not to be real. It is dangerous to lead people to think that we have no troubles. In fact, I have discovered that my troubles advance the gospel as much as anything else. Especially, if I walk with Him each day. And, when I do not walk with Him, those opportunities are often missed.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: 'Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.'"

According to Mark 6:7, the Lord Jesus sent His 12 disciples out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He sent them in twos, partly for the accountability, but also, as the Scriptures have established, "it is by the mouth of two witnesses that every word is established." The Lord Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. So two witnesses were enough to substantiate the gospel message.

The disciples knew, based on what the Lord Jesus has told them in Mark 4:15, that "Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching" from some. However, in Mark 3:27, they had also heard the Lord Jesus say that He had "bound the strong person," meaning Satan himself. They had watched the Lord Jesus preach, cast out demons, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. By teaching them, while using His parables, the Lord Jesus had taught them to expect rejection but to believe that the kingdom of God is moving into the hearts of men, regardless of how things might appear. The Lord Jesus sent the 12 out to proclaim the kingdom of God which includes salvation from the penalty, the power and eventually, the presence of sin.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

The Lord Jesus commanded the disciples to go to the lost sheep of Israel. He commanded the 12 in this way because the Jews were God’s chosen people and they were the ones to whom the covenants and the promises and the Law were given. Due to their response to the Lord's call, God’s plan was that the kingdom would to be first offered to them. We often read in the Bible that "Salvation is of the Jews." That doesn’t mean it’s only for them. It means it has come through them. They were to be His first witnesses. Of course, had they gone first to the Gentiles, the Jews wouldn’t have listened to the disciples. 

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

At this moment the disciples went from being observers to being participants. Miracles accompanied the gospel message in order to authenticate the message. The Lord Jesus reminded His followers that they could give the gospel to people and some would believe. In actuality, the disciples weren't the reason the people would believe. The Lord Jesus reminded them that it was all of grace when He said, "Freely you have received, freely give." This took the pressure off of the disciples because if anyone comes to faith in the Lord Jesus it is the result of God's grace.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food."  

The Lord Jesus told the disciples to take nothing for their journey. Dependence upon the Lord is a must for the disciple and is a marvelous thing to realize and learn because as we learned, we get to know the Lord personally as we depend upon Him. And, the result is the profile of a witness. That profile is made known to, in, and through the disciple. It is then, out of that profile of trust in the Lord that the disciple proclaims salvation, he manifests compassion, and he maintains trust in the Lord. Without provisions, the disciples would be dependent on the hospitality of the people in the villages they visited. The Lord Jesus’ instructions forced them to believe in Him to open doors. Often, God chooses leanness for us, so that we will not mistake the origin of His provision. We must be careful to recognize His curriculum for our lives.

The believer in the Lord Jesus is called to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel, to show lost sinners compassion, and to live lives that are marked by trust in the Lord Jesus alone, so that no one could accuse us of doing ministry for ill-gotten gain. All the while growing in our God-given ability to discern the situations, people and needs. It is out of this posture that we best influence a dark and lonely world with light, His light that will vanquish all of the darkness that was brought into being when Lucifer rebelled against God.

Matthew 10:1-4

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1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. ~ Matthew 10:1-4

Today, we return to our study of the gospel according to Matthew where we are reminded once again that Matthew's account is not as chronological as the other gospels. Today's narrative happened before several of the miracles that are highlighted in Matthew 8-9. Each of the four gospels present the Lord Jesus Christ, and the life and freedom He gives, to a specific audience: Matthew announced the Lord Jesus as the promised Messiah, Mark proclaimed the power of the Lord in an action-packed quick account of His life and ministry, Luke included longer stories and parables, and John broke the mold to create a piece of poetry on the nature of the Lord Jesus.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease."

On the heels of spending the whole night in prayer, according to Luke's gospel, the Lord Jesus chose twelve men to be His close disciples. When making decisions, we must be ardent at seeking the face of the Lord before we make any decisions. The Lord Jesus chose twelve common men to be His disciples. Four of them were fishermen. One of them was a tax collector. One was money hungry who turned out to be a betrayer. We don't know the occupations of the rest of them, but they were common folk. The reality of the moment drove the Lord Jesus into the mountains to pray to God all night. 

Before the 12 could be sent out to preach the gospel and to perform miracles, they were to be with Him as disciples. A disciple is a learner. Discipleship means we will not always be on top of things. In fact, the disciples were clueless, selfish, erratic, inconsistent, and faithless at least half the time. But the Lord Jesus loved them and used them all the more for it. Anyone desiring to be the disciple of the Lord Jesus has to learn from the Lord Jesus before he can tell others about Him and His culture. So, like the first disciples, we must hone the craft of being with the Lord, watching for and listening to Him with our hearts on a daily basis. Being a disciple of the Lord Jesus means we do not have to be perfect because He is perfect on our behalf. The key to being a good disciple is death, death to the self on a daily basis. 

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him."

This list of disciples is found in four places in the New Testament: It's found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and, in the book of Acts. Interestingly, this list does not appear in the gospel according to John. When this list was given, it was presented in three groups of four men, and, Peter is always mentioned first. Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last, and James always appears before his twin brother, John. Of the twelve, the Lord Jesus only gave another name to Simon, James and John. Simon Peter and James and John, the sons of thunder. This marked them as belonging to an inner circle with the Lord Jesus. And after this, when the Lord Jesus went to do something special He took with Him Peter, James & John. He dealt more intimately with these three. In doing so, He designated them leaders, the means by which the others would be reached. The Lord Jesus reached the few in order to reach the many. 

The first to be on the list is always Simon Peter whom we know to be impetuous. He didn't wait for things to happen; he liked to make things happen. Simon Peter struggled with being patient. He didn't have a lot of it. He was the guy who said of the Lord Jesus, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." On the heels of that statement, the Lord Jesus told the disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to be killed. Peter vehemently objected, revealing his poor theology. Then, the Lord Jesus put him in his place by saying to him, "Get behind me, Satan!"

Perhaps, the most profound witness that we can provide is the witness of our transformed lives which only He produces. We can not change ourselves. In actuality, we are dying to our old selves and we are now learning to say "yes" to our new selves, and, our new selves are, in actuality, new because of the the presence of the Lord Jesus in our lives. 

The transformation of the believer in Christ happens always from the inside out. It happens as we daily learn to allow Him to be the center of our lives, which enables us to choose to be defined by Him. When we choose to be defined by Him, we will obey Him. Notice that these twelve men were called to be with the Lord Jesus. This is the point of all of our spiritual disciplines: to be with Him. For the twelve, to be with Him meant that they would be influenced by His culture. This is also true for us but when we have been with Him, His presence is highlighted in and through our lives.

When we present Christianity as merely peddling an ideology, offering it to people as great moral teaching, we miss the point. The point is to have an encounter with God which alters our culture and we begin thinking and living according to His word. As a result, we will be effective witnesses when we are able to communicate with people what it is to have a personal relationship with God. And, the real nice thing about God, He values and uses our uniquenesses.

The key to becoming more patient is being defined by the Lord which does not happen over night. At the end of the book of Revelation we have a description of heaven and we have a description of the heavenly Jerusalem. According to Revelation 21:12-14, this city will have around it a great and high wall. In the wall will be twelve gates and on the top of the gates will be written the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel, the twelve sons of Jacob that identify the twelve tribes of Israel. In addition, the wall of the city will have twelve foundation stones and on them will be the twelve names of the twelve apostles. Not only will they reign in the Millennial Kingdom, but they will be immortalized eternally in its foundation.

When Oliver Cromwell ruled England during the time of crisis he was looked for silver and gold because they were scarce in those days. His army came to him one day and said, "There is no more gold and silver to be found in all of the land except the metal statues in the cathedrals in England.  And Cromwell smiled then and said, "Melt down those saints and put them back into circulation." May God put us into circulation. May God melt our hearts and make us pliable and get us into circulation, not as those who have gotten it all together, but as those who are His disciples, the ones who have been called by His grace.

Matthew 9:35-38

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35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." ~ Matthew 9:35-38

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 9 where the teachings of the Lord Jesus given in Matthew 5-7 have been authenticated by the various miracles listed in Matthew 8-9. The goal of this authentification is that men and women and boys and girls would recognize what is true and real. The goal is that they would believe the Gospel and be born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people."

The Lord Jesus didn't do glamorous. He wasn't about the big splash. He went to the common folks in the cities and the villages and no city was off limits to Him. And, when He entered a city, He went to the places of worship and there He heralded the truth of the Gospel. Charles Spurgeon once said, "The heart of the gospel is redemption of sinful man, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of the perfect Christ." Along with heralding the Gospel in these cities, the Lord Jesus performed miracles in order to frame up the truth of the Gospel.

The word "Gospel" refers to the "good news" of salvation through Jesus Christ, including His perfect life, His death, and His resurrection. It is through the Gospel that God offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who believe that the Lord Jesus' death paid the penalty that was created by man's sin. It is only when we have been convicted of our sin are we positioned to see the beauty of the Gospel. The Gospel reveals that God loves us at the expense of the life of His Son. The Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals to us that we are so sinful that He had to die for us. The result of understanding the Gospel is that it leads us to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. The Gospel reminds us that we are not superior to anyone, yet, it reminds us that we have nothing to prove to anyone, not even God.

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

The word "saw" here means the Lord Jesus acutely noticed the plot of the people with the greatest perception. Essentially, He saw lives devastated by sin. Deeply perceiving that the people had no hope, he was deeply moved with compassion for them. This word translated "compassion" comes from the same root as our English word "intestines." Compassion literally means to suffer with deep down in one's being. The Lord Jesus was so moved from deep within that He chose to solve the problems on the behalf of all the people that were before Him.

The Lord Jesus saw a weary and scattered people, a people who reminded Him of sheep without a shepherd. The role of a shepherd is to watch over, feed, protect, guide, comfort, and sustain the flock under his care. And, sheep are not all that smart or perceptive. Sheep without a shepherd scatter easily, wander into dangerous territory, and become lost. Without a shepherd sheep will starve and die. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth as the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

In v.37-38 of today's passage we read, "37 Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

The point of discipleship is ministry which is paying so much attention to what’s going on in the lives of others and being used of God to help them to come to know Him. In this verse the Lord Jesus placed emphasis on prayer. Nothing makes us more in tune with God and others than prayer. Someone once said, "It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart." Prayer is a conversation with God. Sadly, most believe it is just asking of God certain things, but it is much more than that. Prayer involves listening as well. When we pray, we open our hearts to Him. God doesn’t care so much about the length of our prayers nor does He does care about the eloquence of our prayers. He does care about the heart of our prayers. Prayer is not informing God for He knows all things. But, prayer is a way to invite God in on that which He is making important to us.

Matthew 9:32-34

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32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” ~ Matthew 9:32-34

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus is healing many different people of all kinds of maladies from paralysis to demon-possession. The healings of God have always been designed to merely to point us to a much bigger issue and that other issue is our need for forgiveness of sin. The greatest contemplate of any human is whether to be believe the Gospel, that God sent His Son to remedy our sin problem. The tragedy is that one might receive physical healing from the Lord and then to spend eternity in Hell.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed."

After the Lord Jesus touched the eyes of the two blind men, another needy man was brought into the house, perhaps he was brought in by the previously blind men. This demon-possessed man could not speak. At that time deafness caused by infection in the middle ear was quite common. They had a severe problem with the blowing of the sand that collected in the ears of the people. With some of them infection set in because they were not quick to remove all of the particles that made their way into the ear drum. This man's inability to hear, though, was caused by demon-deafness.

According to the Bible there are demons who war against God and His people.  And, we can knowingly open ourselves up to demonic possession or oppression without realizing where the forces of darkness desire to take us. Even though Christians cannot be demon-possessed, demonic oppression is a real possibility. There are certain arenas that opens us up to the influence of the demonic world such as involvement in pornography, witchcraft, and the occult. Another arena that opens us up to either oppression or possession is blatant disobedience to God particularly in the sexual realm. 

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!'"

The people that witnessed this man being freed from the demon were blown away. Matthew didn’t give us the details as to how this man was delivered. In fact, I find it quite instructive that there was no fanfare about the power of the Lord Jesus to cast out this demon. This was so due to the fact that there was so much demon possession at that time. Freeing this man of the demon was a simple thing for the Lord Jesus. He cast the demon out and the man could speak. 

Unlike the previous miracles, Matthew mentions nothing about this man’s faith. This merely reminds us that faith is not necessary for healing. The gospels are loaded with times that the Lord Jesus healed and people didn’t have any faith. Whereas faith isn't necessarily a requirement for healing, faith is necessary for conversion. The Greek word for "salvation" really means "healing." When we are "saved", we are healed from our broken state of fallenness. In our broken state spiritual death permeates our lives. We are enslaved to our passions, physical and emotional, to such an extent that we cannot even begin to perceive an existence apart from such slavery. To repent doesn't mean to be sorry for something or to suffer punishment for something, it means rather to turn one's mind towards God. Thus, salvation is something beyond simply "going to heaven."  The real outcome of salvation is that we have been reunited in relationship with God.

Faith is much more than a mental assent. It is something that is exercised not just with our minds, but with our entire being. Faith or belief leads us to trust God in an increasing way. It is belief in and trust in God that leads us to salvation. It is the path by which we reach salvation; it is not some abstract prerequisite. Faith is the activity of the soul set free from the bonds of guilt and shame. It does not mean that we will reach perfection, it does not mean that we will not sin. It just means we will increase in our obedience to God because we have grown to trust Him more.

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "But the Pharisees said, 'He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.'"

Without eyes of faith no man can conclude that the Lord Jesus is God. This is why the religious leaders of Israel mounted up their opposition to the Lord Jesus. They had faith. Their faith was just not faith in the Lord Jesus. Their faith, primarily in themselves, protected their religious domain at all cost. There are some people who will not believe no matter how much evidence is given them. The reason for such unbelief is primarily pride. This explains why the religious leaders accused the Lord Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. They were so accustomed at calling the shots in their own lives, they could not come close to entertaining the idea that they needed a Savior. It is quite ironic that on the heels of the blind men being given sight, the religious leaders of Israel were being made more and more blind to the fact that their Messiah had come to deliver them from the domain of darkness.

Matthew 9:27-31

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27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. ~ Matthew 9:27-31

Today, we are nearing the end of our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus has been teaching His disciples about His culture and how it is different to all the others. The Lord Jesus also authenticated His teaching by performing miracles. Previously He had healed the woman with the twelve year old issue of blood and He raised Jairus' twelve year old daughter from the dead. In a subtle way, He through these miracles illustrated the significance of the number twelve. The number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the coming together of our faith and the kingdom of God. The number twelve stands for the coming together of God's great faithfulness and our faith placed in Him.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'"

When the Lord Jesus departed from Jairus' house, two blind men followed him. Undoubtedly darkness had come upon Capernaum for the Lord Jesus had healed the woman with the issue of blood and He was at Jairus' house for the better part of the day. These two blind men not only pictured darkness come upon the people, but also that the land was ruled the one who is the father of darkness. This is why these two blind men cried out for the Lord Jesus to heal them. They were sick and tired of having no sight. As a result, these guys persisted in their request of the Lord Jesus to give them sight.

The two blind men prefaced their request with, "Son of David, have mercy on us." By identifying the Lord Jesus as "The Son of David," they acknowledged Him as the promised Messiah. This title refers to the humanity of the Lord Jesus as the descendant of David that God had promised. It’s a title that is only used in the synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These two blind men saw the Lord Jesus first with their hearts as their long awaited Savior. They believed that all of the promises given to King David by God were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. Interestingly, according to Isaiah 29, when the Messiah was to come, He would open the eyes of the blind. There is not one miracle recorded in the Old Testament of the blind receiving sight.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They said to Him, 'Yes, Lord.'"

The Lord Jesus did not make it easy for these blind guys as He entered another house after leaving Jairus'. As they followed Him and they were shouting out to Him, He just kept on walking. There are more healings of blind people in the gospels than any other type of healing. Here, the Lord Jesus required these two guys to demonstrate their faith by requiring them to be persistent in their faith in Him. Every one of the healings in Matthew 9 required persistence, and that is how the Lord Jesus draws out from us true faith. Persistence is an important part of any type of success. Persistent prayer is standing in faith that God will answer our prayer. Persistence never stops until it receives God’s answer.

After the Lord Jesus entered the house, the blind men followed Him. It was then that the Lord Jesus asked them if they believed He could heal them. He asked this question in order to hear their affirmation to their faith in Him. In Romans 10 we read, "If you shall confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." 

In response, the two blind men said, "Yes Lord." We cannot say, "No Lord," because those two words are incongruent. These two men had undoubtedly been at Jairus' house when his little girl was raised from the dead by the Lord and they perhaps witnessed the healing of the woman with the twelve year issue of blood. This explains why these two blind men ardently pushed their way through the crowd, crying out their prayer. Their persistent faith in the Lord Jesus to heal them invited their healing through His touch of their eyes.

In v.29-31 of today's passage we read, "Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith let it be to you.' 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, 'See that no one knows it.' 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country."

With a touch of their eyes, the Lord Jesus demonstrated His power over darkness. The Lord Jesus came as the Light of the world to free us from the power of darkness. But, most people prefer darkness over the light. It was not unusual in those days for someone to be blind. The causes were from high poverty to unsanitary conditions to a blazing sun. These guys had somehow come to be defined by the unsanitary darkness around them. 

The Lord Jesus was so moved by their determined faith that He touched them and healed them. After their sight was returned, the Lord Jesus told them to not tell others about their healing. The Lord Jesus gave the same command to the healed leper in Matthew 8. When these two had departed healed, the first thing they did was to tell everyone they could about their good news. They were so overjoyed that they had to let it out. They could not contain their joy, the result of being healed. They could now see and as a result they exploded with gratitude that could not be withheld.

Matthew 9:23-26

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23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. ~ Matthew 9:23-26

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus had just healed an unnamed woman who had struggled with an issue of blood for a period of twelve years. He did this while He was en route to touch a twelve year old girl who had died. As we mentioned in our last study, the number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the intersection of our faith and the kingdom of God. In total, the number 12 appears 187 times in the Bible. The faith of the desperate woman intersected with the divine rule of God and she was made whole. And ironically, the death of this little twelve year old girl bore forth the same message for her father.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him."

Just before the Lord Jesus healed the lady with the issue of blood, news had reached Jairus that his daughter had died. The delay had proven deadly. And, at that moment Jairus was advised to not trouble the Lord Jesus anymore. However, the Lord Jesus encouraged Jairus, "Stop fearing; keep on believing." Jairus struggled with the full gamut of emotions as he chose to continue to believe that it was possible for the Lord Jesus to raise his daughter from the dead.

In Psalm 55:4-5 we read, "My heart is in anguish within me. Horror has overwhelmed me. Fear and trembling come upon me. The terrors of death have fallen upon me." 

The only cure for our fears is faith in the God of the Bible. No doubt, Jairus went numb when his greatest fear was made a reality. When we are devastated like Jairus, it is always going to be a challenge to our faith in the Lord. But, when we exercise our faith in Him, our fears are to some degree kept from impairing our view of Him as our Sovereign God. It is especially during the times of our greatest pain that we discover there is purpose to all of life's experiences. And, the greatest purpose is to grow in our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.

As the Lord Jesus entered Jairus house, He encountered the people mourning the death of this little girl. Preparations had been made already for her funeral which was to happen that day. The professional mourners who had been solicited were performing their duties as the first part of the mourning ceremony. The emphasis had been clearly placed on the fact that the little girl had died. But, the Lord Jesus assured them all that the little girl would live. The fear of the mourners showed up that day in the form of ridicule toward the Lord Jesus as He made that most striking announcement. Rather than celebrate, they ridiculed, because they were operating according to what they saw. That which we do not understand we are often tempted to belittle.

The contrast that day at Jairus' house was very evident between the hopelessness of the mourners and the hopefulness of Jairus. Faith in the God of the Bible is the greatest antidote to our fears. But, when we are in the middle of intense pain, it is hard to navigate in the arena of hope. Believing that God is sovereign and that He works in every detail of our lives is the only correct way to navigate our lives in this world, whether He chooses to perform a miracle or not.

Death is not what it appears when faith in the God of the Bible is present because even if death comes, there is always purpose to be found in it. Death is merely temporary, and, is nothing more serious than going to sleep. It is only on this side of the curtain that death is our enemy. Just beyond the curtain, the monster turns out to be our friend. The label death is still on the bottle, but the contents are eternal life. Death is our friend because it reminds us that heaven is as near as a stopped heartbeat. 

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land."

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus went into the room where the little girl was located. Then the Lord Jesus took the little girl by the hand and He commanded the her to stand to her feet. Like the woman before, in that moment life was restored to the little girl. It was His touch that raised her to life. This was the first time in human history that a female was raised from the dead. Death departs and never victorious in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This little girl not only had life, she had all the normal strength of a twelve-year-old. This is the way it is in every miracle of the Lord Jesus throughout the gospels. Every one of His miracles were complete miracles, not partial. And, the Lord Jesus could have healed this little girl from afar. But, had He, His personal touch of compassion would be missing in this story. And, it is obvious this is one element that He accentuates in this chapter, His touch. And, to underscore the fact that she was alive, according to Mark's account, the Lord Jesus told the people to get the little girl something to eat. That the story went out throughout the land underscores the fact that it happened because had not the story gone forth it could have been challenged and perhaps made less believable. People do not herald lies. It was a true story where God exercised His power over even death.

Matthew 9:18-22

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18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. ~ Matthew 9:18-22

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus continues to reveal the difference between His kingdom and all others. His kingdom often comes to us in our desperation and as an interruption. In fact, the Lord Jesus came as an interruption to the lives of Mary and Joseph. And, over time they learned this was the greatest interruption of them all. Through Christ's conception God interrupted time with eternity. The divine interrupted the carnal and Christianity was given birth through the most noted interruption of them all. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.'"

According to Mark the man who approached the Lord Jesus was Jairus who was the ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum. Jairus had to overcome his prejudice toward the Lord Jesus in order to go to Him and asked of His help. Jairus was made very desperate because his twelve year old daughter had died. When we are this desperate, we are more prone to embrace the very valuable characteristic of humility. Suffering always involves a certain measure of desperation. And, it is out of such a context that we are most likely to look up to the Sovereign One for His unfailing help. 

Jairus was the most important religious person in the city of Capernaum. He supervised all the worship of the synagogue there. Even though his daughter had died, Jairus believed if he could just get the Lord to touch her, she would come back to life. Jairus, believing the Lord Jesus could resurrect his daughter, fell down before the Lord Jesus and worshipped Him. This word "worship" is used 13 times in this gospel. Interestingly, the number thirteen is the number used in the Bible denoting bonding multiplicity into oneness. The meaning of the number thirteen is the bonding of many into one. In this passage the many included Jairus and this unnamed woman.

Jairus went to the Lord Jesus and asked, "come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." Life, he desperately hoped, was to be found in the touch of the Lord Jesus. As we study the Gospels, we often see the Lord Jesus reaching out with his hand to touch people. He touched Peter’s wife’s mother and took away her fever. He touched the eyes of two blind men and gave them sight. He touched the ears and the tongue of a deaf mute and gave him the ability to hear and speak. And, He touched a leper and made him whole. One touch from the Lord Jesus Christ is worth a lifetime of struggles.

In v.19-21 of today's passage we read, "19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, 'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'"

The Lord Jesus responded to Jairus' request by moving in the direction of his house. It was at that point that the interruption came. While en route, a woman with a twelve year physical ailment touched the hem of the robe of the Lord Jesus. The word "touch" literally means "to grab hold of." It is the same word used in John 20 where Mary held onto the Lord Jesus before His ascension. This unnamed woman with her twelve year old problem reached out and clutched the Lord Jesus, desperate for a change within. And, the Lord mercifully delivered her from her flow of blood.

The bleeding this woman was experiencing made her unclean and unfit for worship in the synagogue over which Jairus presided. Essentially it made her an outcast. According to the Law of Moses, if she had touched anyone in her condition, they also would have been pronounced unclean. To prevent that from happening she was required to yell "unclean" so that others would not touch her. But, like Jairus, she was desperate for the touch of the healing hand of the Lord Jesus. She had spent her life’s savings on physicians to no avail. In her final attempt at hope, she fell down behind the Lord Jesus and she held onto Him for sheer life.

The emphasis in this chapter is on that which the Lord Jesus touched. While Jairus wanted the Lord Jesus to touch his twelve year old daughter, the woman with the ailment of twelve years wanted to touch the hem of His garment. Jairus risked his position by associating with the Lord Jesus, while this woman risked being thrown out of the city by touching the Lord Jesus. They both knew that this was the risk they had to take, for they had both run out of options. The intensity of the touch of God on our lives has to do with how we value His presence in our lives.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, 'Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.' And the woman was made well from that hour."

What a contrast here. While this dear woman had this issue of blood for twelve dark years, Jairus' twelve year old daughter had brought him twelve years of light. This interruption for Jairus became the interruption of the flow of blood that this lady had dreamed of for such a long time. I find it quite instructive that the number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the intersection of our faith and the kingdom of God. In total, the number 12 appears 187 times in the Bible. That day the faith of this desperate woman intersected with the divine rule of God and she was made whole. And ironically, the death of this little twelve year old girl revealed the Lord Jesus as the light who overcomes the darkness. Although we often think His arrival in our lives is an interruption, when we give Him time, He will reveal that He is the One for whom we are most desperate.

Matthew 9:14-17

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14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”  15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” ~ Matthew 9:14-17

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus has shown the difference between His teaching and that of the religious leaders of Israel. In context, the Lord Jesus has been shown by Matthew as Lord over all, sin, sickness, disease and even the stubborn hearts of unbelievers. In our last study, you will remember that the Lord Jesus joined a number of people over at Matthew's house to enjoy a meal. When the religious leaders noticed it, they complained that the Lord Jesus was hanging out with obvious sinners. It was at that point that the Lord confronted them for not recognizing Him as their Savior. The problem with religion is that it places attention squarely on sinful man rather than on the holy God.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?'"

At this point in the narrative, Matthew notes the arrival of the disciples of John the Baptist who were not yet followers of the Lord Jesus. These disciples of John only knew the teachings of John who was sent to point others to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of fallen man. As good religious folks, these disciples of John and the religious leaders of Israel were in the habit of fasting. It was in the Old Testament that the Lord had required the Jews to fast once a year. The only reference we have of a requirement to fast is found in Leviticus 16 and 23 on the Day of Atonement. 

God's command to fast was a command to the Jews to humble themselves before the Lord. Over time the Jews began to believe that to afflict one's souls or to humble oneself was to not eat. So, it became mandatory to fast once a year on Yom Kippur, the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month. However, by the time of the Lord Jesus came to earth, the righteous people had begun to fast twice a week. They had become religious and their thoughts had been elevated over that which God had said on the topic.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

While fasting, some would put white makeup on so they would look really sick and they would be seen by others. This caused others to think of them as spiritual and godly. Despite the fact that the disciples of John the Baptist were sincere in their fasts, they lacked understanding on the subject. The purpose for which God gave the command to fast was to get the people to focus on humbling themselves before the Lord. Fasting was not given in order to manipulate God. The further reason God gave this command was to aid the people at focusing on the sacrifice. This was important because all of the Old Testament sacrifices were meant to point the people to the ultimate sacrifice made at the cross of Calvary. The Jews focused on the wrong thing, they had their eyes on themselves instead of the Lord.

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus used three illustrations. The first illustration had been used by John the Baptist himself when he identified himself as the best man of the bridegroom. In that day, a Jewish wedding did not have a honeymoon rather in lieu of a honeymoon, the bride and the groom stayed at home in the groom's house for one week and entertained all of their friends. Since people in that culture worked so hard, this would be the happiest week of their lives. They got to eat and hang out with their friends everyday for a week. After the wedding week which was a time of great joy, they would go back to their work. The point of this illustration was to remind the people that while the groom was there, they were to celebrate, but after His death on the cross they would mourn.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

These next two illustrations remind us it doesn't make sense to take a new piece of cloth and put it on a garment that's older and has already been washed. The fibers will not match up because the older ones have shrunk. Wine, in that day, was stored in animal skins. The skin of an animal was sewn up. It was often poured in at where the neck is, the legs were truncated and sewn up and they were sealed. And the reason wine was put in the animal skin was because a new animal skin is very elastic. It stretches. It moves. And wine, as it sets, it ferments and as the fermentation process takes place pressure is built up in the wineskin and the wineskin has to stretch.

The Lord Jesus was referring to Judaism here which had gotten to the point of making righteousness about externals things instead of about the heart. The Lord Jesus did not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism. Religion, which always puts fallen man's performance at the center, cannot contain the new wine. The new wine was the New Covenant, the forgiveness of sin and the arrival of God's grace. Religion always meant that the wine would be spilled and the system would be ruined. The Lord Jesus came with something new which is a personal relationship with God where God's performance on our behalf is at the center, always. In this New Covenant everything comes back to the heart that has been the recipient of God's great grace. And, once we have been apprehended by His grace, we will strive to be all that He desires of us for His glory and not our own.

Matthew 9:9-13

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9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. 10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” ~ Matthew 9:9-13

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus had just healed a paralyzed man at Peter's house and the religious leaders who were present there accused Him of blasphemy. They accused Him so because before He healed the paralytic, He told him his sins were forgiven him. The religious, as always, miss the Lord because they knew not that the kingdom of God is for those who are hungry and thirsty, and hurting and hopeless. Since the fall of man, it has always been that pride and cold-hearted self-righteousness has caused man to resist the work of God's grace in our hearts.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him."

After the Lord Jesus left Peter's house, He passed by Matthew as He walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In Mark and Luke's gospels Matthew is referred to as Levi. It was not at that time uncommon for a man to have two names. So, Levi and Matthew was the same person. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax office. He then implored him to follow Him. And, Matthew immediately followed the Lord. 

After his conversion, Matthew was found to be a modest and humble man. He reduced his conversion to one verse here and he said absolutely nothing about himself. This is significant because before Matthew chose to follow the Lord, he was categorically the vilest person in Capernaum. In fact, this was why he used himself, in context here, as an illustration of those whom God forgives. Matthew's was an extreme case of forgiveness. Matthew understood that becoming a believer in the Lord Jesus is similar to getting healed of a disease. The sick will never get cured of a disease until they first admit their sickness.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples."

Matthew was known as a Publican, a type of tax-collector who served Rome. When Rome moved in and took over the land in Israel, they wanted to exact taxes from the people. In order to do this most effectively, they employed individuals living in the land of Israel who bought franchises from the Roman government. This gave these Publicans the right to operate the Roman taxation system in a certain district or town. So, when Matthew bought into the system, he revealed himself as a traitor to Israel. No one, in the mind of a Jew, was a heinous as the Publican Tax-Collectors. As all Publicans did, Matthew overcharged the people, and this was how they made their income. Tax-Collectors were known to extort the middle class and the poor. They became hated by the Jews overnight and Matthew was the most hated man in Capernaum.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'" 

Now, Matthew didn’t tell us about this meal that he hosted because he had become such a humble man. Mark and Luke give the details. Matthew hosted this dinner because like so many new believers, His first thought was how to share the gospel with his friends. The gospel is not a message to be hidden, it's a life-changing miracle to be shared. At this dinner, the Lord Jesus was the honored guest. Meanwhile the religious leaders of Israel found fault with Him because He spent time with tax collectors and the sinners.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'"

The method of evangelism the religious leaders had adopted was finger pointing. They always lumped the tax-collectors with the most notorious sinners, ignoring the fact that they were in as much of a need for the Savior as the Publicans. Henry Drummond once insightfully asked, "How many prodigals are kept out of the Kingdom of God by those unlovely characters who profess to be inside?" 

When the Lord heard the complaint of the religious leaders, He noted that He did not come to invite those who are convinced of their own goodness. Rather, He came to invite people who are convinced of their sinfulness. The gospel is not for good people. The gospel is for bad people who know they're bad and admit it. All of this had been predicated upon the earlier teaching of the Lord Jesus when He said, "Blessed are the bankrupt in spirit." Blessed are those who admit their own spiritual poverty, those who know they cannot be good enough to earn God's favor for themselves. The Lord Jesus came to the very people that the religious had written off. Sadly, those who saw themselves as deserving of an eternity with God will not enjoy it.