Chapter 32
TEACHER VS STUDENT
(Matthew 10:24)
Before we begin this study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father, please bless this study of Your Word. Please cause us to understand and accept and do the things You are teaching us. We ask this for Your Holy Name's sake.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
To prepare and encourage His disciples to go out to heal the sick and preach about the Kingdom of God Jesus gave them a set of instructions and warnings. To refresh our memory of what Jesus said to them we go to,
Matthew 10:1-31
"[1] He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. [2] These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. [5] These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. [6] Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. [7] As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. [9] Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; [10] take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep. [11] "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. [12] As you enter the home, give it your greeting. [13] If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. [14] If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. [15] I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. [16] I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. [17] "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. [18] On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. [19] But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, [20] for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. [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, 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 ? 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 the previous three chapters, which are chapters 29, 30 and 31, we examined Jesus' instructions that are recorded above in Matthew 10:1-20.
For this study we will now examine Jesus' instruction that is recorded in,
Matthew 10:24
[24] "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
To do this we will focus upon the application of Jesus' instruction for the following two areas of our Christian life:
1. The attitude the true disciple of Jesus Christ should expect to receive from the majority of the unbelieving world.
2. The attitude we, the born-again believers, should have towards others.
With this introduction in mind, we begin with,
THE ATTITUDE THE TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST SHOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE UNBELIEVING WORLD
In this section of our study we will,
1. Review the New Testament to gain some insight as to what we, as born again Christians, can expect from the majority of the unbelieving world and the world's system.
2. Find that when we are slandered or persecuted for Jesus' sake we can be assured that we are blessed.
With this in mind let us now explore some of,
THE ATTITUDES WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE UNBELIEVING WORLD
First of all, as we read the New Testament, we discover that as a true born-again Christian that is a disciple of Jesus Christ
We can expect to be slandered
Jesus revealed this to us during His instruction to His twelve disciples. To refresh our memories let us read again from,
Matthew 10:24-25
""[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, how much more the members of his household!"
Let us notice the following verse,
25a … Jesus pointed out that the majority of the unbelieving world called Him Beelzebub. According to the Zondervan “Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible” Beelzebub was a name used to identify the prince of demons.
25b … Thus, the question: “Can we expect any better treatment?
Secondly, the New Testament also reveals that the true disciple of Jesus Christ should not only expect to be slandered but,
We can also expect to be hated and possibly persecuted by the world and this world's system
Throughout the New Testament the born again Christian is told that they can expect this kind of treatment. For example, let us read the following excerpt of what Jesus told His disciples to prepare them for the time when He would no longer be physically with them. His instruction of interest for this study is recorded in,
John 15:14-21
"[14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other. [18] "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. [19] If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. [20] Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. [21] They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."
Let us notice the following verses,
14 … We are Jesus' friends if we do what He asks us to do. Notice, there is a condition of obedience with respect to this friendship. In other words, if we claim Jesus Christ to be our Lord, then we will do what He asks of us.
16 … Jesus tells us that we did not choose Him. Instead, it was Jesus who chose us and appointed us, the true disciples of His, to go and bear everlasting fruit.
17 … The true born-again believers are to love one another. In fact, in the Gospel according to John we find that Jesus also said it will be by our love for one another that they will know we are His. To see this we go to,
John 13:35
[35] By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
18 … As we read the New Testament we find that the majority of the unbelieving world hated Jesus. In fact, they hated Him so much that they humiliated, slandered and ultimately had Him crucified. Therefore, if the world, meaning the unbelievers, hate us let us remember they also hated our Lord and Savior first.
19 … We do not belong to the world or world's system. Remember, when we became born again believers in Jesus Christ our citizenship changed. We are now citizens of Heaven. This truth is recorded for us in,
[20] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
In other words, just as Jesus, whose citizenship was and is in Heaven, came and lived in this world, so it is with us.
We now return to Chapter 15 of John and notice the following verses,
20a … If they persecuted and slandered Jesus, we can also expect they may do the same to us.
20b … If they obeyed Jesus’ teaching, they will listen to and obey ours.
21 … In reflecting upon this verse I am reminded of all the horrible acts and atrocities that were performed and are still being performed, in the name of God, to true born-again believers in Jesus Christ. This often raises the question of; “How can this be?”
The answer to this question is as Jesus said; “Those who persecute the brethren in the name of God do not really know God the Father.”
To see this let us explore the interchange Jesus had with some of the Jews who believed Him. To do this we go to,
John 8:31-59
[31] Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
Let us notice the following verses,
31(a) … Jesus was talking to Jews who believed Him. The same could be true with us. Namely, we too could believe Him. Is this enough? Is it enough to just believe what Jesus says? To find out, let us consider the next portion of this verse,
31(b) … In other words, Jesus is telling us that if we do what He says, then we are really His disciples. Specifically, our belief must produce fruits or action. To expand upon this let us consider,
James 1:22-25
[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; [24] for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. [25] But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Returning to the Gospel of John let us now read,
[32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”[33] They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
First of all, it is interesting to remember that at this time in history the Jewish nation was under the authority and control of the Roman Empire. This makes one wonder why they did not think they were in bondage.
Secondly, they prided themselves on the fact that they were Abraham’s descendants, and because of this believed that they were God’s chosen people. In addition, they were diligent to observe the services of the Temple and hence felt that they complied with the required religious commands. Consequently, they could not understand what they were enslaved to. The same could very well be true with us.
We may claim that those who live in the USA are in a country that is friendly towards the Christian faith.
And,
We might be think that since I was raised in and belong to a Christian family; I regularly attend and participate in church activities, “What do I need to be set free from?” The answer is given in the next verse,
[34] Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. [35] And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. [36] Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
When this occurs, that is we not only hear but also do what Jesus says, then, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free!
We now return to the 15th Chapter of John and read from,
[37] “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. [38] I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”[39] They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. [40] But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. [41] You do the deeds of your father.”Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” [42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
Another way to see this is by reading,
1 John 2:23
[23] Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Let us now read the following verses from John Chapter 8,
[43] Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. [44] You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. [45] But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
Let us notice the following verses,
44a … Their father was the devil and they want to do the things of their father, the devil.
44b …The devil is a murderer and a liar.
45 … Jesus spoke (and) speaks the truth, yet they did not believe Him. In other words, they did not accept or receive what Jesus said to them.
Returning to Chapter 8 of John we now read from.
[46] Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? [47] He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
47a ... He who is of God hears the words of God
47b … Since they were not of God but of the evil one, they did not hear, which means they did not understand His words.
Returning to John 8 we now read the following verses,
[48] Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
First, they called Jesus a Samaritan. According to; “The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible: a Samaritan was an Israelite who did not worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. Instead they worshiped in a sanctuary on Mount Gerizim.
Secondly, they also claimed that Jesus had a demon, which is an evil spirit. Jesus’ reply is in the following verses,
[49] Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. [50] And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. [51] Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Those who keep, which means to do the things Jesus taught or commanded will not see or experience death. By this Jesus meant that they will have everlasting life with Him. It is the same for you and me.
[52] Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ [53] Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
The people thought Jesus was referring to the physical death. Therefore they asked Him; “Who do you make yourself out to be?”
To read Jesus’ reply we go to
[54] Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. [55] Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. [56] Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Let us now notice the following verses,
54 … Jesus told them that it is His Father who glorifies Him, who also they claimed to be their God.
55 … However, Jesus said that they do not know God the Father, but that He, Jesus, knows Him.
56 … Jesus further told them that their father Abraham rejoiced to see His day of arrival.
To read the Jews response we go to,
[57] Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” [58] Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
By Jesus saying that before Abraham was born I AM, Jesus was identifying Himself by God’s holy name. To see this let us read what God said to Moses after Moses asked God for His name. To do this we go to,
Exodus 3:13-14
[13] Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” [14] And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
To read the people’s reaction to Jesus statement we return to Chapter 8 of John and read from,
[59] Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
To see a true disciple of Jesus Christ may be treated in a similar fashion and to prepare us for this type of treatment, we will explore the following,
Three Examples
To do this we begin with,
The example of Paul
The New Testament tells us that the Apostle Paul was persecuted many times for preaching and teaching about the good news of Jesus Christ. For example, let us read about the time when he and Barnabas were persecuted for preaching the Gospel in the city of Iconium. To do this let us read from,
Acts 14:1-6
"[1] At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. [4] The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. [5] There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. [6] But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country,"
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … God used them to bring many of their listeners to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2 … Some of the Jews, who claimed to believe in and worship God, refused to believe in what God the Holy Spirit was telling them through the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.
3 … Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In addition, Jesus bore witness to the truth of what they preached by enabling them to perform miraculous signs and wonders.
5 … Those who did not believe their message sought out an opportunity to stone both Paul and Barnabas to death.
Even though Paul and Barnabas were persecuted for following and obeying God's call for them to preach and teach about the Kingdom of God, their efforts were not in vain. To further illustrate this point let us read about Paul and Barnabas' return trip Lystra and Iconium. As we read about their return trip we discover it was because of their preaching and teaching of the Gospel, many people became disciples of Jesus Christ.
Acts 14:21-23
"[21] They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, [22] strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. [23] Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."
Let us notice the following verse,
22 … “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."
Our second example is,
The church in Smyrna
To read Jesus’ instruction for this church we go to,
Revelation 2:8-11
""[8] To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. [9] I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10] Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. [11] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."
Let us notice the following verse,
10 … Our Lord Jesus Christ told the people in the church of Smyrna to hold fast, that is remain true to Him, even unto death. He also told them if they did this the glorious outcome of their perseverance would be that He would give them the Crown of Life. This same promise also applies today for each and every born again believer in Jesus Christ.
The third example concerns itself with the,
20th century martyrs
In the preface to James & Marti Hefley's book titled "By Their Blood2" we read that for the 20th century,
"The World Mission Digest, published by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, cites the World Evangelization Data Base as accounting for the martyrdom of 119 million Christians during the Twentieth century."
In addition to the accounts of how these people were persecuted or martyred, this book also provides a myriad of accounts of how, through these missionaries, untold numbers of people came to the saving knowledge and faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Before we move on to the next portion of this study let us first read some,
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
There are two points to be made for this portion of our study.
First of all,
Do not be afraid of these things for we are precious in God's eyes
To see this let us again read the following excerpt from Jesus' instruction to His twelve disciples as recorded in,
Matthew 10:24-31
""[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, 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 ? 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."
Secondly, if we find ourselves being persecuted for His Name's sake,
We should rejoice for then we know we are blessed
To see this let us prayerfully read from,
1 Peter 4:12-14
"[12] Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. [14] If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
We now come to the second and last portion of our Bible study, which is,
THE ATTITUDE A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER SHOULD HAVE TOWARDS OTHERS
For this instruction let us read what Jesus did for His disciples before they sat down to celebrate their last Feast of Passover. As we read this account let us remember that Jesus knew who He was, that is the only begotten Son of God, and where He was about to go, that is return to God the Father in Heaven. With this in mind let us prayerfully read from,
John 13:1-16
"[1] It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. [2] The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. [3] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [4] so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. [5] After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" [7] Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." [8] "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." [9] "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" [10] Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." [11] For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. [12] When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. [13] "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Jesus was about to demonstrate His love for His disciples.
3 … Jesus knew that He was given all the power of the Godhead. He also knew that He was about to return to God the Father.
4-16 … Jesus gave His disciples then and now us a very powerful illustration of how we should love and treat others.
THE MESSAGE
The message or point for this portion of our study is beautifully presented in the following excerpt of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians.
Philippians 2:1-11
"[1] If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. [4] Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
CLOSING
Let us close this study by prayerfully reading the following,
Jude 24-25
[24] Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Blessed be the Lord forever
Amen and Amen