Matthew 10
Introduction
Matthew wrote his Gospel to show Jewish readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah who fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures. In this passage, Jesus moves from displaying His own power to empowering His disciples and sending them out to minister.
In a culture full of distractions, we need to be filled with awe for our Messiah. Jesus prepares His followers for the cost of discipleship by being honest about the challenges they will face. Yet for every cost, He gives a greater promise. Following Jesus is costly, but it is worth it because He is the fulfillment of the Word, and our lives can only be fulfilled in Him.
The Cost of Following Jesus
1) You Will Not Be Accepted by Some, but You Will Have Peace Knowing You Are Accepted by God (10:11-15) Jesus instructs the disciples to proclaim the kingdom and shake the dust off their feet when a town rejects them. Rejection is painful, but the peace of knowing we are accepted by God far outweighs it. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The same Jesus who was rejected by His own people promises that those who receive us receive Him (Matthew 10:40).
2) You Will Have to Defend Your Beliefs, but the Holy Spirit Will Help You (10:16-20) Jesus warns that His followers will be like sheep among wolves. They will be handed over to councils, flogged in synagogues, and brought before governors and kings. Yet He gives this promise: “When they hand you over, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:19-20). The Holy Spirit is our Helper and Advocate in every difficult conversation (John 14:26; 16:13).
3) You Will Lose Family and Friends, but You Will Gain a Heavenly Father, Faithful Friend, and Brothers and Sisters in Christ (10:21-27) Jesus is realistic: “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child… All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:21-22). Family opposition and social rejection are real costs. But Jesus promises a greater family: “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). God becomes our perfect Father (Matthew 10:29-31), Jesus our faithful friend (John 15:15), and the church our new family.
4) You Will Need to Give Up Your Life, but You Will Gain Eternal Life and Fulfillment (10:34-39) Jesus declares, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me… Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39). The call is to take up our cross and follow Him. The world cannot take anything from us that the Lord cannot restore in fullness. When we give our lives to Jesus, we discover the abundant life He came to give (John 10:10; Galatians 2:20).
Application
Jesus never hides the cost of following Him, but He always shows that the reward is greater. For every rejection, there is acceptance by God. For every trial, there is the help of the Holy Spirit. For every loss, there is a greater gain.
This world cannot take anything away from you that the Lord cannot restore in fullness. Give your life to gain the life Jesus gives. The same Jesus who sends us out is the One who goes with us. Let awe for the Messiah overcome every distraction, and let obedience overcome every fear.
Small Group Questions
· Have you ever had a time where you felt called to share the Gospel but didn’t because you were afraid?
· What aspects of following Jesus cause you the most fear or anxiety?
· How can we be as “wise as serpents and gentle as doves” to the people around us?
· In what ways does God promise to help us overcome all of the difficult situations we might find ourselves in as Christians in Matthew 10?
For Further Study
Read Matthew 10 alongside Romans 8:31-39 to see the security we have in God’s love.
Study John 15:18-21 and 2 Timothy 3:12 for the reality of persecution and the promise of God’s presence.
Meditate on Luke 14:25-33 and Galatians 2:20 on the cost and joy of wholehearted discipleship.
