Matthew 9:35-38

New Year - New Commission

Up to This Point in Matthew’s Account, Jesus Has Been the Focus

He is Teaching and Preaching About the Kingdom of God

He is Performing All Kinds of Miracles That Prove the Kingdom Has Come

But This Text is Leading Us to a Transition

Now it’s Time for Jesus’ Disciples to Get in On the Action

It’s Time for Jesus to Send Them Out to Teach, Preach, and Perform Miracles as Well

Jesus‘ Kingdom Mission is Going to Become Their Commission

Matthew 9:35 (NAS)

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

This Verse Summarizes the Ministry of Jesus

This is the 2nd Time We See These Words in Matthew’s Account

They Were Stated Almost Verbatim in Matthew 4:23

Matthew 4:23 NAS

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

This was Just Before Jesus’ 1st Major Teaching Discourse (Sermon on the Mount)

And When it is Stated Again in 9:35, it is Just Before Jesus’ 2nd Major Teaching Discourse

These 2 Verses Form an “Inclusio”

They Form 2 Bookends Around Jesus’ Teaching and Miracles

In Both His Teaching and Miracles, Jesus Demonstrated His Authority

Now, in His Next Teaching Discourse…

He is Going to Pass His Authority On to His Disciples

Just as His Words and Works Were Demonstrations of the Kingdom’s Presence in the World…

His Disciples Words and Works Would Do the Same

Matthew 9:36 (NAS)

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

During His Ministry, Jesus Felt Compassion for the People

Not Only Because of Their Physical Needs…

But Because He Saw Them as Sheep Without a Shepherd

The Words Matthew Uses Mean “Harassed and Thrown Down”

The Picture is of a Sheep Being Mangled and Thrown Down on the Ground By a Predator

On Multiple Occasions in the OT, Israel is Referred to as God’s Flock

And Israel’s Leaders Were Meant to Be Shepherds to the People

So Jesus is Likely Referring to the Jewish Religious Leaders

They Were Meant to Be Shepherds to the People

But They Had Failed

Instead of Shepherding the People, They Were Predators…

Harassing and Throwing Down the People

A Shepherd is Supposed to Feed, Comfort, Heal, Guide, and Protect His Sheep

And the People of Israel Were Not Being Shepherded By Their Religious Leaders

But Now the Good Shepherd is Here

And He is Doing Something About it

Matthew 9:37–38 (NAS)

Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Jesus Now Switches Metaphors

He Moves From Shepherding to Harvesting

There is So Much to Harvest, But There are So Few Workers to Gather it in

There are So Many Lost Sheep in Need of Shepherding

There are So Many Who are Lost and in Need of Guidance

There are So Many in Need of the Good News of God’s Kingdom

So Jesus Requests Something of His Disciples

Beg the Lord of the Harvest to Send Out More Workers in His Harvest

Evangelism and Soul-Saving is God’s Business

If There are Workers in the Field, it is Because God Has Caused it to Be So

God Provides the Workers

God Cultivates Good and Open Hearts that Will Accept the Trust

God Creates Opportunities for Evangelism

Effective Evangelism Begins With Begging the Lord for More Workers

Any Effective Ministry Begins With Prayer

The Messiah Needed Help

He is Only One Man

He Needed More Workers in the Plentiful Harvest

And in the Next Chapter, the Lord of the Harvest Provides

12 Apostles are Chosen and Commissioned to Carry On Jesus’ Kingdom Ministry

The Fields are Still White in Livingston, TN

There are So Many in Need of the Good News of the Kingdom

It is Our Mission to Teach Them and Serve Them

How are We Going to Do That?

Let’s Start Where Jesus Started

It Starts With Feeling Compassion for the Lost

And Then We Pray

As a Church, Let’s Start Praying for Jesus to Provide Us With More Workers

As a Church, Let’s Start Praying for Jesus to Provide Us With Ministry Opportunities

As Individuals, Let’s Start Praying for Jesus to Give Us Individual Opportunities to Reach the Lost With Jesus

And Lastly, Le’s Be Willing to Answer the Call When God Provides the Opportunity