1 Persecution of the Disciples Matthew 10:16-33
2 Persecution of the Disciples Texts: Matthew 10:16-33, 16. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17. Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19. 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, 20. for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23. 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. 24. A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25. 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! 26. So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
3 28. 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. 29. 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. 30. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31. So don t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32. Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Commentary: I. Jesus was sending the apostles on their mission as sheep among wolves. A. They were to be wise as serpents... Genesis 3:1, Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. B. and harmless as doves. Matthew 3:16, As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. C. Jesus knew he was sending the apostles on an extremely dangerous mission. D. To survive, the apostles would have to be very wise, but they were to harm no one! E. One wolf can destroy an entire flock of sheep.
4 F. Jesus enjoins us to be wise for self-protection and harmless, to do no one injury. II. Jesus warned his apostles to beware of men they encountered on their journey because their enemies would deliver them to courts/councils and scourge them in their synagogues. A. Man s inhumanity to man is one of the greatest enigmas of human history. B. Synagogues were places of worship and study, but also places of punishment for those who dared differ with the establishment. C. Consider the Spanish Inquisition and the forced conversion of Native Americans. D. Primary opposition would come from the Jews. III. The apostles enemies would deliver them to kings and governors for trial. A. Acts 5:18, They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. B. Acts 12:1, It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. C. All this was purely for religious reasons. IV. When the Apostles were delivered to prison and trial,
5 A. they were not to be anxious about their defense; that is, what they were to say and how they were to present their court speeches. B. because it would be given to them by inspiration what and how they were to speak. C. This does not mean the apostles did not need to study. 1. 2 Timothy 2:15, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2. 2 Timothy 4:13, When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. V. The early apostles/disciples were not only to be opposed by wicked strangers. A. Brother would deliver up brother to death... B. Father would deliver up their children... C. Children would oppose parents and cause them to be put to death... D. All for religious reasons! Freedom of religion is a truly unspeakable blessing! VI. The apostles, for their religious convictions, would be hated by all men, great numbers of people.
6 A. This remains true for Christians today. B. However, Christians who remain faithful to the end, to death will be saved. 1. Matthew 24:13, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 2. Mark 13:13, All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 3. 1 Corinthians 13:7, It (love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 4. Revelation 3:11, I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. VII. When Christians are persecuted in one city we are to flee to another. A. There is no disgrace in retreating to fight another day. B. Jesus told the apostles not to be antagonistic nor to needlessly sacrifice themselves. Better to flee. C. The apostles would not have gone through all the cities of Israel before Jesus came; that is, the church began (Acts 2); before Christ came in his kingdom. VIII. A disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his Lord; that is, A. if Jesus suffered persecution the disciples could not expect to escape persecution.
7 B. don t expect the rank and file Jews to be any different than their persecuting leaders among the Pharisees. C. Scriptures: 1. John 15:20, Remember the words I spoke to you: No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 2. John 13:15, I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. IX. It is to be expected that a disciple, (learner) be as his teacher and a servant as his Lord. A. Faithful disciples cannot expect to be treated any differently by the world than Jesus was treated. B. See how Jesus was treated and we will see how faithful Christians will be treated today. X. Since Jesus (the Master of the house) had been called Beelzebub, the disciples (members of his household) could be expected to be called Beelzebub as well. A. Beelzebub (Beelzebul in Greek) refers to Baal, the old Canaanite god, and zebub which means dunghill. The dunghill god is the literal meaning of Beelzebub. B. This makes clear that the Jewish leaders truly hated Jesus.
8 XI. The disciples were not to fear their enemies and persecutors because their enemies would not succeed. A. This is the meaning of there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hidden that shall not be known. B. The efforts of Jesus enemies would not succeed in defeating the gospel, keeping it covered or hidden. C. Persecution actually facilitated the spread of the gospel... 1. by producing zeal and determination on the part of the disciples. 2. by arousing sympathy for the gospel and its proponents. XII. What Jesus told the disciples in darkness (secret) would be proclaimed in the light (public). A. What Jesus told the disciples in the ear (privately) they were to publicly broadcast upon the housetops. B. Romans 16:25, Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, XIII. The disciples were not to fear those who could do no more than kill the body. A. They were to fear the one (God) who could destroy both body and soul in hell. B. The soul is immortal. Man cannot kill it.
9 C. Matthew 25:41, Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. D. Gehenna, the Valley of Hinnom, is the metaphor Jesus used to refer to eternal punishment. XIV. God the Father cares for the sparrows, two of which are sold for little or nothing (a penny) and is fully aware when one falls to the ground. A. Matthew 6:25-30, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon is all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will be not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? B. God cares far more for his faithful servants. XV. Even the hairs of our heads are all numbered. God truly cares for everything from the greatest to the least. A. Consider DNA.
10 B. If God cares for sparrows and the hairs of our heads, he will surely care for his faithful servants who risk their lives to preach the gospel of his Son. XVI. Jesus promised to confess those before his heavenly Father who confess him before men especially in times of persecution and danger. A. Matthew 16:17, 18, Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this (confession) rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. B. Romans 10:10, For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. C. 1 Timothy 6:12, 13, Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,... D. John 19:7, The Jews insisted, We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God. E. Mark 14:62, I am, said Jesus. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.
11 F. Matthew 3:17, And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. G. Matthew 17:5, While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! H. John 12:28, Father, glorify your name! Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again. I. Philippians 2:11, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. J. Matthew 10:32, Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my father in heaven. XVII. However, inversely, Jesus will deny those before his heavenly Father who deny him on earth. A. We can deny Jesus by deeds as well as words. B. Titus 1:16, They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
Persecution of the Disciples 12 Questions 1. Jesus said, I am sending you out like among. Be shrewd as and as as. 2. Be on your guard against ; they will hand you over to the and you in their. 3. When they you, do not about what to or to it. It will not be you, but the of your speaking through you. 4. Did Jesus say this to us or to the apostles or to both us and the apostles? Give reasons for your answer. 5. will betray to, and a his ; will against their parents and have them put to death. 6. All men will you because of me, but he who to the will be saved, Jesus said.
7. What I tell you in the, speaks in the ; what is in your, from the. 8. Do not be of those who the but cannot the. Be of the one who can both and in. 9. Whoever me before men, I will also him before my in. 10. Whoever me before, I will him before my in. 11. were places of and, but also places of for those who dared to differ with the. 12. Did the apostles need to study or did the Holy Spirit provide all their sermon material? See 2 Timothy 4:13. 13. Is it a disgrace to flee, retreat in order to fight another day? See Matthew 10:23. 13
14. Jesus enemies called him Beelzebub and the apostles could expect to be called Beelzebub as well. Who was Beelzebub? 15. God cares for his children. Even the of our are all! 14