Matthew part 15

Mission and Fate

The Mission for the Disciples | Matthew 10:1-15

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Matthew 10:1-15

Matthew lists the disciples Jesus called to be the “Big 12,” but we must remember that the word ‘disciple’ is not meant for only these 12. That is why these 12 eventually are named ‘apostles’ because they are ‘sent out’ by Jesus. Anyone who follows Jesus is by definition a ‘disciple’ because the word simply means ‘follower’ or ‘student’. These particular 12 were given the special task of being Jesus’ representatives in the towns they were to enter.

Let’s take a look at the instructions Jesus gave them. They are to stick to Israel first, which simply follows the prophetic mission of the Messiah. They were to begin in Israel and later head to the Gentiles. (Keep in mind this is only the first instance of the disciples being sent out.) They were to announce “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” which simply means the kingdom has arrived or is available. This phrasing is simply another way to say, “The Old Testament prophecies are being fulfilled now, and the current age is coming to an end.” The age of the old covenant was waning fast. The new age of the Messiah was coming. They were to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons, and all manner of signs which Jesus had just performed.

The disciples were called to multiply the ministry of the Messiah by performing the same signs and miracles.

They were not to take much with them as far as supplies because Jesus was giving them a lesson in faithful service. They would find people willing to support their work, but if they happened upon a town where no one was willing to help, they were to leave it shaking the dust from their feet.

That is another interesting phrase that many times we gloss over. It is not just a phrase to mean ‘leave it and don’t bother with them anymore.’ This action is the same the Jews would do after treading through a Gentile area. In order to keep away any ‘Gentile germs’ that would make them ceremonially unclean, they would stop at the border and dust themselves off. Now, if we look back again at where the disciples were to go, they were supposed to stick with Israel. This means Jesus is telling them that if the Jewish people rejected their mission, they were to treat them like Gentiles.

Now, this principle is mainly for those who choose the missionary life, but even for those who are not called into vocational missions, it helps us understand a facet of evangelism. As we go out into the world (whichever part of the world that may be), we should be on the lookout for those who can aid us in our evangelism. We never know whom God has prepared ahead of time to help us. Sometimes I have found help from the person I would have said was least likely. So, if we don’t find someone right away, keep looking. If God is guiding you to reach a certain person or group, He will make a way.

Evangelism was never meant to be a solo sport, and so we must be on the lookout for the ‘person of peace’ that will help us.

The Warning to the Disciples | Matthew 10:16-25

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Matthew 10:16-25

Verse 16 (possibly 17) shifts in perspective from the present ‘sending’ to the future post-resurrection sending. This shift is a little bizarre to our modern ears, but it is one that helps us understand the nature of prophecy. Jesus is letting them know what is going to happen in the future, but they will only see a partial fulfillment in this first sending.

Many prophecies in Scripture have multiple fulfillments. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament in his first coming, but he also promises even more in his second coming. Though we can be forgiven of sin now, sin will be vanquished fully when Jesus returns. Though we can be reconciled to others despite human divisions now, we will be a unified humanity completely in the new heaven and new earth. And though our eternal life begins now, we will experience it fully in eternity.

So, too, here the disciples will be sent out and deal with all manner of hardships in their ministries. But, after the resurrection, they will go out into all the world and face even more—all except one will face martyrdom.

We can look at how Jesus sends them, though, and learn timeless principles in mission work.

First, notice that we are not to worry about what to say during these times of hardship or when we address those God sends us to.

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say while we witness.

Sometimes Christians have trouble witnessing because they are afraid of what questions might be asked or afraid they will say the wrong thing. Jesus says very clearly to not worry about such things. If God promises to give us what to say, then we should rest on that promise and start talking. It is certainly helpful to go through some of the various trainings available to help people witness, but the fact is we really only need the Spirit. If we are in Christ, then we have a testimony to share, and God will help us share if we are willing to go tell.

Second, many commentators note that Matthew gives the names of the disciples in pairs. This pattern points to how the disciples would have been sent two by two in keeping with the Levitical Law that required two witnesses to support a claim. It also is in keeping with wisdom that two can accomplish more than just one. They have each other to lean on and support.

Evangelism is easier accomplished in pairs.

Last, Jesus spends considerable time reminding the disciples they should expect trouble. If the world is willing to treat Jesus as it did, then we should not expect better. While we certainly should not go looking for trouble, the fact is, if we are completely comfortable in our spiritual walk and evangelism, then we probably aren’t doing something right.

We can expect to be treated like Jesus when we are being missional like Jesus.

Sometimes people will receive us openly and fall in love with the Savior. Sometimes people will cast us out and ridicule us. Christians throughout the ages have been sent to their deaths for the sake of Christ, and they rejoiced. We cannot expect the world to always love us.

The Fate of the Apostles

Before we close for the day, I would like to give a bit of a history lesson. The Bible only tells us the fate of two disciples—Judas and James, son of Zebedee. Judas betrayed Jesus, and before he could see the resurrected Christ, he hanged himself from a tree. It is absolutely the saddest ending to any Bible character’s story. If he had only waited one more day, he would have seen Jesus alive and well. James, we know from Acts 12:2, was executed by Herod around 44 AD. The other apostles’ fates we only know from later church histories and tradition.

How Did the Apostles Die?

(From “What Happened to the Twelve Apostles?” By Ken Curtis, PhD. Apr 28, 2010)

Reports and legends abound, and they are not always reliable, but it is safe to say that the apostles went far and wide as heralds of the message of the risen Christ. An early legend says they cast lots and divided up the world to determine who would go where, so all could hear about Jesus. They suffered greatly for their faith and, in most cases, met violent deaths because of their bold witness and faith in Christ.

Peter and Paul

Both were martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified upside down at his request since he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

Andrew

He went to the "land of the man-eaters" in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

Thomas

He was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

Philip

He possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation, the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

Matthew

He was the tax collector, and writer of a Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

Bartholomew

He had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas and back to Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

James

He was the son of Alpheus and is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

Simon, the Zealot

As the story goes, he ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

Matthias

He was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

John

The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the church leader in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian's persecution in the middle '90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil in Rome.

The cruel fate of these 12 men tell us two things for sure.

One, we absolutely can believe in the resurrected Lord. No one would be so foolish as to die a martyr’s death for a lie. If they had not seen Jesus alive, they would not have gone to their deaths. They would have stayed in their homelands continuing in their careers. The Saturday Jesus was in the tomb, they all had done just that anyway. But they saw the Lord, and the Lord told them to go out into the world telling the Good News, so that’s what they did.

The fate of the disciples is evidence for the truth of their message.

Two, it is the pinnacle of arrogance to believe that we can serve the Lord faithfully, witness to others faithfully, and somehow avoid persecution. If the world put Christ to death, put the 12 apostles to death, and continues to put to death thousands of Christians each year, we cannot expect anything else but persecution.

The fate of the disciples, and the millions that have come after them, is a reminder this world is not our home.

In 21st century US, we really do not face much persecution, though it does feel on the rise. But even if widespread persecution does break out in America, should we really expect anything different? And if persecution does come, will we be the generation of Christians that shrink in fear? Or will we lean on the same God who raised Jesus, who guided every martyr before us, and who will raise us up on the last day to give us strength to face whatever persecution this world throws at us?