Matthew 12:1-6

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1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple." ~ Matthew 12:1-6

Today, we transition into Matthew 12 where we will see the growth of the rejection of the Lord Jesus from the religious leaders of Israel. We will see that their rejection of God was a slow hardening of their hearts toward Him down through the ages. One of the ways, as we will see in today's passage is that they went from placing most emphasis on the God of the Sabbath to making most emphasis on the Sabbath of God. Such subtle emphasis is that which lures our hearts away from God in an ever so slow manner. Today's chapter, more than any other in this gospel account, focuses on the rejection and the blasphemy of the Messiah. In it we will see the growth to the unbelief of the people of Israel regarding the identity of the Lord Jesus. The first half of this chapter is about the people's rejection of the Lord Jesus, while the second is about their blasphemy of the Lord Jesus. Left unchecked unbelief will inevitably invite the profane.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat."

The convergence of the hunger of the disciples and the passing through a mature grain field led to the disciples "working" on the Sabbath in the eyes of the religious. The Sabbath to the Jews was most sacred. Everything in their legalistic system ultimately focused in on that one day, and they believed when it is violated it was one of the highest expressions of blasphemy toward God. So, when the Lord Jesus allowed His disciples to eat the grain in the grain fields, it was like a striking blow to the heart of their religious system. This was the beginning of the religious leaders plan to put the Lord Jesus on the cross.

As with many things in our everyday lives, the events of this chapter seem random but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that we serve a very big God and the events of our lives fit into His will perfectly. We miss the bigness of God so often because we have such a large view of ourselves. When our view of ourselves is lessened, we will find that we are positioned best for our vision of God to grow. No human has a high enough view of God. Our God, the God who spoke into existence time and space, matter and energy, things seen and unseen, is more awesome than our earthly minds can comprehend. A God who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and holy is a God we can unswervingly trust. The God of the Bible is unimaginably complex and He is able to do all things. He is the only One worthy of our worship.

It just so happened that day that the Lord Jesus and His disciples were going through that particular grain field, a field that had grain that had ripened. And, since they were there in the Jordan Valley, these events happened near the Passover season. It is hard for us to rectify in our minds but even our mistakes and even our sin factors into what we ultimately see as the will of God for our lives. I don't say this because the disciples sinned that day, they didn't sin, but their actions fit perfectly into God's ultimate purpose for all involved, even the religious. Having said that, we can trust God to render good for us, even when we have missed the mark and have failed miserably. Our God is truly sovereign above all and is deserving of our homage!

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, 'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!'"

The Sabbath commandment is one of the Ten Commandments and it is the only commandment that is non-moral. In fact, it is the one of the Ten Commandments that uniquely was between God and Israel as a ceremonial rule. It facilitated the peoples worship of God. All the other nine commandments are moral absolutes while the fourth commandment is about worship. And, when we come into the New Testament, every other command is repeated but the fourth, the Sabbath command. It is not repeated because it was a unique covenantal sign between God and Israel. 

The problem with the Sabbath was created by the religious who had added so many ridiculous rules to the Sabbath command. God had given this command to aid Israel in their worship of Him, however, over time it did the opposite due to the additional rules that the religious leaders had paced on it. The additional rules were not given by God. Again, since they missed the heart of the teaching they made it about stupid stuff. Instead of being a day of rest which aided their worship of God, it had become a day of incredible burden. All of this resulted in the Sabbath being a big pain in the rear end for the people of Israel. It was impossible for them to rest. This is why the Lord Jesus had previously said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

In v.3-6 of today's passage we read, "3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple."

As the disciples walked along with the Lord Jesus, they became hungry. So, they ate some of the grain that was all around them. In Deuteronomy 23:25 we read, "When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain." The disciples had the right that day to eat the grain even though it was the Sabbath. Again, if we do not know what it is all about, we will make it about something stupid. And, this is what the religious leaders of Israel did. They lost sight of the fact that the Sabbath was to be a day of rest which would aid their worship of God. They failed to follow God's example when after He creating the world, He looked around and saw that "It was very good." That day God ceased from His labor and He enjoyed what He had made. The enduring principle garnered from the Sabbath is the joy that we experience with God who created us. 

In response to the question of the religious leaders, the Lord Jesus cited the time when King David and his men ate the bread that was in the house of God. Obviously, God made an exception in this case as David and his men were running away from the angry King Saul and they were hungry. Then, the Lord Jesus cited the fact that the priests functioning on the Sabbath profaned the Sabbath every Sabbath. They profaned the Sabbath because they worked. They lit fires, they killed animals and they lifted those animals up onto the altar. They profaned the Sabbath all the time, but that was not the point. 

The ultimate happened when the Lord Jesus told the religious leaders of Israel that He was greater than the temple. This disturbed them greatly because they knew this was a claim of deity. In the Old Testament God dwelt in the tabernacle and in the temple. But now, the Lord Jesus said, standing before them was One greater than the temple. In saying these words the Lord Jesus said He was more sacred than any dwelling place that God had occupied during the Old Testament days.

The Sabbath law was never intended to restrict anyone to the point that they could not live their lives. It was designed by God to bring rest, not hardship. The Sabbath was to reflect what the other nine commandments reflected: Love for God and love for our fellow man. The first four of the ten commandments are about our love toward God and the last six are about our love toward our fellow man. Again, the religious folk made it about that which God didn't and they took the heart out of it all. In fact, the heart of the matter has always been about the matter of the heart. Thus, the Sabbath is about more than the external rest of the body; it is about the inner rest of the soul. As the last three verses of our previous chapter points out mankind needs rest from himself, rest from trying to run our lives ourselves.

Matthew 11:28-30

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28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 11 where up to this point in this chapter the Lord Jesus had been addressing a people who were dependent upon their own goodness to make them right with God and to get them into heaven. This is religion and its approach to life takes us all the way back to the Garden of Eden where Satan enticed Adam and Eve into defining life for themselves. Up to that point in the narrative God had defined all things, but when the enemy came in disguised as a serpent, their definitions and convictions changed. After the Fall, man was now being defined by the self.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Man's sin demanded that God act or all mankind was doomed to hell. People invent religions and they believe if they are good enough maybe they can be acceptable to God. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth as a man. He lived a perfect life and then He bore the punishment for our sin on the cross. The fact that His perfect life and death were acceptable to God was proven when He rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus said, "Come to me." Most believe He said, "Come to a ritual or to come to a religion or to a church building." No, He said, "Come to me." This underscores that our salvation can only be founded upon the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for our sin at the cross of Calvary.

Before coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation we labored to get life right for ourselves. This led us to the unwanted condition of being heavy ladened. Religion demands we work ourselves to death trying to fix our lives. And, even though we may have worked hard at being good and we may have done many good and altruistic things, it was not good enough. Those who believe they can earn God's favor through their good behavior have a very high view of themselves and a very low view of God. This sounds like bad news and it is. But, if this bad news ushers us to the end of the self life and into personal relationship with God, it is the best news ever.

An amazing truth about the gospel of the Lord Jesus is that it runs counter to religion. The gospel shouts to us that when we see ourselves as more needy, we are positioned to be more successful at knowing the Lord most deeply. There are no self-made Christians. There are only needy people who collapse under the weight of their sin, leading them to fall at the feet of the Lord Jesus. Once we come to the end of ourselves and we cry out to the Lord Jesus, He promises us "rest" from the weight of our sin.

In v.29-30 of today's passage we read, "29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Farmers place a yoke on their oxen in order to plow their fields. Yokes are made out of wood and they are useful steering devices. The oxen are brought in and the carpenter measures their size. They carefully mark out the wood and carve it and then the oxen are brought back later for a final fitting because it is important that the yoke fit perfectly. The yoke enables the farmer to control the animals best. The yoke is an object lesson of submission. Here, the Lord Jesus was saying, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly."

The object lesson from the oxen was transferred over into the realm of the Jewish thinking regarding discipleship. This meant when a pupil submitted himself to his teacher and his teachings, he was said to take the yoke of the teacher upon him. The yoke to the Jews was the teaching of the Rabbi which was a yoke of instruction. The Jews spoke of the yoke of the torah, the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments, the yoke of God. This is what the Lord was referring to here. He was saying, "Take My yoke or my teachings upon you." And then He added the phrase, "And learn from Me." This yoke of which the Lord Jesus spoke illustrates our submission to His teaching. 

There is no such thing as a yoke-less life. It’s just a matter of what we’re yoked to. The yoke we receive from the Lord Jesus is not like the yoke of the Pharisees who demanded strict obedience to man-made laws. The yoke of the Lord Jesus is easy and light. And, amazingly He is yoked to us. Nothing in Him shies away from us. He came down to our low place and He will take us up to His high place. He is gentle and He knows our frame. He, while on the cross did all of the heavy lifting and if we believe in Him He will make sure that we arrive home as children of God.

There are two rests in this passage and both point us to the work of the Lord Jesus while He was on this earth. The first rest is immediate and it includes the awakening of our spirit to God. It happened when we first believed on the Lord Jesus and we were born again. This first rest includes the forgiveness of our sin. It granted us a personal relationship with God, while the second is a rest which deepens His rest in our soul. The second rest involves the gradual removal of our guilt and shame from our soul. Both rests enable us to see that He is the end of all of our pursuits, that He is the satisfying destiny to all of our longings.

Matthew 11:25-27

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25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ~ Matthew 11:25-27

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus has been revealing what happens to people when they resist the truth. Recognizing truth has become more complicated these days because it has been replaced with deceptions of a variety of kinds. In fact, we live in a world where we are told to discover our own truth. We mustn't forget that this world that we live in is largely run by the devil himself. His world desires to blur the truth so that we would be kept from it. The devil desires to get us to the place where we see his lies as the truth. But, God’s Word makes the truth abundantly clear and the more we are defined by the truth, the more we will know the God of truth for ourselves.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.'"

The wise and prudent here was a sarcastic reference to the religious leaders of Israel. They were not those who were extra smart or had a great intellect. Rather, they relied on their own wisdom and understanding instead of seeking God accordingly. They were those who believed they were the source of their own holiness. They did not understand that they needed a Savior and they definitely did not look to the Lord Jesus to be their Messiah.

One of the prerequisites to know God is divine revelation. We will never know a person lest they reveal themselves to us. We can know God because He has revealed Himself to us through creation and our conscience. In John 3:36, we read, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.  He who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him." We enter into a personal relationship with God when we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. In 1 John 5:1 we read, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone who loves Him, who begot, loves Him who is begotten of Him." When we first became believers in the Lord Jesus we were given the witness of the Holy Spirit convincing us that we had come into a personal relationship with the God of love.  

The Lord Jesus came to this earth to reveal the Father to all willing enough to believe in Him. For those unwilling to believe, the truth will be hidden from them. It is the pride of man that prevents him from being made whole by God. The Lord Jesus used a metaphor to describe those who come into a personal relationship with God and that metaphor is "babes." This metaphor represents people who realize they are totally bankrupt spiritually before God. An infant has no capacity to care for itself whatsoever. These are people who are utterly helpless and utterly dependent. They have come to the end of themselves and they know they desperately are dependent on God’s grace. These are the people to whom God reveals the gospel.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

In context, the Lord Jesus had earlier referenced John the Baptist as the greatest in the kingdom. John taught us that greatness is accessed through one's admission that we do not and cannot measure up to God's standard. When the Lord Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament, He brought it to its intended purpose in our lives. This is greatness! He fulfilled the Law and the prophecies of the Old Testament, and having received His performance on our behalf, we are positionally perfect in Christ. That is greatness! 

The goal of coming to the end of ourselves is to enter into a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus. If God in His grace and mercy did not reveal Himself to us, we would remain forever blind to the truth about the Lord Jesus. But, the life-giving gospel, the good news of life now and forevermore has been revealed to the humble and the broken and the honest. Revelation is life because it illuminates for us the good news that though we were formerly blind and lost, now we see reality which is the glory of the Father revealed in and through the Son. It is the will of God that everyone comes to the revelation of the Lord Jesus as Savior. But, we can only see the Lord Jesus as such through the lens of our brokenness. We are wise to embrace our brokenness and those things that led to our brokenness because they rendered to us wisdom and understanding.

Matthew 11:19-24

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19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! But wisdom is justified by her children." 20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "21 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." ~ Matthew 11:19-24

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the kingdom of God is shown by the Lord Jesus to be quite different than any other kingdom of this world. Mankind was flung into darkness when Adam and Eve ignored God's definition of life. The darkness triumphed in the lives of those who knew no repentance. At this point in his gospel, Matthew records a change in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and from this point on we see continual opposition to Him and His offer of salvation. 

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

The Lord Jesus compared that generation to people who were childish, not childlike. When we want to avoid the truth about ourselves we can always find something in someone else to criticize. This is one way we justify ourselves. But God’s wisdom is not frustrated by these deflective arguments. This is demonstrated in the changed lives of those who believe. This is how true wisdom is proved to be of God and right.

The Lord Jesus came to this earth to earn the favor of God for sinful man. In fact in John 3:16-18 we read, "16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

This is incredibly good news worth celebrating but the people to whom the Lord Jesus spoke that day accused Him of not being of God. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus said, "But wisdom is justified by her children." In other words, truth will justify itself by what it produces. If you look at the ministry of John the Baptist that pointed to the Messiah and the Messiah Himself and those who follow the Messiah, the disciples of the Lord Jesus, and you see the changed lives and the healed bodies and the joy that is produced. God's wisdom and the truth that is produced by this duo, John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ justified their ministry is what that truth and ministry produced.

In v.20-24 of today's passage we read, "20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: "21 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

Here, the Lord Jesus isolated three Jewish Galilean cities, Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida where most of His teaching was heard and most of His miracles had been witnessed. Yet it did not change the hearts of the people there. These three cities were located at the Sea of Galilee on the northwestern shore just about two and a half miles from each other right where the Lord Jesus spent three years ministering. When these people didn't respond to God's wisdom, they were driven further into the darkness. They rejected God's wisdom because it is most often counter-intuitive to the human mind. It is not what seems sensible to many. 

Capernaum had become the headquarters of the ministry of the Lord Jesus while Bethsaida was the home town of Peter and Andrew. The folks in these three cities saw enough of the Lord Jesus miracles that they all should have believed on Him as their Messiah. When truth is presented to us and we respond positively to that truth, more truth is therefore given to us. But, when we do not respond to it correctly, we become hardened in our heart to the truth. To whom much has been given, much shall be required. 

The Lord Jesus therefore pronounced a "woe" upon each of these cities. The word "woe" in the Bible is often used by the Old Testament prophets to convey a message of warning or impending judgment from God. This word is an emotive force that transcends mere vocabulary. The Jewish listeners who heard these words from the Lord believed the worst places in the world were in gentile areas. They believed this because they did not understand the nature of sin, they didn't understand that they were as wicked and in need of the Savior as were the gentiles.

Tyre and Sidon were notorious cities having been condemned by Old Testament  prophets for the most heinous crimes. The Lord Jesus likened Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida as worse than Tyre and Sidon and even Sodom. Though hell will be bad for everyone who will end up there, there will be degrees of punishment even there. All men have some light, but light refused increases darkness. The wisdom of God leads us to salvation. Salvation wisdom is vindicated by what it can produce. The spiritual children of John the Baptist were the ones with the most wisdom for they heard what John had to say and they responded to the invitation of God to enter into eternal life. 

Matthew 11:12-18

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12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'" ~ Matthew 11:12-18

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus addressed the people regarding His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world which will always be at odds. The kingdom is a big theme in the gospels mentioned 126 times. It is merely mentioned only 34 times in the rest of the New Testament. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, opposition has always been known by those of faith who are in the family of God. A careful study of history reveals persecution has unexpectedly fueled the spread of the gospel. The more intimate we get in our personal relationship with God will inevitably cause unbelievers to treat us badly because they fear the truth.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

With the coming of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus, God's kingdom or culture was clearly presented to this world. Persecution broke out against John the Baptist who was put in prison. The religious leaders of Israel vigorously opposed the Lord Jesus and His disciples. This explains the final words of this verse which reads, "and the violent take it by force." These words point us to those who were trying to stop the advancement of God's culture at that time. Many, at that time, were trying to usher in a Messiah who would make his political kingdom the priority. Of course, this messiah would not be the Lord Jesus. In fact, many didn't believe in the Lord Jesus as Messiah because He didn't come as a mighty warrior. He came as a sacrificed lamb. This was the cause of the riff at that time.

In v.13-15 of today's passage we read, "13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all that is in the Bible. Everything from Genesis to John the Baptist points us to the coming of God's promised Messiah. Underscored here is the fact that everything finds its meaning and purpose in reference to the Lord Jesus. According to Malachi 4:5 before the Messiah was to set up His kingdom on earth, one like Elijah would come as a forerunner. In Luke 1 we learn that John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. John clearly was not the reincarnation of Elijah as some suggest because he clearly said in John 1:21, "I am not Elijah." The point here is if we receive the message of God's prophet, we will believe on the Lord Jesus as our Savior.

The Lord says to those who are willing to listen to His voice to listen more. He knows that there is a huge difference between hearing and listening. When we listen, we potentially grow in great wisdom. And, when we grow in wisdom, our spiritual understanding broadens and we begin to see things as He does. It is only when we listen that we hear and when we hear we will believe. And, the more we exercise our faith, it grows enabling our hearts to see Him.

In v.16-18 we read, "16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'"

True greatness is bowing our will to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to define us. The people to whom the Lord Jesus spoke that day in Galilee were looking for a show. We live in a day when people check their Facebook on average every 30 seconds. It is so easy for us to be distracted from that which is really real and what is really real is the truth of God and the souls of people. This is our ultimate reason for being on this earth, to bring people to the truth found in God's Word. It is His Word, both the written and the living that changes us from the inside out.

As indicated here, the most common form of unbelief is indifference. The marketplaces were festive places where the people would play their instruments and dance. But, when met with stubborn indifference, people remain in their unforgiven sin which has prepared them for an eternity isolated from God and all that is good. By and large the people rejected John the Baptist and his message of repentance. They rejected the Lord Jesus and His message of forgiveness. They rejected repentance and they rejected faith in the Son of God and they floundered in this world that is in opposition to God.

I find that I don't have to entertain those whose hearts have been prepared for the gospel. Most people are very well aware of their sin, their failures, their mistakes, their emptiness, their loneliness, and their lostness. Wrongly most try to address the lost state of the unbelievers with inviting them to a church service. Even though they may go to a church service most end up still having emptiness, doubts, and loneliness. I'm convinced that most people are looking for something that says, "You're not alone, you are loved in spite of the flaws and the junk in your life." People want to know that there is hope to be found and the only hope is found in the One who came to die on our behalf. 

What should characterize Christianity is hope and honesty with oneself and God. It is not our stance on abortion, or homosexuality, or some other political issue that brings us relief. No, it is only the truth that sets us free. Once we enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus life becomes an adventure that is both exhilarating and scary. The faith that is needed to ride this ride is a gift of His faithfulness and the more we experience His faithfulness in our lives, we will see Him more vividly with our hearts.

Matthew 11:7-11

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7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." ~ Matthew 11:7-11

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 11. In Matthew 1-10 God gave us the revelation of the king, whereas in Matthew 11-12, He gave us the reaction against the King. In our last study John the Baptist had inquired from prison about the identity of the Lord Jesus through his disciples. It was John's job as the last of the Old Testament prophets to announce the coming of God's Messiah. When the Lord Jesus came onto the scene John proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Once the Lord Jesus came on the scene, John the Baptist dropped off the radar because his purpose given by God had been fulfilled.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses."

Here the Lord Jesus drew a sharp contrast between John the Baptist and the religious leaders of his day. He reminded His hearers that the so called important people in the world at that time were seen at the rich palaces. John the Baptist was obviously not among them. The Lord Jesus asked His hearers if they went out to see "a reed shaken by the wind." No, they went out to see John the Baptist, a man of great conviction and of great faith. The public opinion polls esteemed John as a prophet sent by God. He was made great because he baptized the Lord Jesus on the heels of his statement that he was not worthy to untie the Lord Jesus sandals. 

John the Baptist was strategically found by the hungry and the thirsty out in the wilderness. In fact, down through time this was where the people found their prophets, out in the wilderness, the place of hunger and thirst. This is why the Lord Jesus provided this contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of mere men. It is a great mistake when we try to get our hungers and thirsts met by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can meet our deepest needs, but since we operate so often on the beliefs of this world we miss Him. We must be kingdom seekers if we are to be truly satisfied in this life. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'"

John the Baptist was the greatest prophet because he heralded the coming of his cousin who was six months younger than he. It was John who said, "He must increase and I must decrease." Since John knew his spot in this world according to the call of God on his life, he was not out to prove himself to man. He was not a weak man because he sought the approval of men, he was strong because he was defined by God. I find it most instructive that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. When we get to heaven we will know fully that it was all about the grace of God. Grace harmonizes the truth of  God with the love of God. I find it also very revealing that neither the Romans nor the Greeks had a word in their vocabulary for humility. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

John the Baptist was so remarkable that people thought he was the Messiah. But, it wasn't miracles that made John great. In fact, he did not do any miracles. It wasn't his writings or his prophesies that made John great. In fact, we do not have any writings from John the Baptist. It wasn't his faith that made John great. Indeed, we find John doubting the identity of the Lord Jesus. John the Baptist was great because he identified the Lord Jesus with more clarity than any of the other prophets before him. John was great because his presentation of the Lord Jesus most accurately described Him. John said of the Lord Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." 

Take note of the final statement in today's passage which reads "but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." This statement is true due to the fact that we can identify the Lord Jesus as the Messiah with far greater clarity than John the Baptist ever did. John identified the Lord Jesus more clearly than anyone else before Him, yet he did not know all there was to know about Him. In fact, this is why John wrestled so with his doubt while sitting in Herod's prison. What makes us greater than John the Baptist is we know the full record of the life of the Lord Jesus as recorded in the four gospel accounts. In addition, we know the coming and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who came within us the moment we believed in the Lord Jesus opening our hardened by sin spirits toward God. And, when we get to heaven we will discover that we accomplished more than John the Baptist because we had the advantage of the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Matthew 11:1-6

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1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." ~ Matthew 11:1-6

Today, we transition into Matthew 11 where the Lord Jesus had just concluded instruction for His disciples about how we go deeper in our walk with Him. After the training of the disciples on discipleship, the Lord Jesus departed. Very subtly here we are given a very important insight into the ways of God. Very often our Lord allows us to be drawn into the darkest of moments so that we may see Him most vividly. With the departure of the Lord after discipling the twelve, He went further away from John who was in prison. This is quite the metaphor and given John the Baptist's status at the time, it reveals that God very often works in our lives through the most unexpected and the most unwanted means.

In v.1-3 of today's passage we read, "1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"

After the Lord Jesus finished commanding the disciples, He departed. Given our fallen state, we struggle with being told what to do. We struggle when our understanding of God's will is insufficient. Oh, we are okay with His will when it is producing the type of blessing that is pleasant but when the blessings that appear to be curses come, we struggle. This is why humility is so important. Augustine once said, "Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance."  It is very wise of us to approach each day with the resolve to know and welcome the will of God for us no matter what it might be. 

We all understand believing doubt or doubting belief. We believe but often we discover that our faith is weak due to our lurking doubts. Amazingly this is exactly where John the Baptist was in today's passage. This one whom the Lord Jesus identified as the greatest prophet of all, we discover struggling with doubt. John had questions that his theology could not answer. Like John, most do not understand the important role that doubt plays with the development of our faith in the Lord. Doubt is different than unbelief.

I find it quite comforting that the Bible makes a clear distinction between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says, "I struggle to believe" while unbelief says, "I will not believe." Doubt is honest while unbelief is obstinate. Doubt looks for light while unbelief is content with darkness. We should not be surprised by this question of John the Baptist. The faith of John is seen in the fact that he sent his disciples some eighty miles to where the Lord Jesus was ministering. If the greatest man who ever lived had doubts, then maybe it's understandable that we have some doubts as well. And, I am finding that doubt is the shadow cast by faith.

Our doubts come from our inability to deal with the unwanted circumstances that we face, especially when we think we deserve better. Like John the Baptist, our doubts come when we have been faithful and we think we have checked all the right boxes, only to find ourselves in the unexpected. When we think God has not delivered on His promises as we thought He should, we struggle with our faith in Him. It is not bad to wrestle with doubt, as long as it does not become our finishing point. John's problem wasn't his doubt, though, it was his lack of understanding the revelation God had given him to that point in his life. 

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.'"

No sooner had John's disciples uttered John's question did the Lord Jesus respond by performing many miracles right before their eyes. Like John the Baptist, we wrestle with understanding God's ways and that is ok. We must not let our poor theology and our wrong expectations of God cause us to stumble in our pursuit of Him. John the Baptist was soon beheaded before the Lord Jesus died and rose from the dead. He never heard much of what the Lord taught and he never saw His greatest powers on display. And when he died, his disciples came to tell the Lord Jesus because He was John's Messiah. Not all of John's questions were answered before he was murdered. The kingdom, however, has not been thwarted. According to God's timetable things are going just as planned. Even though it's not yet in its final form, the kingdom is still in place and you and I are in it. And yet, we still struggle strategically with our doubts. It is through such that our understanding of God and His ways are being developed.

Today's passage ends with, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." The Greek word translated "offended" here is the word from which we get our English word "scandal." The Lord Jesus promises a blessing for those who are not knocked off the path of following Him as He brings about His will in our lives. He didn’t come to forgive our sins so that we could keep committing them. No, the Lord Jesus came to forgive our sins and to free us from the power of sin. He didn’t come to make us feel good about ourselves; He came to offer us a personal and an intimate relationship with Him through which He is changing us from the inside out. He didn’t come to rescue us from every unpleasant thing we face. No, He came to give us eternal life and to raise us from the dead, so that our growing relationship with Him might herald His goodness to others. And, I am finding that when I follow God's will for my life, I will see how yesterday's trials prepared me for today's challenges and tomorrow's blessings.

Matthew 10:40-42

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40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. ~ Matthew 10:40-42

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 10, the lengthiest description given in the gospels of what it looks like to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful that discipleship is not to be confused with becoming a member of the family of God. There is only one thing that gets any of us into heaven and that is our faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to garner the forgiveness of our sin. Once in the family of God, we all experience quite a difference of experiences with God resulting in His discipleship of us. The key to genuine discipleship is to be so utterly consumed with the cause that we have no thought for our own life.

In v.40 of today's passage we read, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

When we remind others about the fact that we are all broken and in need of the Savior, they will be positioned to make a decision whether the Lord Jesus is their Savior or not. Due to the blindness that was hoist upon us so long ago in the Garden of Eden, there will always be tension when we share the bad news about how our sinfulness and how it has separated us from God. It is at this point that we must be poised to share the good news that at the cross the Lord Jesus bridged the gap between the us and the Holy God. Not everyone will refuse the message. There will be those who choose to believe in the greatest message to ever enter the human ear. And, when they believe in the Lord Jesus they will believe in the Father. This is known in Math class as the transitive property. 

When the world receives us and the gospel, we can call that "A." Then, when those who receive us and the gospel enter into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we can call that "B." Then, when those who enter into a relationship with the Lord also receive the Father, we can call that "C." In the end this means A = C. This transitive property, theologically, means the Lord Jesus is the only way to be blessed by the Father who sent Him. It means whoever receives the Lord's message delivered by His disciple will believe in the Lord Jesus alone for salvation. 

In John 14:6 we read, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

In v.41 of today's passage we read, "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward."

The prophet is the one who has the task to deliver the message from God to man. The prophet who has been called and sent by God has been acknowledged by God as righteous. Throughout the Bible the basis of our righteousness before God has always been faith in the God of the Bible. The proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ either alienates or it reunites. Those who are reunited to God through believing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior are the rewards into eternity for those who were humble enough and brave enough to share the gospel with the lost.

As disciples of the Lord Jesus we play a role in the ultimate destiny of our hearers. We cannot believe for them but when we are faithful to share the gospel with people, they are given the opportunity to respond in belief in the Lord Jesus. Since the just penalty for our sin is infinite and eternal, only the infinite and eternal God could pay the penalty created by our sin. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So, God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh so that He could sacrifice Himself on our behalf. And, the criteria for forgiveness of our sin is to believe that what the Lord Jesus did on the cross was sufficient for our salvation.

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

The "whoever" here means there are no limits to God's promise of salvation. The words "little ones" describes the insignificant. The words "cold water" highlights the smallest deed of kindness. People do not care about what we believe until they know that we truly care. Even when we do the most insignificant for the most insignificant the attentiveness of God is triggered to the point of reward for all involved.  

In Romans 8:18 we read, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

There is that word again, "worthy." The worth of anything comes from God. And, the greatest value having ever been issued was issued at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He valued us so much that He laid down His life for us. When we find our security in the person and the worth of the Lord Jesus, our motivation for choosing to walk in God's way is changed from selfishness to selflessness. We obey Him because we love Him. And, it is His love that has trained us to love Him in return. This is the greatest reward because in this is freedom which is the ability to do what we were created to do.

Matthew 10:37-39

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37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. ~ Matthew 10:37-39

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus Christ is informing His disciples about the cost of following Him. It is a high cost to be a follower of the Lord Jesus. It is an even higher cost to be a follower who is passionately seeking to live for Him. For sure, the benefits and the blessings are very much worth the price. No man earns his way into heaven, but as followers of Christ, when we walk with Him daily we will discover the true value of all things given by God.

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."

The Greek word translated "worthy" pictures a set of ancient scales consisting of two pans hanging from a balance beam. To measure out one pound of wheat, one would have to put a one pound weight on one pan and then a pound of wheat onto the other pan until the two pans hung level.The Lord Jesus desires for us that we love Him more than anything else in this world because everything else happens out of our relationship with Him. He makes life balanced for the believer. Our ability to love anyone is measured by His love for us and our understanding of His love for us. As the center spokes on a bicycle tire holds the tire together, so our relationship with our Creator enables us to relate to Him and others as we ought. 

The Lord Jesus urges us to love Him most even above our family members. When we were born-again, the Holy Spirit came to live within our spirit enabling us the ability to grow in our ability to love. The more complete our understanding of the love of God the more we will understand how His grace has valued us. Once we come to understand that God's love for us has become the ultimate game-changer, the more we will love Him and others. The Lord Jesus did not mean that we earn our favor with Him through loving Him most. He compels us to become more intimate with His love which is most extravagant and real. When we have been immersed in His love for us, our value system changes. If loving Christ is worth anything, it is worth everything. Our love for anyone is predicated upon our understanding of God's love for us. We love Him and them because He loved us first.

In v.38 of today's passage we read, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

Taking up our cross must be preceded by us being defined by the fact that the Lord Jesus took the cross up first. Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us. It was our sin that put the Lord Jesus up on the cross. He went to the cross to redeem us from our sin. To take up our cross means that we die to ourselves. This only happens on the heels of understanding how intense and committed His love is for us. When we do this we demonstrate that we have a proper understanding or a worthy knowledge of His love for us. And, this makes sense since there will come many times when we will have to make the choice to love Him more than someone or something else. When we put Him first everything else falls into its proper or worthy place. When we do not put Him first, we tend to hold on too tightly to those things or people that we cherish the most. It is like the toothpaste tube, the more we squeeze, the less we will have. In God's economy we win by losing.

In v.39 of today's passage we read, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

This verse appears contradictory, but it's the cornerstone of Christian discipleship. We all live with this continuous fear that God’s love has limits. We all find ourselves having to be convinced that His love for us cannot be diluted by our sinfulness. But, it makes so much sense that when we lose our lives in light of our pursuit of Him, we find it. And, when we lose our lives we will find out what our lives were meant to be. This, I am sure is what motivated Jim Elliot to say, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."  That means that when we forsake everything in our life to be defined by Him, He will make sure that we find what we were created to be and do. 

The Lord Jesus Christ created us; we will never know why He made us until we stop obeying ourselves and we start obeying Him. This is eternal life, this is the life of love, to lay down our life and put our Creator and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ first in our lives. When we keep our life by living for the self life, we will not know real life. Seeking gain, as defined by this world, ultimately leads to emptiness. Conversely, surrendering oneself to the will of the Lord Jesus, even at the cost of personal comfort and sacrifice, brings about a fulfillment that surpasses all earthly desires. This has a beauty to it, the beauty of losing because it can create an empty place in our lives for God to fill with something new. And, this is where real life is lived.

Matthew 10:34-36

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34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.  ~ Matthew 10:34-36

Today, we return to our study of what it looks like to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the word "discipleship" never appears in the Bible, the Lord Jesus before He ascended to the Father after His resurrection told His followers to "make disciples." A Christian disciple is someone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And, as a result of this, God grants them a personal relationship with Himself. To foster our relationship Him, God has given the believer His Holy Spirit to assist us in our relationship with Himself. The process involved whereby the believer is being trained to think in concert with God's definitions comes the closest to describing discipleship. Discipleship will always involve danger because as we are doing all that is involved with it, we will infringe upon the domain of darkness. It was Theodore Roosevelt who once said, “There has never yet been a man who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering.”

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."

The One referenced to in the Scriptures as "the Prince of Peace" makes what seems to be a contradictory statement here. This is the One of whom the angels said at His birth that He would bring peace on earth, goodwill toward men. A careful study of all of the Bible renders the conviction that the Messiah would bring peace between God and believing man. But, for the time being, it makes sense that the Messiah and His Gospel would bring division between those who believe and those who do not. At the end of the narrative we are assured that one day the Lord Jesus will bring peace to all who will come to know Him as Savior. 

It was not that the Lord Jesus intended to create disharmony between family members, especially since He came primarily to make peace between us and God. So, even though His was and is a ministry of peace, one effect of His ministry would be conflict between those who believe in Him and those who do not. When the Lord Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword," He spoke primarily about the effect of His ministry, not the purpose of His ministry. The effect of His ministry is that it will divide, it will cut to the heart of all things because this world is at odds with His kingdom and His truth. In Hebrews 4:12 we read, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." There will always be incongruity between the truth and the lie and the Word of God makes that very clear.

In v.35-36 of today's passage we read, "35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household."

The Lord Jesus was in the midst of sending His disciples out into the world to spread the gospel as He uttered these words. He reminded them why persecution would later come to them. Of course, He in the previous section had told them to have no fear of those who would not believe their message. The disciple of the Lord Jesus is not intimidated by nor is he afraid of the world. When the world is hostile, when the world is persecuting, when the world moves against us, when the world ostracizes us and alienates us, we will not be afraid, because we have committed ourselves to the Lord. Even though the disciple of the Lord Jesus will at times suffer greatly because of persecution, the Lord reminded him to fear not. The disciple of the Lord Jesus is instructed to proclaim the gospel of His Kingdom from the housetops. To the degree that we will be opposed by this world, we are encouraged by the Lord to remain faithful to the proclamation of His timeless message of forgiveness and grace.

The most difficult people in the world to share our faith in the Lord Jesus with is our unbelieving family members. When one family member enters into a personal relationship with the Lord and another doesn't, there will always be tension because the two will see and live life differently. It was Martin Luther who once said, "If our Gospel were received in peace, it wouldn't be the true Gospel." Back in October of 1981 when I first believed in the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I was so anxious to see my family members right with the Lord that I turned them off from Him. Sadly, shortly after that, the Lord made it clear to me that He would be able to do the necessary work in their hearts only if I were to get out of His way. So, at the end of the day, it is the Lord who draws people unto Himself and we mustn't ever believe that we were the ones who did this work. We must remember that the Lord has chosen to include us in on what He is doing in this world. And yes, sometimes we must get out of His way.

Matthew 10:32-33

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32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 10:32-33

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 10 where the Lord Jesus Christ is teaching His disciples about being a disciple. In this chapter we are given the summation of the greatest single section on discipleship in all of the Bible. It sums up everything the Lord wants us to know on the subject. Generally speaking the Lord Jesus said that discipleship involves an identification with Him. In today's chapter the Lord Jesus highlights the characteristics of His disciples: They know the message, they are growing at trusting the Lord more than themselves, and they are learning to fear God more than man.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven."

When we look to best understand this verse we must remember that the Lord Jesus was instructing His disciples about discipleship, not justification. He warned them that men would persecute and possibly even kill them. Yet, they were not to be afraid because, as believers who have been guaranteed heaven, they were bound for heaven no matter what pain they might experience here on this earth. The word "confesses" means "to own up to what is true" or "to say what is true" or "to agree with God." True discipleship comes only to those who own up to God the Father's definition of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Frances Chan once said, "Making disciples is all about seeing people transformed by the power of God’s Word. If you want to see that happen in others, you need to be experiencing such transformation yourself."

Now, when the Lord Jesus said that He would confess before the Father those who confessed Him and deny before the Father those who denied Him, He meant simply that. At the place where disciples are to be judged, the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will praise or confess before the Father those who consistently by their words and deeds confessed Him before men. However, disciples who failed to confess Him before men by their words and deeds will find that they will lack the rewards that they otherwise would enjoy in heaven. 

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

It was Hudson Taylor who once said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered. It is a command to be obeyed." The Great Commission is a command for all believers in Christ to obey. But, since when has our obedience to God ever earned or maintain God's favor of us? No, it was at the cross of the Lord Jesus that our favor with God was procured. To think that we have to add to Christ's work on the cross for our justification before God is simply not biblical. Discipleship which happens in concert with our sanctification is different than our justification. While justification gets us into heaven, sanctification gets heaven into us now.

In 2 Timothy 2:11-13 we read, "11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself."

Again, we must interpret any passage by its context. These verses are found in an epistle which includes instructions for believers in Christ. The privilege of ruling with Christ in heaven is not guaranteed for every believer. If we endure in confessing Christ in our words and deeds, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him by our words and deeds, He will deny us that privilege of reigning with Him. The context of 2 Timothy 2:12 makes it clear that the Lord Jesus will deny faithless disciples to rule with Him in heaven. So, if we deny Christ by our words and deeds, He will deny us the opportunity to reign with Him. Confessing Christ may lead to persecution and loss now, but ultimately it leads to blessings and gain forever.

I close with a pertinent quote by Brennan Manning who said, "What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far country. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus."

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.