Matthew 10:34-11:1

Introduction

It’s Nowhere Close to Christmas Time

But I’m Going to List a Few Cliche Christmas Phrases

Just Nod Your Head if You’ve Heard These Before:

‘Tis the Season

Deck the Halls

Joy to the World

Noel

What About This One:

Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men

Did You Know, if You Use the KJV, You Can Read that Phrase in Your Bible?

Luke 2:14 (KJV 1900)

Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.

This was Told to a Group of Shepherds By a Host of Angels the Night Jesus was Born

Isn’t it Great that Ever Since the Day Jesus was Born…

There’s Been Peace On Earth and Good Will Toward Men?

Wait, That’s Not True is it?

In Our Text, Jesus Himself Will Even Tell Us…

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”

Well, Then Why Did the Angels Say, “Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men?”

Well, They Didn’t

I’ll Leave You on that Cliffhanger for a Minute

Matthew 10:34-11:1

We are in Jesus’ 2nd Major Teaching Discourse in Matthew’s Account

He is About to Send His 12 Apostles Out to Multiply His Ministry to the People of Israel

In This Discourse, His Focus is On the Persecutions and Sufferings that Await His Disciples

Before Taking Part in His Kingdom Ministry…

Jesus Wanted Them to Know They Would Be Persecuted and Hated By All Types of People

But They are to Be Wise and Harmless

Jesus Told Them 3 Times Not to Fear Those Who are Against Them

But Rather, They Should Fear God and Continue Proclaiming the Gospel

Because Those Who Confess Jesus Will Be Confessed By Jesus

But Those Who Deny Jesus will Be Denied By Jesus

That Leads Us to Verse 34:

Matthew 10:34 (NASB95)

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Many Messianic Prophecies in the OT Spoke of the Messiah Bringing an Era of Everlasting Peace

And that Messianic Era Has Begun (Jesus is on the Throne)

But, if that’s the Case, Where is the Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men?

It’s Nowhere to Be Found Because the Angels Didn’t Actually Say that

The KJV Got it Wrong

Pretty Much All of the Newer Translations are in Agreement on What the Angels Actually Said

Luke 2:14 (NASB95)

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

It Isn’t “Peace on Earth and God’s Favor Upon All Men”

It’s “Peace On Earth Among Men Whom Have God’s Favor”

Jesus Did Not Come to Bring Peace On Earth

But, There is Peace, Harmony, and Salvation Amongst Those Who Seek God’s Favor

Peace Amongst Those Who Seek His Kingdom (Reign and Rule)

But as for World Peace…

It Will Happen, But Only When the Messiah Returns

When He Returns, He is Bringing Ultimate, Everlasting, Universal Peace…

To His People Who Sought His Favor in this Age

But Until His Return, We Live in an Age of Hatred, Violence, and War

Jesus Did Not Bring World Peace

He Brought a Sword

Luke Worded it This Way:

Luke 12:51 (NASB95)

“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;

Matthew’s “Sword” = Division; a Severing of Relationships

Jesus Didn’t Promise Peace in this Life

He Promised Division, Persecution, Hatred, and Violence Against His People

Here’s a Good Place to Throw in a Little Practical Clarification:

When Jesus Said He Brought a Sword…

Don’t Take that to Mean He was the One Holding the Sword

There is Division Because of Christianity…

But Christianity Doesn’t Cause the Division

Jesus was Not an Angry, Rude, Divisive Jerk

He was a Peacemaker, and He Calls His Followers to Be Peacemakers

There is No Excuse for Christians to Be Disrespectful, Impolite, or Rude

This World is Divided Because of Christianity

But it Better Not Be Because We are the Ones Holding the Sword

People in the World Will Hate Us Because of Our Love for and Allegiance to Jesus and His Gospel

But that Ought to Be the Only Reason They Hate Us

If You, as a Christian, are Experiencing Hatred, Rudeness, and Division From the World…

Ask Yourself this Question:

Do They Hate Me Because I Love and Act Like Jesus?

Or Do They Hate Me Because I’m a Jerk?

Are They the Ones Holding the Sword?

Or Am I?

Matthew 10:35–36 (NASB95)

“For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

Jesus Quotes From Micah 7:6

Micah Lived in a Time of Wickedness When You Couldn’t Even Trust Your Own Family

Because of Jesus and His Gospel, We Can Expect the Same

Family Loyalty was of the Utmost Importance to the Jewish People

But Because of Jesus and His Gospel…

Many Families Will Be Ripped Apart and Turned Against Each Other

Jesus Came to “Set” People Against Their Family

“Set” = Divide

Because of Jesus, Even Some of the Closest Families Will Be Divided

Matthew 10:37 (NASB95)

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

There are Several Things to Unpack in this Verse

First, Let’s Focus on “Love”

“Love” is the Verb Form of phileo = An Emotional/Affectionate Love

The Root Word of phileo = philos = “Friend”

It is a Love Between People Who Share a Close Bond with Each Other

And it Carries the Idea of Loyalty

Now, Let’s Focus on “Worthy”

“Worthy” = Deserving to Be Treated or Recognized in a Particular Way

Let’s Paraphrase this Verse

“He Who is More Loyal to His Family Than to Me Does Not Deserve to Be Recognized as My Disciple”

Keeping this Verse in it’s Context Helps Make it Practical for Us

Because of the Gospel, Families will Be Divided

But in Order to Be Considered Worthy By Jesus to Be His Disciple…

My Loyalty Must Be to Him

It’s Very Easy and Common to Rip this Verse Out of its Context

And When We Do That, We Often Misunderstand and Misquote Jesus

Jesus Didn’t Say, “Love Me More than You Love Your Family”

I Think We Often Interpret this Verse in that Way

It’s Important to Quote Jesus Correctly

He Didn’t Say, “Love Me More than You Love Them”

He Said, “Don’t Love Them More than You Love Me”

In Jesus’ Time and Culture, Family Loyalty was of the Utmost Importance

But if You Want to Belong to the Messiah and Be a Citizen of His Kingdom

Loyalty to Him Must Come Before Loyalty to Family

When an Unbelieving Family Member Desires My Loyalty/Allegiance…

At the Expense of My Loyalty/Allegiance to Jesus…

I Must Choose Jesus

I Must Stay Loyal to Him…

Even if it Leads to Division in and Separation From My Family

Jesus Doesn’t Call for Us to Stop Loving Our Parents or Children

He Calls for Us to Be Loyal to Our King

Matthew 10:38 (NASB95)

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Now Jesus Takes it a Step Further

Not Only Must My Loyalty to Jesus Come Before My Loyalty to Family

My Loyalty to Jesus Must Come Before Loyalty to Me!

In Order for Jesus to Consider Me Deserving of Being His Disciple…

I Must Take Up My Cross and Follow Him

At this Point, the Disciples Have No Idea

They Have No Idea What is Going to Happen to Jesus

They Have No Idea of His Fate

So When They Hear These Words, They Aren’t Yet Able to Grasp the Realness of Them

But They Certainly Know What He is Referring to

Taking Up Their Cross and Following Him Doesn’t Just Refer to Hanging On the Cross

More Specifically it Refers to a Death March

This Death March Consisted of the Condemned Carrying His Own Cross to the Site of His Crucifixion

Along the Way, He Would Be Mocked and Rebuked By an Angry Mob

The Cross Wasn’t Just About Suffering and Death

It was Also About Shame

If I Want to Be Worthy to Be His Disciple…

I Must Be Willing to Be Humiliated for Him

I Must Be Willing to Suffer for Him

I Must Be Willing to Die for Him

My Loyalty to Jesus Must Be Greater than My Loyalty to Myself

Jesus Continues this Thought with the Next Verse

Matthew 10:39 (NASB95)

“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

This is the Most Frequently Quoted Saying of Jesus in the NT

Jesus is Asking 1 Simple Question:

“Who are You Living for?”

If You are Living for Yourself…

Your Own Desires, Pleasures, and Rights…

You Will Lose/Destroy Your Life (For Eternity)

But if You Choose to Live Your Life for Jesus…

And Therefore Give Up Your Desires, Pleasures, and Rights…

You Will Find Your Life (For Eternity)

Anyone or Anything that Distracts or Hinders Us From Following Jesus…

Must Be Given Up/Surrendered

Over and Over Jesus is Telling Us, “Your Love/Loyalty to Me Must Be of First Importance”

Matthew 10:40–42 (NASB95)

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

This 2nd Discourse of Jesus Has Been a Brutal One

But Jesus Ends it On a Positive Note

“You Will Be Hated, Persecuted, and Caused to Suffer Because of Me…”

“Many People Will Reject You Because of Your Allegiance to Me…”

“But Not Everyone Will”

Jesus Ended His Limited Commission Discourse to His Disciples…

By Focusing On Those Who Will Accept Them and Their Message

“You Represent Me, and I Represent God”

“Whenever Someone Accepts You and the Gospel You Proclaim to Them…”

“They are Actually Accepting Me and the God Who Sent Me”

“And They Will Be Rewarded Alongside You”

Those Who Accept the Gospel and Show Hospitality to the Disciples Will Be Rewarded

Even Those Who are Only Able to Offer a Cup of Cold Water Will Not Be Forgotten By God

Matthew 11:1 (NASB95)

When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

This 2nd Discourse Ends the Way All 5 End, “When Jesus Had Finished…”

After Telling His Apostles What to Expect as They Proclaim and Demonstrate the Kingdom…

He Himself Goes Out to Do the Same

His Mission Has Now Multiplied

Many More Jewish People Will Now Have the Opportunity Hear the News:

“The King is Here and He’s Getting Ready to Take His Throne!”