Bible in one year Matthew 10 -11 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible in one year  Matthew 10 -11

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries- Biblical precepts &Gospel Music; Pastoral ministry & counseling

 

The program of the King 10:1-16:12

The Program announced, 10:1-11:1

 

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles : first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew, James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matte the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.(vv1-4)

 

Disciples.(v.1) A disciple is one who is taught by another; he is a learner. In the gospels the word is frequently used of disciples of Moses (John9:28, of John the Baptist (John3:25), and of Christ. Judas is an example of an unsaved disciple of Christ, and there were others who deserted Him as well (John6:66). The word is used in Acts as a synonym for believer. It does not appear at all in the rest of the N.T. Apostles (2). The word apostle means “one sent forth” as an ambassador who bears a message and who represents the one who sent him. The qualifications included: (1) seeing the Lord and being a eyewitness to His resurrection (Acts.1:22; 1Cor.9:1); (2) Being invested with miraculous sign-gift(Acts5:15-16;;Heb.2:3-4) (3) Being chosen by the Lord or the Holy Spirit (Matt.10:1-2;Acts.1:26).

 

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near,” heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person, there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if is not, let you peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth; it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (vv.5-16)

As sheep in the midst of wolves, the Lord’s apostles, although not serpents, need to be prudent as serpents to escape being hurt by the wolves, and guileless as doves, not mixed with evil intention and not hurting others.

 

Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (vv.17-20)

 

Verse 17, the heavenly King’s prediction here concerning the persecution of His apostles by Judaism indicated that the kingdom He was establishing through His apostles’ preaching would be rejected by Judaism. This too proves that His kingdom is not earthly but heavenly. Verse 20, The apostles have not only the authority of the heavenly King (v.1) but also the Spirit of their Father. The King’s authority deals with unclean spirits and diseases; the Father’s Spirit deals with the opposers’ persecution.  

 

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children we rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (vv.21-23)

 

These verses (vv.21-23)  are a prediction of persecution in the Tribulation days and at the second coming of Christ (Matt.24:9-14). Such unnatural acts against members of one’s own family have taken place under totalitarian regimes in the past and in modern times.

 

A student is not above his teacher, no a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!(vv.24-25)

 

Beelzebub (v.25) Means “ lord of flies”, a guardian deirty of the Ekronites (2Kings1:2),but used by the Jews as an epithet for Satan. The name may have been a mocking Hebrew alteration of Baal-Zebul, a local arch-demon of N. Palestine and Syria. For Jesus’ enemies to allege that He was possessed by Beelzebub what the worst kind of blasphemy (Mark3:22)

 

So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. (vv.26-27)

 

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more many sparrows. (vv.28- 31)

 

Verse 28, God is the only One who is able to destroy both man’s soul and man’s body in Gehenna. This word implies that if the apostles sent by the Lord fail to suffer persecution, they will be disciplined by God. This discipline will take place in the coming age, after the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ, when the believers will receive reward or punishment (2Cor.5:10; Rev.22:12)

 

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven, but whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. (vv.32-33)

 

In verse 33, this word was spoken by the heavenly King to His apostles, who were sent by Him to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He foretold that they would be persecuted (vv.17,21-23). If anyone under persecution denies Him, He will dny him at His coming back (16:27). Their being denied or confessed by Him at that time will determine whether His apostles are worthy to enter the kingdom of the heavens as a reward in the coming age.

 

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.(vv.34-36)

 

 Verse 34-36 Christ’s mission involves tension, persecution, death. The gospel divides families (Mic.7:6). The world will experience true peace only when the King returns again to rule (Isa.2:4). The whole earth is under Satan’s usurpation.(1 John5:19). The heavenly King came to call some out from the usurpation. This certainly aroused Satan’s opposition. He instigated the people under his usurpation to fight against the heavenly King’s called ones. Thus, His coming did not bring peace bur a sword. The fighting instigated by the usurping Satan against the heavenly King’s called ones is waged even in their own household. The heavenly called ones are attacked in their homes by their kindred who remain under the evil one’s usurping hand.  

 

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more thank me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever find his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (vv.37-39)

 

Take his cross (v.38) Christ took the Father’s will and was crucified (26:39,42). When He was baptized, He was counted as crucified and from that time He bore His cross to do the will of God. His called ones were identified with Him. He asked them to take their cross and follow after Him, that is, to take the will of God by putting themselves aside. This demanded that at any cost they first give their love to Him that they might be worthy of Him. If the heavenly King’s followers allow their soul to have its enjoyment in this age, they will cause their soul to suffer the loss of its enjoyment in the coming kingdom age. If they allow their soul to suffer the loss of its enjoyment in this age for the King’s sake, they will enable their soul to have its enjoyment in the coming kingdom age, that is, to share the King’s joy in ruling over the earth (25:21,23).

 

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. (vv.40-42)

 

The apostles sent by the heavenly King, having been entrusted with His authority (v.1) and peace(v.3), and having been indwelt by the Spirit of the Father and identified with the King in His suffering (vv.22,24-25) and death (vv.21,34-39), were one with Him. Thus he who received them received Him. To participate in such identification with the heavenly King requires us to love Him above all, at any cost, and to follow Him by taking the narrow way of the cross, as revealed in vv.37-39.

 

Bible in one year    Matthew 11

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries- Biblical precepts &Gospel Music; Pastoral ministry & counseling

 

The Program attested 11:2-12:50

By comforting John’s disciples, 11:2-9

 

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galillee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”(vv.1-6)

 

Verse 6, who does not fall away on account of me, or who keeps from stumbling over me. I.e., he who can in full faith acknowledges and accepts my mighty work as evidence of my Messiahship.

 

As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “ What did you go out the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you do out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? NO, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. (vv.7-10)

 

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the day of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear. (vv.11-15)  

 

Verse 11 is greater than he. The greatness of John the Baptist in the old dispensation before the cross fades in comparison to the high position every believer has had since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and the descent of the Spirit. Verse 12, since the time John began preaching, the response had been violent, whether by vicious opponents or enthusiastic supporters. Verse 14, he is the Elijah. Jesus is saying that if the Jews had received Him, they would also have understood that John fulfilled the O.T. prediction of the coming of Elijah before the Day of the Lord.( Mal. 4:5, Matt.17:12)

 

To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon. “ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “ Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friends of tax collectors and sinners.” Bur wisdom is proved right by her actions. (vv.16-19).

 

By condemning the cites 11:20-24

 

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you , Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If  the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.  

 

 Verse 19, One can always find a reason to carp at prophets rather than repent at their urging. Korazin (v.21)was about two and a half miles N. of Capernaum. Bethsaida was at the N. end of the Sea of Galilee. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities in Phoenicia.

 

By calling all to Himself, 11:25-30

 

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (vv.28-30)

 

Verses 28-30, this great invitation, extended to all, is threefold: (1) to come and receive salvation; (2) to learn in discipleship; (3) to serve in yoke with the Lord. The yoke involves instruction under discipline. Yet, in contrast to the teaching of the scribes, Jesus’; yoke is easy. Through the ages these verses have been among the most beloved in the N.T.

 

 

Bibliography,

 

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.