So Today, we have a lot of stuff jammed into this one passage. We could spend the next three days alone talking about what Jesus meant when he said, "you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."So we are not going to do an in depth study on this passage, but what I do want to do is pull out the main thought that I think Jesus is trying to make in verses 28-31. So read this passage, and let this thought run through your mind, following Jesus is really really hard, but really really worth it.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,[a] how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
In this passage, Jesus starts off by warning not just the disciples, but everyone he will ever send out to carry on his ministry (including us) that it is really really hard. He says that families will be divided, all men will hate you, you will be persecuted, but ultimately those who stand firm to the end will be saved.
Again, following Jesus is really really hard, but really really worth it.
This is one reason why it is so hard to do mission work in Muslim countries. The Quran teaches that it is ok for Christians to be around, they would even allow them in the ancient world to live in their communities, but what was illegal and terrible was for a Muslim to convert to Christianity. Families would disown the family member that converted, and if that person ever came back, the Muslim family would kill them. Following Jesus will divide families.
Following Jesus means a lot of people will hate you and insult you and be unhappy with you. There is a friend of mine that is trying to not talk with his brothers who aren't Christians about inappropriate things, like sexual jokes and vulgar language. Because of this, his brothers are getting really mad at him, calling him "holier than thou" and all kinds of other things. Following Jesus means offending people.
And Following Jesus means getting persecuted from time to time. I have heard it said that in the last century more Christians have been martyred than all of the years before it combined. Christians are insulted, beaten, imprisoned and killed everyday for their faith. And we complain that we aren't appreciated enough when we serve in the children ministry, or we just don't have time to help out at Watered Gardens or Feed the Heart or any homeless ministry. We need to get out of our comfort zones, our little precious bubbles, and quit talking about Jesus dying on a cross for us, but picking up our own cross and dying for the world around us.
Following Jesus is really really hard.
Jesus says in vs. 25 that what is true for the teacher or the master is true of the student and the servant. if the Master and teacher are persecuted and beaten and hated and their families are divided, so this will also happen to those who follow in his footsteps.
And these are the footsteps we are following in.
Following Jesus is really really heard, but it is really really worth it.
Check out vs. 26-31 again.
26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[b]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus is saying here that those who follow me and endure the same kind of suffering that I went through. Those that carry out my ministry here on earth, don't be discouraged by the world around you that can only kill your body, but try to please the one that can destroy your soul. He needs to be your audience, because when you live for him, as Jesus said in vs. 22, "Those that stand firm to the end WILL BE SAVED!!!"
An awesome devotion to do is to read through the book of Revelation and look for people standing.
This may not make any sense, but over and over again, the book of Revelation is encouraging the Christians in the midst of persecution to endure the persecution, to persevere through this tough time. He keeps saying, "to those who will overcome", to those who will stand firm to the end. He is encouraging his people to remain firm till Jesus comes back.
But how?
When you read through the book of Revelation, the ones that are standing, they are the ones that John is symbolically showing as the ones who endured till the end, who stood firm. And there is one particular verse that I think sums up the book of Revelation.
It is Revelation 14.4. John is describing the ones who are STANDING with the Lamb on Mt. Zion (heaven), and he says this, "They follow the Lam wherever he goes."
They follow the Lamb (Jesus) wherever he goes.
Do you want to stand firm to the end? Do you want to endure and receive the reward?
Then Follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Follow Jesus everyday of your life. Wake up to the call to discipleship, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men".
Follow Jesus. It is really hard, but really worth it.
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