The Gospel and the Kingdom - Matthew - Jesus Instructions to Faithful Disciples - Part 1

 

TEXT: Matthew 10:24-25 – “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

Today we’re continuing our series in Matthew and Jesus is apparently giving instructions to three kinds of Disciples – each living at a different time.

• ·      To former disciples living in the time He was with them
• ·      To future disciples living during the time of the Great Tribulation
• ·      To faithful disciples living throughout church history.

We have looked at the first two groups, we will the last group consider today. The first group is who we tend to call the Apostles (v.2). We had two quick takeaways: (1) God uses ordinary men in extraordinary ways, and (2) Our mission today is the take the Great Commission and the Great Commandment to our world today.

Then we examined the Disciples of the future – the Great Tribulation. We had two quick take-aways – (1) The world is no friend to Christianity, and (2) We can count on the Holy Spirit to help us, as He will for those in the future.

In today’s passage, we start to deal with the faithful Disciples throughout the Church Age – that includes our time. The Church Age is that time between Pentecost and the Return of Christ. We are a part of this parenthesis between God using His Chosen People of the past and His return of using them during the Great Tribulation. He is speaking of our discipleship and persecution.

We will see five “C’s” in this passage over the next few days.

Today, in these two verses we see Jesus speaking about the certainty of persecution.

Just as Jesus was persecuted, so will His followers be persecuted. In fact, if you remember in our earlier lesson, ALL of the Apostles were persecuted and martyred. He reminds them that we as disciples are not superior to Him – therefore, expect the world’s hatred.

He speaks of Beelzebub – from Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (Ba'al Zevuv) meaning "lord of flies", possibly intended as a mocking alteration of בַּעַל זבל (Ba'al Zevul) meaning "Ba'al of the exalted house", one of the Canaanite names for their god BA'AL. This was a pagan Philistine god worshiped in the ancient Philistine city of Ekron during the Old Testament times. It was an epithet for Satan. 

The point Jesus is making to us today is that, if people are calling Him Satan, as did the Pharisees of His time, they would surely call His disciples the same. In John chapter 15 Jesus declares, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 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. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (John 15:18-21).

We will build on this tomorrow considering what Jesus taught about confidence.

So, Jesus tells us that if we are feeling the heat, take heart, He knows all about it. Turn to Him and let Him hold you during this time.