Jesus Calls and Sends the Disciples - Outline

God takes care of those who are called to follow Him

Jesus Calls the Disciples - Matthew 9:35-10:15
Jesus Prepares the Disciples - Matthew 10:16-10:33
Jesus Warns the Disciples - Matthew 10:34-10:42

Jesus Calls the Disciples - Matthew 9:35-10:15

v.35

3 activities - teaching, preaching and healing

v.36

(MSB) God, who is immutable, is not subject to the rise and fall and change of emotions (Num. 23:19), Christ, who was fully human with all the faculties of humanity, was on occasion moved to literal tears over the plight of sinners
(MSB) The people's spiritual needs (they need a leader) were even more desperate than their physical needs
Outlines the situation and then commands the disciples to pray for labourers to do something about it
Luke 6:12 - Jesus stayed up all night praying before choosing and sending the disciples

Application: Do you pray before you embark on an activity?

v.1

God's authority can be given to whom He pleases
(MSB) Jesus delegated His power to the apostles to show clearly that He and His kingdom were sovereign over the physical and spiritual realms, the effects of sin, and the efforts of Satan.
(MSB) Unheard of display of power, never before seen in all redemptive history, to announce Messiah’s arrival and authenticate Him plus His apostles who preached His gospel.

Application: Did you or do you need miracles to believe?

v.1-2

(MSB) “Disciple” means “student,” one who is being taught by another. “Apostles” refers to qualified representatives who are sent on a mission. The two terms emphasize different aspects of their calling.

v.2-4

(MSB) The 12 are always listed in a similar order.

Peter is always named first.
3 groups of 4
3 subgroups are always listed in the same order, and the first name in each subgroup is always the same, though there is some variation in the order within the subgroups
Judas Iscariot is always named last.
Peter… Andrew … James … and John. The first subgroup of 4 are the most familiar to us.
These two sets of brothers, all fishermen, represent an inner circle of disciples often seen closest to Jesus

(NIB) They were always named in pairs and probably sent out that way
None of them had any special background
Acts 4:13 – Peter and John were two of the leaders and they were described "unschooled, ordinary men"
(BSF) extraordinary mixture of men - Simon the Zealot, the ultimate patriot and Matthew the Tax Collector, the ultimate traitor

Application: What qualifications do you think you need to serve God?

v.5-15

Jesus’ sent the disciples on a very specific mission
It does not reflect how we are to serve Him today

v.5-6

Jesus tells them to focus on Israel first, but seems like a contradiction
Matthew 28:19 - Jesus tells His disciples to make disciples of all nations
(BSF Notes) God had chosen the Jews, so it was necessary that they first hear and be offered the gospel
Acts 13:46 and Romans 1:16 – opens gospel to Gentiles

Application: Are you included?

v.7

Preach the message: "The kingdom of heaven is near"

v.8

(MSB) Jesus was giving them great power, to heal the sick and raise the dead. If they sold these gifts for money, they could have made quite a fortune. He forbade them to charge money for their ministry.
Yet they were permitted to accept support to meet their basic needs, for a workman is worthy of such support

Application: Do you give back the gifts that God has given you, without payment?

v.9-11

specific instructions to show that God will take care of them

Application: Do you have faith that God will take care of you?

v.14

(MSB) "hear your words." The priority was to preach that the King had come and His kingdom was near. The message was the main thing. The signs and wonders were to authenticate it.
(MSB) "shake off the dust from your feet". It was common for Jews to shake the dust off their feet—as an expression of disdain—when returning from Gentile regions.

Application: What is your attitude towards those who serve Jesus?

Jesus Prepares the Disciples - Matthew 10:16-10:33

(BSF) There are at least two periods of history in Matthew 10

v.5–15 refer to First Mission to Israel - pre-Pentacost
v.16–22 refer to Second Mission to the Gentiles - post-Pentacost

v.16-23

(BSF) generally understood to have been preached as a long term message
(BSF) They were basically shielded by Jesus while He was on earth
(BSF) Coming of the Son of Man refers to the second coming of Christ at the end of this age
(MSB) These verses clearly have an eschatological significance that goes beyond the disciples’ immediate mission. The persecutions he describes seem to belong to the tribulation period that precedes Christ’s second coming, alluded to in v. 23.
(NIB) The way that Christ presents imminent events, which might be much longer in time is consistent with the OT prophets.
(NIB) compare Dan. 9:27; Matt 24:15-31 and the only consistent interpretation is that the church age had not yet been revealed and the great tribulation appeared to be in the near future.
(NIB) It is like looking at two mountain ranges, not viewing the large valley between them (compare Is. 61:1-2 with Luke 4:16-21). The church age is a valley between the first and second comings of Christ. It was a mystery hidden in God and not revealed in the OT

v.16

Be innocent, but not naive

v.17-22

Inevitable persecution on account of Jesus
(MSB) “Deliver you up” is a technical word, in this context, used for handing over a prisoner for punishment. Persecution of believers has often been the official policy of governments. Such persecutions give opportunity for testifying to the truth of the gospel
the Holy Spirit is in charge - He will do the talking
They are going to go after you and when they do, move to the next city
You will know the message and are to proclaim it far and wide

v.22

Does not refer to salvation from sin but to the faithful endurance of Christ's ambassadors during the widespread persecution that will occur
It is more likely that the one who stands firm in such an instance is evidence that the person is truly saved.
Each disciple is called to witness to Him by word of mouth and conduct of life
To refuse Christ for any reason is to deny Him

Application: Do you ever face “persecution”?

v.28

Only God can kill the body AND the soul and He is a loving God

v.32-33

(NIB) Every act of our lives will be evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).
(NIB) To refuse to speak up for Christ because of intimidation or persecution will result in the believer’s loss of reward and consequent loss of glory in the kingdom (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12)

Application: Do you ever deny Christ to avoid “persecution”?

Jesus Warns the Disciples - Matthew 10:34-10:42

v.34-36

(MSB) Though the ultimate end of the gospel is peace with God (John 14:27), the immediate result of the gospel is frequently conflict.
(MSB) Conversion to Christ can result in strained family relationships, persecution, and even martyrdom.
(MSB) Though He is called “Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6), Christ will have no one deluded into thinking that He calls believers to a life devoid of all conflict.

v.10:37-39

(MSB) "take his cross". Here is Jesus’ first mention of the word “cross” to His disciples. To them it would have evoked a picture of a violent, degrading death. He was demanding total commitment from them and making this call to full surrender a part of the message they were to proclaim to others.
(BSF) taking up the cross does not mean accepting the suffering that is common to all men - only those which are directly connected to our confession of Christ and service for Him on behalf of others
You will be rewarded for giving up your life for Him, but those who do not, will lose everything

Application: Are you ready to take up the cross?

v.40-42

(MSB) "He who receives you receives Me" - Christ lives in His people. They also come in His name as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20). Therefore, how they are treated is how He is treated (cf. 18:5; 25:45; Luke 9:48).
Even those who simply receive the disciple, effectively receive Christ and those who receive Christ will receive the Father
They who receive a prophet or a righteous man will be rewarded accordingly
If you take care of the children, you will be taken care of