Lecture 4

THE APOSTLES GIVEN AUTHORITY AND SENT OUT – ONLY TO ISRAEL (Matthew 10:1-23)

The King gave the commission to preach, power to heal and power to cast out unclean spirits, but to go only to the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (v6). The Apostles also preached the same message as John and Jesus, ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. They were to ‘heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons’ (v7&8). The Apostles were not to make any provision for their well-being, but rather to depend upon others to meet their needs. This was quite a test of trust in their Messiah King, as they went out to serve Him and His Kingdom. They were to respond with blessing upon those homes who received them well. If they were refused and rejected they could pronounce judgment upon any home hostile to their message. Sodom and Gomorrah would fare better on judgment day. Sodom and Gomorrah had not been so privileged as the people in Israel. Like Jesus, the Apostles faced hostility – sheep among wolves, but they should be wise and harmless. If they were faced with trials, God the Father would give them the right words to utter. Persecution would come, even within families. In verse 23(b) Jesus says, ‘you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes’. This seems to anticipate the second coming of Christ, and views the entire Church Age as a parenthesis not taken into consideration in this prophecy. This is precisely what the Old Testament prophets announced, as they knew nothing of the Church Age. It was a mystery, not revealed to the Old Testament prophets and as Jesus and the Apostles were still preaching the Kingdom of Heaven message, calling the lost sheep of the house of Israel to repentance and to receive their King who would bring in the Kingdom if received, the continuing truth about the Kingdom was announced, considering the Church as a mystery. At this particular time in their calling to be disciples, the Apostles had not been taught about a coming Church Age. We will find this when we reach chapter 16:18 where the word ‘Church’ is mentioned for the first time by Jesus, which He intends to bring into being when He speaks of the future, saying, ‘I will build my Church’.

COST AND REWARD OF DISCIPLESHIP (Matthew 10:24-42)

Discipleship continues until the Son of Man comes again. Jesus said He brought a sword rather than peace, even to the dividing of families over allegiance to Himself. This related to the purpose of His first coming. Peace would come at His second coming, with great changes to secure that peace. His disciples will also be accused of being in league with Satan, Beelzebub, as Jesus was. Disciples are to speak fearlessly, even under threat of death. The Father knows and cares about what His children endure. Confessing Christ before men will guarantee Christ acknowledging them to His Father in approval. Denial of Him brings denial from Jesus also. The disciples must love the Lord first, whatever the cost and above all others, taking up their cross, thus becoming worthy of the Lord’s approval. He who receives a disciple receives Christ the Son and also the Father and will be rewarded, even those who care for Christ’s own disciples.

JESUS ANSWERS JOHN THE BAPTISER’S QUESTION (Matthew 11:2-15)

John anticipated the emancipation of Israel now that the King was present, even though he had called Jesus the ‘Lamb who takes away the sins of the world’. The cross must come before the crown. Perhaps that is why John raised the question, how could the suffering Messiah eventually become the sovereign Messiah? The King would be rejected so how would the Kingdom come eventually? How would He conquer His enemies and then reign? Is Jesus the promised King? Jesus’ reply in verse 5 would reassure John that Jesus was truly the one who proved His Messianic credentials by His actions, fulfilling Isaiah 35v5 & 6, ‘the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing’.

Matthew 11:6 tells of Jesus blessing those who are not confused, bewildered or offended by the apparent delay in fulfilling Old Testament prophecies of Divine judgments. It is interesting that later in the same chapter Jesus does pronounce judgments on cities of Galilee which had witnessed His power, heard His teaching, but had rejected Him.

Jesus acknowledges John having the unique and special role of being the prophesied messenger, coming to herald the Messiah. In verse 10 Matthew quoted Malachi 3:1, ‘behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’. John was coming to be the herald to the Messiah Jesus. John is acknowledged by Jesus to be greater than all the preceding prophets, who had prophesied of the Messiah’s coming. Christ’s servants, living and serving Him in the realm of the Millennial Messianic Kingdom will be even greater than John as the Kingdom will be the complete fulfilment of Messianic prophecy. John’s fearless witness resulted in him being imprisoned and then put to death. Jesus said that John was strong. He was not a reed bending in the wind. The Kingdom of heaven was violently opposed in John’s time and now Jesus’ time – both men died violent deaths. John was so commended that Jesus declared John to be a prophet having the courage and character like that of Elijah whose ministry and condemnation of Ahab and Jezebel was identical with John’s condemnation of Herod and Herodias, his brother’s wife, whom Herod had taken for himself.

Verse 17 is an illustration of the near total lack of response to the message demanding repentance and change of heart in the people. They only harshly criticised and rejected the message of the Kingdom of Heaven near at hand by the presence of the King.

Verses 18 & 19 show how John and Jesus were both accused of working by Satan’s power and that John was accused of being empowered by a demon. Jesus was also accused of keeping company with drunkards, sinners and tax collectors, thus being like them.

JUDGMENT ON UNREPENTANT CITIES (Matthew 11:20-24)

Mighty works and teaching had brought very little response, so Jesus pronounced woes on Chorazin and Bethsaida. Tyre and Sidon, cities outside Israel and outside the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, would have repented had they witnessed what these cities had witnessed, Capernaum even more so. Jesus had lived, spoken and did mighty works there. The judgment on Sodom will not be so great as it will be on Capernaum, because of all that Capernaum had seen and heard from the Messiah in their midst. The cities of Galilee today are in ruins as predicted.

INVITATION TO PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP (Matthew 11:25-30)

Jesus thanked His Father for those who had child-like faith, receiving Divine revelation concerning His Son. Unbelief is not intelligent in the light of revelation concerning God the Father and God the Son. The Father reveals Divine wisdom to those who trust Him, but denies and hides truth from the wise of this world. Verse 27 reveals the indissoluble union and equality between Father and Son and their harmony of purpose for the redemption of those who respond to the invitation and receive revelation. Only the Father and the Son know the uniqueness of their Being in the Godhead and those to whom the Son gives revelation. The gracious invitation follows on in verse 28. Needy souls find relief of burden by coming to the Saviour, becoming His own redeemed disciples.

ACCUSATION OF VIOLATING THE SABBATH (Matthew 12:1-14)

In verses 1 & 2 the Pharisees accuse the disciples of harvest work on the Sabbath by plucking ears of corn, work having been forbidden on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). This was no accusation of stealing as plucking a few ears was permitted (Deuteronomy 23:23). Jesus defended His disciples by referring to David receiving from the priest bread from the table of shewbread when it was replaced by fresh shewbread, even though the priests alone could eat it, for it was considered holy. David was not condemned because satisfying hunger was more important than legally observing a technicality of the Law. Another important parallel of using David as an example should be considered. David was hungry because he was rejected and persecuted by Saul. Jesus was also rejected and persecuted and He is a King also.

Even the priests ‘broke’ the Law in many of their duties. Even sacrifices and offerings were made on the Sabbath. This is found in Numbers 28:8 to 10, according to the commands of God! This was work on the Sabbath for the priests on receiving offered sacrifices from the people. They were not condemned either. Verses 6 to 8 show that Jesus is greater than the Temple. Matthew 12:8 says, ‘for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath’. Religious authorities considered sacrifice more important than showing mercy. Jesus used Micah 6:6 to 8 and Hosea 6v6 to declare God’s statement on the issues argued about. Bitter opposition and conflict grew by each incident.

JESUS IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING THE SABBATH BY HEALING (Matthew 12:9-14)

The Pharisees seized another opportunity to oppose Jesus by asking the question whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath (v10), in order to accuse Jesus and oppose Him. The religious leaders of Israel developed a method of testing whether erroneous teaching was being disseminated at any time. First there would be the investigation of a person, followed by an interrogation of any such person. In this case it was Jesus under scrutiny. Jesus was not following the line of Pharisaic Judaism. He was not accepting Pharisaic authority either. He was teaching, in their view, contradiction to their interpretation of Mosaic Law. He had repudiated Pharisaism in two ways: first, as a proper interpretation of the righteousness which the Law demanded; and second, as the kind of righteousness necessary for entering the Kingdom. Jesus was questioned and interrogated everywhere He went.

Was the man in need of healing brought there to create a clash and condemnation by the religious leadership? Jesus wisely said that a man would rescue an animal in danger on the Sabbath. This suggested the question – is not human life and need more precious? It is lawful to do good (heal) on the Sabbath (v12). This was Jesus’ wise summary of the incident. Having said that, Jesus healed the crippled man’s hand. The Pharisees neither had Scripture, nor reason, to deny that this was a miraculous Divine work. Their only attitude, as a result, was to plan to destroy Jesus (v14). How similar was this reaction to the brothers of Joseph in Genesis 37:8, in response to Joseph relating the dream he had of the sheaves bowing down to his sheaf, followed by the dream of the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. Verse 8 says, “his brothers said to him (Joseph), ‘shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words’. We know from Biblical interpretation, Joseph is a marvellous type of Christ, knowing all that had happened to him had a parallel in Jesus.

JESUS HEALS THE CROWDS, BUT DEMANDED SECRECY (Matthew 12:15-21)

Matthew links this with Isaiah 42:1-3, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.” Verse 4 goes on to suggest, prophetically also, concerning the coming Kingdom Christ Messiah will bring in upon His return. ‘He will not fail or be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.’ Matthew summarises these events by stating in verse 21, ‘In His name Gentiles will trust’.