Kingdom Messengers
Matthew 10:1-4
Audio PlayerThe Sunday after Thanksgiving typically begins the Advent or Christmas season for most churches. Many preachers give an “advent” series of sermons this time of year. I have done that a time or two in the past, but this year on the Sundays leading up to Christmas, I am compelled to continue what I usually do—preach expositional sermons through the Gospel of Matthew. I will probably preach a special Christmas message on the Sunday morning before Christmas and Christmas Eve. But for now, let’s keep going in Matthew. It is my hope and prayer that these lessons will help us to focus on Jesus Christ, His person and His mission, during this season.
We have seen that Matthew’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Messianic King who has come to save His people from their sins. In Matthew 1-4, we looked at Jesus’ birth and beginnings. In Matthew 5-7, we heard His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Then we looked at the miracles of Jesus in Matthew 8-9 and the discipleship responses. Now in Matthew 10-12, we will see the themes of mission and conflict.
Mission is a major theme in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus came from heaven to fulfill His Father’s mission on earth. And He sends His disciples out on mission as well. Jesus experienced conflict when He pushed forward with His mission, and He tells His disciples to expect conflict when they push forward with God’s mission as well.[1]
Matthew 10 is a fascinating and important chapter. It contains the second of five great discourses that Jesus gives in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 divide into two different sections. In Matthew 10:5-15, Jesus addresses the immediate mission on which He sends the twelve. Starting in Matthew 10:16, Jesus refers largely to the future apostolic mission of the church after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
After Jesus completed His instructions to them, Matthew 11:1 says that “it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities“. Jesus planned to send His twelve disciples out to announce that the kingdom is at hand and then to follow after them to preach in the cities into which He had sent them. This was their mission.
Let’s go back to the subject of Christmas for a moment. For our church and many others, the Christmas season brings a reminder of missions. We have our week of prayer for international missions in December and we promote missions giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. So it is appropriate that we are studying Jesus’ instructions to disciples for the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ words show us how Jesus called and commissioned the foundational messengers of His kingdom. Many of these things apply to us today as we also are called to be on mission with Jesus to reach our neighborhoods and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we saw last time, Matthew summarized Jesus’ threefold Kingdom mission in Matthew 9:35 writing, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Jesus’ kingdom mission included teaching the scriptures, preaching the gospel, and healing the people. He was “moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36).
Knowing that the mission field was so vast, Jesus told His disciples, “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus Himself “went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” before He chose His twelve disciples. Now, having led His disciples to feel compassion for the people and having encouraged them to pray, Jesus now bids them to go forth to labor. He placed “the very men who had been urged to pray that the Lord of the harvest might thrust out laborers into His harvest … in the forefront of these laborers.”[2]
In Matthew 10:1-4 we have just two major points today. First…
1. Jesus delegated His authority (Matt. 10:1-2a).
Matthew 10:1 tells us, “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.”
We have seen already that Jesus had many followers. Multitudes of people followed Jesus, saw Him do miracles, and heard Him teach. A disciple is a learner, a student who follows the instruction of a certain teacher. Out of these many disciples, Jesus purposely selected twelve of them for a special relationship with Him and a special assignment. At the time when Matthew wrote, the twelve apostles were well known, and he speaks of them as ‘His twelve disciples,’ and ‘the twelve apostles.’ Jesus probably chose twelve because that was the number of tribes of Israel. These men would present Christ to all of Israel (Matt. 10:6) and those who believe their message are the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
The Greek word for “called” here means to summon or call to oneself. Jesus officially summons the twelve. We know from earlier in Matthew that Jesus had already called a number of disciples to follow Him. In Matthew 4 we saw Jesus say to the fishermen Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:18). He also called James and John “and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matt. 4:22). We also saw Jesus call Matthew from the tax collector’s office, “So he arose and followed Him” (Matt. 9:9). So they were already called as disciples.
And notice what these disciples were called ‘to be’. Matthew 10:2 tells us that “the names of the twelve apostles are these . . .” Jesus summoned these twelve and designated them as apostles. An “apostle” is a “sent one”. Jesus was about to send them out to be His representatives, with an authoritative commission to proclaim the kingdom to the Jewish people. But the thing to notice is that, before they were “sent”, they were first “taught”. Before they were “apostles”, they were “disciples”.
Their role as “disciples” was not unique. We share that with them today. But their call as “apostles” was unique. After Judas’ betrayal and death, Matthias was later chosen to be an apostle (Acts 1:26). Together, the eye-witness testimony of these twelve concerning the Lord Jesus formed the “foundation” upon which His church was built (Ephesians 2:20). No one else has shared that unique, “foundational” call since. Jesus still sends believers to proclaim the gospel. Pastors are called to teach and preach the word. Missionaries are called to go to new fields to plant churches. All disciples are commissioned to make other disciples. But none of these today are apostles in the same sense as these twelve.
Next, notice the endowment Jesus gave them for their particular ministry. Matthew tells us that, when He called them, “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (Matt. 10:1). The word “power” (exousia) refers both to authority and ability—the might and the right—to do something. Jesus delegated His power to do the same kinds of things that He had been doing (Matt. 4:23; 9:35). Jesus’ authority and power clearly identified Him as the promised King. And now, as He sends these twelve out, in advance of Himself, to announce His kingdom to the cities and villages of the Jewish people, He delegates to them the authoritative power to do the things that He did.
How He gave them this power, we’re not told. But just think of what an unprecedented thing it was that He did so! Luke tells us that they returned to Him later with joy; saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17). And even after Jesus had ascended to the Father, their authority as His apostles continued to be authenticated by these signs and wonders (Acts 5:15-16; 28:8-9; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
This endowment of miraculous power and authority was unique to the apostles. But here is a lesson for us: like the apostles of Jesus, we cannot claim divine power or authority to ourselves. Jesus is the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). We may have only the authority that is delegated to us by Him and for His purpose. But we can be sure that, whatever Jesus calls us to do in His service, He is able to give us the ability and authority to do it. Without Him, you and I can do “nothing” (John 15:5); but we can do “all things” through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
Jesus delegated His authority, then …
2. Jesus designated the twelve (Matt. 10:2-4).
Who were these men that Jesus would entrust to represent Him with such authority?
Matthew lists them in Matthew 10:2-4:
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 Lebbaues, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him (Matthew 10:2-4).
A list of the twelve apostles is found three other places in the New Testament: Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; and Acts 1:13. Matthew is unique in that he is the only one to introduce the twelve apostles in six pairs—(1) Peter and Andrew, (2) James and John, (3) Philip and Bartholomew, (4) Thomas and Matthew, (5) James and Thaddaeus, and (6) Simon and Judas. This may reflect the fact that, according to Mark, the twelve were sent out on this first mission in pairs (Mark 6:7).[3]
In each list of the apostles, there are three groups of four. The first group is always headed by Peter, the second by Philip, and the third by James the son of Alphaeus. This may suggest that the twelve were organized into smaller groups each with a leader.[4] The order of each group of four varies (even from Luke to Acts) except that Judas Iscariot is always last.
Matthew uses the word “first” in connection with Simon Peter—not meaning that he was the first to follow Jesus. It probably reflects that Peter was a true leader. He is mentioned more often throughout the New Testament than any other Apostle. He was not over the others—they only had one master, who was Jesus. More likely it means he was the “first among equals” (cf. Matt. 16:13–20).
What do we know about Simon Peter? He and his brother Andrew were originally from the Galilean city of Bethsaida (John 1:44), and they were probably followers of John the Baptist before Jesus called them (see John 1:35–42). Jesus gave Simon the name Cephas (an Aramaic word that is the equivalent of “Peter” in Greek), meaning “rock.” Peter lived and worked in Capernaum and Jesus made His home there during His Galilean ministry.
In the Gospels, Peter appears brash and bold.[5] He asks and answers questions while the others shy away. It was Peter who first confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). He was a man of action. It was Peter who rose to the Lord’s defense in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Simon Peter also tended to speak boastfully before thinking, such as when he proclaimed “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matt. 26:33). Yet by the next morning, he had denied Jesus three times. This is the character of the man the Lord chose as the first of the Apostles – a bold, brash, boastful, and impatient fisherman named Simon. Yet the Lord turned such a man into Peter the Apostle, a fisher of men.
The next Apostle is Simon Peter’s brother, Andrew. Andrew was one of Jesus’ very first disciples. In John 1 we find that he had been a follower of John the Baptist and was prepared for the coming of the Messiah. When Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was go get his brother Simon. Maybe that was a fitting beginning, for we consistently find that Andrew lives in the shadow of Simon Peter. He is referred to as “Simon Peter’s brother” (John 6:8).
Andrew was characterized by humility, openness, and a lack of prejudice. He demonstrated a simple faith in Jesus. He is often seen bringing others to Jesus, including Peter himself (John 1:40–42; 6:8–9; 12:20–22).[6] It was Andrew who brought the boy with the loaves and fish to Jesus when He fed the 5000 (John 6:9). In John 12, we find him bringing some Gentiles to Jesus who were inquiring about the Lord.
James and John were a second set of prominent brothers, and, like the first two brothers, they also were fishermen. Their father was Zebedee, and the family was wealthy enough to employ other workers (Mark 1:20) and to help support Jesus and his disciples (Matt. 27:56). It was Zebedee’s wife who did this, and her name was probably Salome (compare Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). They were self-seeking and not above asking their mother to help them gain the two most prominent places in Jesus’ kingdom (Matt. 20:20–21). Jesus called James and John “Boanerges” (sons of “thunder”) probably because of their intense and vehement personalities. On one occasion they wanted to destroy a Samaritan city that had rejected Jesus (Luke 9:51–56).[7]
James was probably the older of the two since he is always mentioned first. He was the first of the apostles to be martyred, being killed by King Herod in Acts 12. John is more prominent. He appears frequently in the New Testament and was responsible for five of the New Testament books.[8] Peter, James, and John seemed to be the closest to Jesus. They were the three who witnessed Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead and Jesus’ transfiguration. They stayed closer to Jesus as He prayed in Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. The closeness of John’s relationship with Jesus is seen in that when Jesus was on the cross, He charged John to take care of His mother, Mary.
Philip is a Greek name meaning “lover of horses.”[9] He was also from Bethsaida and was a friend of Simon, Peter, and Andrew. We find him first in John 1:43 when Jesus finds him and calls him to follow Him. It was not long before Philip found His friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) and told him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). It was Philip who says to Jesus at the last supper, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us” (John 14:8). Even after being with Jesus three years, Philip lacked the needed spiritual insight to see that Jesus was in the Father and the Father in Him (John 14:10).
Bartholomew is an Aramaic name meaning “son of Tolmai.” He seems to be the same person as Nathanael, who came from Cana (John 21:2). Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:43–46), and Philip and Batholomew are always associated in the lists of apostles. He is remembered most for Jesus’ tribute to him in John 1:47, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” and his confession, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49).
Thomas is also called Didymus, which means “a twin” (John 11:16; 21:2). Other than the lists of apostles, he appears only in the Gospel of John (John 11:16; 14:5; 20:24–29). He has unfortunately been given the nickname “doubting Thomas” because of the incident in John 20 when he would not believe Jesus had been raised unless he touched Him. Some have called him a pessimist. But he was also courageous, being willing to go to Jerusalem with Jesus even if it meant death (John 11:16). And it is Thomas’ bright confession of faith that John uses to climax his Gospel, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Matthew describes himself as “the tax collector,” calling attention to his dishonorable profession before Jesus call him (Matt. 9:9). His words are probably a humble acknowledgment of God’s grace to him.
We don’t know much about the next three apostles. First is James, the son of Alphaeus, who may also be the one also called James the Less (Mark 15:40), either as a reference to being younger in age, or possibly smaller in size. Nothing he said or did is recorded. Matthew’s father was also called Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), and if this was the same Alphaeus, Matthew and James would have been a third set of brothers.
Next is “Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus” (Matt. 10:3). Thaddaeus means “beloved.” By elimination, Thaddaeus is also called “Judas of James” (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) meaning he was the son or possibly the brother of James. Other than the lists, Thaddaeus only appears in John 14:22 when he asks Jesus, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Like the rest of the disciples, he was looking for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, and he did not understand how Jesus could do that and keep it hidden from the world.
Simon the Cananite is actually “Simon the Cananaean,” an Aramaic word for “zealot,” which is what he is called explicitly by Luke (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The Zealots were later a party of nationalists who wanted to overthrow Roman rule.
The last apostle is Judas Iscariot which means “Judas, man of Kerioth” which was a small town in Judea. The betrayer is always listed last. Judas was the treasurer of the band, but he was not honest (see John 12:6; 13:29), and he objected to Mary’s use of her valuable perfume to anoint Jesus (John 12:4–6). The account of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is told in Matthew 26:14–56 (also Mark 14:10–50; Luke 22:3–53; John 13:2–30; 18:2–3), his suicide in Matthew 27:3–10 and Acts 1:15–19.[10]
What is amazing about this group is that they are not amazing. None of them are rabbis, philosophers, orators, wise men, or nobles. Paul writes this about those whom God calls:
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption– 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (1 Cor. 1:26-31).
It is not the ability of the man or the woman, but the ability of God that makes the difference. Christ was not looking for men who could do it on their own. He didn’t need men who could endure in their own strength. He didn’t need men who could preach in their own wisdom. He chose men who could be used by Him for His glory. Paul would describe apostleship like this: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). God likes to use clay pots because His glory really stands out in a clay pot. MacArthur said it well, “The greatness of God’s grace is seen in His choosing the undeserving to be His people and the unqualified to do His work.”
Ray Prichard says this truth is both encouraging and frightening.[11] It ought to encourage us that Jesus calls imperfect people because that means we all qualify. But when Christ calls us, we go without knowing what the future will bring. As Warren Wiersbe says, “Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence.”[12]
Not only does Jesus use clay pots, but He also knits them together as members of His body, the church. You look at that list and you see a variety of individuals from various backgrounds with different personalities and abilities. That sounds a lot like the church, doesn’t it? We also are a variety of individuals from different backgrounds, and yet just like the twelve disciples, we have been called to pursue a common mission together. Jesus called the twelve disciples to Him, gave them authority, and called them apostles or “sent ones.” We also have been called and given authority by Christ to make disciples of all nations. We are all called to be on this kingdom mission with Jesus Christ. This is His purpose for you and me–for disciples of Jesus.
If you have not yet come to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, is Jesus calling you today? He is the promised Messiah-King, the Son of God, who gave His life for the sins of the world. By His death and resurrection, He paid the debt of sin on your behalf. And He rose from the dead to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. How do you receive this free gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins? Repent and believe. Recognize that you are a sinner. Your sin has earned you death—eternal separation from God. Jesus died for you. Come to Him and live. Come to Him and be transformed. Come to Him and rest.
————————————————————
[1] Ray Fowler, On Mission from God, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/on-mission-from-god/
[2] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985), 449.[2]
[3] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 165–166.
[4] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 237.
[5] Scott Harris, The Twelve Disciples – Matthew 10:1-4, https://www.gracebibleny.org/the_twelve_disciples_matthew_10_1_4 . I drew from Harris’ sermon for some of the information about the apostles.
[6] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 166.
[7] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 166.
[8] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 166.
[9] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 238.
[10] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2001), 167.
[11] Ray Prichard, Never Ashamed, https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/never-ashamed/
[12] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Committed (Ruth & Esther): Doing God’s Will Whatever the Cost, 16.
