“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now 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 Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.” (1-4) Jesus was creating something new. He is creating a spiritual Israel as the new center for worship. “Jesus is reconstituting or redefining Israel around Himself and His enactment of God’s kingdom.” (The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary by Jeannine K. Brown)
Click link to the next study in my sequential chapter study through the Gospel of Matthew. https://www.mymorningmanna.com/post/matthew-11
"He called to Him His twelve disciples. Jesus chose twelve that they might sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:30. And that they might be the twelve foundations and gates of his church. Revelation 21:12-14…. Are you aware, oh sanhedrim, forming a semicircle in the temple, discussing traditions, and the accession of proselytes, that your time is short? Are you aware, oh Romans, seated as gods in the senate, and grasping at universal empire, that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, has begun to break in pieces all the iron power of Rome. ‘He has chosen the things that are not, to bring to nought things that are.’” (Joseph Sutcliffe)
“These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.; for you just labor for three and a half years to the Jews to fulfill the week. “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (5-6) for Christ "shall confirm a covenant with many for one week…" (27a) first for Jesus three and a half year ministry of His earthly mission, but after a total of 69 prophetic weeks of Daniel, He would be “Messiah shall be cut off,” in death “but not for Himself.” And His disciples would need to finish the work in an identical time frame, completing the seven years of confirming the covenant to Israel. Daniel continues: "but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering." (27b) "The meaning of the passage is fully met by the supposition that it refers to the Lord Jesus and His work, and that the exact thing that was intended by the prophecy was His death, or his being 'cut off,' and thus causing the sacrifice and oblation to cease." (Albert Barnes) In fact, no temple has been rebuilt. “And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” (27c) “On account of the abominations committed in Jerusalem by the Jews against the Holy One, "He shall not only destroy the city and sanctuary (Dan. 9:25) but shall continue its desolation until the time of the consummation ‘determined’ by God (quoted from Isaiah 10:22-23), when at last the world power shall be judged and dominion be given to the saints of the Most High (Dan. 7:26-27).” (Jamieson-Faucet-Brown)
“And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.’ (7-8) Confirm your mission and doctrine by those divine and gracious works which shall command assent, till men can more leisurely search the scriptures, and examine the superior grace and glory of the new covenant. ‘Freely you have received, freely give.' “A Rabbi was bound by law to give his teaching freely and for nothing; the Rabbi was absolutely forbidden to take money for teaching the Law which Moses had freely received from God. In only one case could a Rabbi accept payment. He might accept payment for teaching a child, for to teach a child is the parent's task, and no one else should be expected to spend time and labour doing what is the parent's own duty to do; but higher teaching had to be given without money and without price.” (William Barclay)
"'Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.’ (9-10) [As in Egypt in the night of the Passover (Exo. 12:11) "the king’s business requires haste. Ministers of the heavenly world should not be encumbered with earth.” (Jospeh Sutcliffe) "In the Mishnah the Law lays it down that, if a man takes payment for acting as a judge, his judgments are invalid; that, if he takes payment for giving evidence as a witness, his witness is void.” (William Barclay) “‘Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy,’ Who is of good report, and whose door sometimes opens to religious men. ‘And stay there till you go out.’ [Let that be your base of operation.] ‘And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.’ The blessings of peace resting on that house, and comprising all covenant mercies, will be a full reward for the favours of hospitality… God still blesses the house of Obed-Edom because of the ark, and the descendants of that family shall also be blessed. See Isaiah 44:3. The workman in the harvest day is worthy of his meat. ‘But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet,' (11-14) rather than avenge. "This would be an act of rejection. When Jews left Gentile territory they would regularly shake the dust off their feet for it was seen as unclean. It belonged to a land where God’s laws of cleanliness were not observed, and was thus ‘unclean’. When a man entered the Temple he was to shake the dust off his feet. He was demonstrating that the world outside was not worthy of God." (Peter Pett)
“Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” (15) “And so serious would be their crime that in the Day of Judgment the infamous Sodom and Gomorrah, who had shown scant hospitality to Lot (Genesis 19), and had become proverbial for sinfulness (Isaiah 1:9-10), would come off better than that city. For they had only rejected Lot, the nephew of Abraham, but this city would have rejected the representatives of the Coming One. There could be no more specific indication of Jesus’ unique claims for Himself. And it will be noted that they were just assumed as evident. It was all matter of fact. There was no arrogance or boastfulness about them." (Peter Pett) “Failure to reach a lifetime goal due to misguided choices is a very bitter pill to swallow. Herein is another sense in which the Day of Judgment will be less tolerable for the Jews of Jesus’ day than for Gentiles.” (Rescue from Death by Robert Taylor)
“Behold, I send you forth’ (saith he) ‘as sheep ‘— which are feeble creatures in themselves, and without any natural armour to defend themselves, 'in the midst of wolves,' which are rapacious creatures, and have a particular enmity to sheep: amongst enemies who will have as great an inclination from their malice to devour you, as wolves have from their nature to devour sheep. 'Be ye therefore wise as serpents.' It is said of the serpent, Genesis 3:1, that 'he was more subtle than any beast of the field'…. and harmless as doves.Amongst the beasts of the field there is none more innocent than a sheep; amongst the birds of the air none more innocent than a dove; to both these our Lord compares his disciples.” (Matthew Poole)
"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.' “The same spirit induced the papist bishops to burn the protestant martyrs." (Joseph Sutcliffe) Also by the hands of man: "'You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. And when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (17-20) The Spirit is your Aaron. “‘Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.' (21) The ties which bind brothers and sisters, and parents and children together, are so strong that it could scarcely be believed that division of sentiment on religious subjects would cause them to forget these tender relations. Yet history assures us that this has been often done. If this be so, then how inexpressibly awful must be the malignity of the human heart by nature against religion! ” (Albert Barnes) "'And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.’ (22) Saved, not from the first death, but from the second. "He shall be saved, preserved from the destruction that shall fall upon the workers of iniquity” (Adam Clarke) at the end.
“When they persecute you in this city, flee to another’ The primary reference of these words is to Christ’s providential coming to destroy the Jewish state and nation by the hand of the Romans. But this foreshadowed His final coming to take vengeance on all the wicked. When greatly opposed in one place, it is not always a mark of wisdom or goodness to stay there; nor is it any evidence of want of courage or fidelity sometimes to flee, even if, in order to do it, a person should, like Paul, be let down by a wall in a basket. 2 Corinthians 11:23.” (Justin Edwards) “’For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.’ (23) This is a fresh suggestion, not to be despised, on so obscure a subject. We are only feeling our way as to the meaning of some of Christ’s sayings. Meantime, all that we can be sure of is that Christ points to some event not far off that will put a period to the apostolic mission...” to the Jews (The Expositor's Greek Testament) like the death of Stephen when the emphasis in the mission turned to the Gentiles.
“‘A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.' etc (24-28)- That is, you must expect the same treatment which I have received.” (Albert Barnes) “‘Do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” (26-27) In the end, that is in the Judgment, there will be no miscarriage of justice. Speak the Word only. “’And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” The persecution and final destruction the temple would culminate with the destruction of the temple 70ad. This threatened a temporal first death for that generation. Focus your fears on the second, eternal death. “‘But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).’ (28) What are the chances that the disciples shared the traditionalist view of destroy? Did Peter and John understand Jesus to mean that God sustains the unsaved eternally in a state of ruin like ‘wineskins that can no longer function because they have holes in them’ or ‘a coin that is useless because it is lost’ ? [63— Douglas J. Moo, “Paul on Hell,” Hell under Fire] This is what traditionalists want us to believe about destroy.” (Robert Taylor) Rather we learn that hell “means final destruction, not everlasting life in misery.” (The Doom of the Lost Basil F. C.. Atkiinson) “Divine justice takes place in the unquenchable flames of hell as the impenitent, like chaff and tares, burn up in God’s furnace of fire. There is no more apt term to describe such a death than annihilation.” (Rescue from Death by Robert Taylor)
“‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing,’ a vile price paid by the poor for sin-offerings.” (Joseph Sutcliffe) ‘Yet not one of them is taken in the snare without your heavenly Father.’ (29) He will resurrect all of creation, even the innocent sacrifices, as well as the saints. Yea “the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (30-33)
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. 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. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (34-39) “The saying that appears here in a context of the disciples’ suffering, appears in all the Synoptics in a discussion regarding Jesus’ own death (Matt 16:21–28; Mark 8:31—9:1; Luke 9:22–27)…The context encourages the reader to understand the phrases ‘finding one’s life’ and ‘losing one’s life’ in their most ordinary senses. Jesus is discussing His own approaching death and resurrection to life (v. 21). He warns against attempting to save one’s own life and promises that whoever loses his life for the Lord will find it (v. 25). When Jesus comes in glory with the angels to reward each person, some will lose their life; others will find life.” (Edward Fudge)
There is not only punishment but also rewards at the end. "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.“ (40-41) No good work of someone who follows Jesus will go unrewarded. Those receiving the message of the apostles and prophets will share in their reward. “‘And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." (42) “The giving of water in Jesus’ name is the offer of eternal life. “As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.” (Prov 25:25) “In John 7:38 we are specifically told that the rivers of living water refer to the Spirit of God. Thus central to the city of God is the Spirit of God.” (Peter Pett)
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