Intro
Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: "Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might."
1. Introduction: The Revelation of the King – this chapter ends this section of Matthew (ch.1-10)
a. Christ Has Revealed His Person (ch.1-4)
b. Christ Has Revealed His Principles (ch. 5-7)
c. Christ Has Revealed His Power (ch. 8-10)
1) In ch. 8 & 9, He revealed His power through a series of miracles
2) Here He sends ambassadors to perform miracles and carry the kingdom message
3) Remember, wherever you have signs, you are dealing with Jews and the kingdom message
- 1 Corinthians 1:22-24––“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
d. Purpose of this Chapter
1) Understand its structure–Applying all of this chapter to the original 12 Apostles will be confusing––the nature of His instructions change in vv. 16, 24
2) Understand its scope–These changes refer to leaps over centuries and deal with the message of the kingdom in their day, our day, and the end of days.
2. Instructions to the Past Apostles (10:1-15)
a. This Commission was Contemplated (vv.1-4)
1) Preparation in Prayer (9:37-38)
a) Jesus observed the need for laborers for the harvest, and began by telling them to pray
b) We can expect that, if we start praying for the lost, God will use us in answering those prayers
2) Promotion for Performance (vv.1, 2)
a) The “disciples” (learners) in v. 1 become “apostles” (delegates) in v. 2
b) They are, here, officially the first missionaries
3) Provision of Power (v.1)
a) Christ bestows on them special diving power (v.1)
b) God always equips those whom He calls into service
c) He also uses a variety of people to accomplish His work
b. This Commission was Clear (vv.5-8)
1) Preach the Kingdom of heaven and go only to the Jews (Jesus did not forbid preaching to Gentiles and Samaritans on the way, but their message first was for the covenant people in nearby regions)
2) Predecessors in Mission–John the Baptist had already done this (3:2); Jesus had done this (4:17); now it was the disciples job to spread the message across the nation
3) Purpose of Miracles–The miracle they would perform would be their credentials that they represented the King (v.8)
- Heb. 2:1-4––“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
c. This Commission was Contained (vv.9-15)–This commission, as a whole, is not for the church or individual missionaries today; it was to prove a point
1) Purpose of the Miracles–God no longer needs to bestow miraculous powers; they were reserved specifically to the apostles
a) Mark 16:17-18––“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
b) 2 Corinthians 12:12––“The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.”
2) Provision for Families–Today’s servant of God is not to depend on material things, but he must prepare to provide for himself and his family
- 1 Tim. 5:8––”But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
3) Prohibitions in Ministry–The prohibitions in vv.9,10 are not for today’s missionaries: Paul variously appreciated the support of the churches.
4) Preaching to a Limited AudienceWe do not preach the Gospel of the kingdom to those “who are worthy” (v.11), we announce the Gospel of God’s grace to everyone and invite sinners to come to Christ (Mark 16:15, Matt. 28:18-20)
3. Instructions to Future Apostles (10:16-23)
a. Not the Same Time Period
1) Skipping around in time periods without warning is not unusual for Bible writers or teachers
2) Here, Jesus is looking at persecution of future, end-time saints
b. Not the Original 12 Apostles
1) They are forbidden to go to Gentiles in v.1, but in v.18 they’re… speaking to Gentiles?
2) The Spirit could not speak in them until after Christ had been crucified and raised from the dead
- John 14:17––“Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
3) There is no evidence the original twelve were persecuted from this particular mission (Luke 9:10, Mark 6:30 indicated they had successful ministries and were happy with it)
4) Vv. 22-23 parallel 24:9, 13–definitely end-time events
a) Matthew 24:9, 13–– “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake… But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
b) This could resemble the experiences of the apostles during the book of Acts, esp. Paul
c) But v. 22 says nothing about salvation from sin; it talks about faithful endurance of His ambassadors during the time of persecution in the Tribulation
d) It ends with the coming of the Lord (v.23)??
4. Instructions to Present Disciples (10:24-42)
a. The Servant’s Position (vv.24-25)
1) Jesus returns to the word “disciple” (v.24)
2) Jesus refers to us as servants (v.25)–He assures us that men treated Him the same way and that it is a privilege for us to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29, Acts 5:41)
b. The Servant’s Protection (vv.26–32)
1) Jesus warns against the fear of man (vv.26-27)
2) Don’t worry about Satan (v.28-32)
a) He doesn’t have the power to destroy body and soul in hell
b) Only God has this power, and Christ tells us to fear Him and Him alone
c) When you fear God, you need fear nothing else
d) Christ assures us of the Father’s care, for God cares even for hungry birds (v.31)
3) He states the importance of open confession of Jesus (vv.32-33)
a) This applies both to the servants and their converts (Rom.10:9-10, 2 Tim. 2:12)
b) Confession does not save, but is the natural result of salvation
c. The Servant’s Privilege (vv.33-38)
1) The Gospel is a divider of people (v.33)
2) Christ is the Prince of Peace, and the Gospel is the message of peace, but people who confess Christ make enemies (v.34)
3) Christ separates and makes the stronger natural ties of family and friends seem less important (vv.35-37)
4) Christians cannot serve Christ without taking up the cross (being crucified to self and bearing His shame) (v.38)
d. The Servant’s Promise (v.39)
- To save our lives means to lose them, but to lose our lives for His sake means to find them
e. The Servant’s Practice (vv.40-42)–Jesus indicates the importance of His servant
1) He is Christ’s representative (v.40)
2) To reject Christ’s representative is to reject Christ (v.41, 2 Cor.5:20)
3) We ought to support and provide for other servants in their need to merit their reward
Conclusion
a. Contrary to our feelings, we are not out here all alone with no clue as to what we’re supposed to be doing––Jesus has equipped us just as powerfully (if differently) than the apostles
b. Contrary to our fears, we are not out here all alone with no sense as to what we’re going through or why––Jesus has already showed us not merely how to suffer, but how to come out of it with victory
c. Contrary to our failings, we are not out here all alone to make much of ourselves or our own agenda––Jesus has given us His mission, His methods, and His authority to broadcast the news of the kingdom of God
d. Contrary to our feebleness, we are not out here all alone with no power to overcome the world––Jesus has already done that, and His Spirit is now with us 24/7 to preserve us and to help us persevere, even to death, when we’ll receive the crown of life
