Introduction

“Away back in the grim old days of slavery, imagine an emaciated slave as he waits trembling in a slave market. Soon he is sold to the hardest slave-owner who ever curled a whip over the bodies of his cringing victims. The servitude is almost unendurably rigorous; the chastisements for default are merciless; the plight of the man and his fellows is pitiful. One night he attempts escape, but is dragged back, whereupon his gloating owner decides to inflict exemplary punishment—a major lashing such as almost always means death to the undernourished slaves. In the morning he is tied naked to the whipping-post; the whippers are called; and he is just about to be thrashed before onlooking slaves and several visitors, when a strange thing happens. One of the visitors, a tall, noble-looking gentleman, exclaims, “Stop; you cannot whip that poor slave so brutally; he will die!” The slave-owner, little dreaming what is to follow, glares and retorts, “Then die he shall, unless you, brave sir, will take his punishment.” The handsome stranger steps forward. “You have committed yourself,” he says to the wicked owner. “Free the slave, and I will take the lashing.” He bares his back to the smiters; his body quivers under the lashes; but he endures manfully until the last two strokes, when he sinks to the ground, lacerated, bleeding, exhausted.

There is more to follow, however. Imagine our slave’s increasing astonishment when, some days later, he is summoned before his master, who says, “You are my slave no longer. That man who suffered for you has now paid such a price to free you that I cannot keep you any longer. Go. You are free.”

Nor is even that all; for on going out the freed slave is intercepted by a messenger from his amazing benefactor, with new clothing and good food, and a message that all the money he can require has been deposited for him at a central bank.

But the climax comes when, on enquiring at the bank, he learns the name of his wonderful deliverer and succourer. He is a king’s son; is incalculably rich; is the freer of many, many other suffering slaves; is so upright and noble, so strong yet so humble, so unselfish, gracious and kindly, so understanding and individually sympathetic, that all his great household love him, and find him ever more lovable the more they know him.

Well, is it surprising that the consuming passion of our liberated slave is now to traverse the hundreds of miles, whatever the hazards may be, if only he may get to his benign benefactor, fall at his feet, look up into his face, become his willing bondservant, then enjoy knowing him, loving him, and serving him for ever? Is it surprising that he wants to be ever in his noble rescuer’s presence, looking into that wise, kind, gracious countenance, knowing him face-to-face, and even heart-to-heart?” 

Does my little parable seem far-fetched or over-drawn? Nay, it simply cannot be; for the reality which it pictures utterly exceeds all possible analogies or illustrations. That wretched slave, do I not recognise him? Do I not see myself in him, under that worst of all tyrants, Sin? And as I reflect on the eternal ruin involved in my slavery, do I not see my own plight as far worse than his? Is not that noble benefactor who suffered in the slave’s place, and bought his freedom, and provided for his needs, and became so dear to him, my own divine Saviour, the Prince of Glory, the Lord Jesus, only that the comparison seems poverty-stricken over against His infinitely greater and costlier interposition to redeem and eternally enrich me? Is it to be wondered at, if now my consuming ambition becomes, “That I may know Him . . .”? Is it surprising if all of us who thus know Him as our infinite-minded, gracious-hearted, divine-human Redeemer and Friend now long to know Him better and better, by a continually growing exploration of His boundless nature and glorious love? Would it not be strange if it were otherwise? 

(J. Sidlow Baxter, Going Deeper: A Series of Devotional Studies in Knowing, Loving and Serving Our Lord Jesus Christ)

• Do we not also wish to know, love, and serve Jesus forever?
• Theme: In our passage, despite a universal human desire for safety and comfort, Jesus comes along and calls his disciples to danger and reward. And because of who he is and what he’s done for us, we respond in obedience to him.
  • Context: the mission message.
  • Christ does not persuade with flattery.

1. Jesus stood for us, so we stand for Him. (10:26-33)

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

What does it mean to acknowledge Jesus before men? (32)

• Jesus: What I tell you in the dark, say in the light. What you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (27).
  • For them: The disciples (apostles) needed to take all Jesus’  private teachings to them out to the public.
  • For us: We need to take the Apostles’ teaching of Jesus out to the public.
• Take his teaching out to the world: To confess Jesus, live in allegiance to Jesus, and stand up for Jesus in your everyday moral decisions.
  • Not intellectual agreement, but solidarity with him.
  • Examples:
    • Bridge Resident: when no one in is watching.
    • Young Man: what you look at online.
    • Parent: will you worship the idols—and have the exact same values—as parents who don’t have Jesus?

But how do we become people who acknowledge Jesus before men?

1) Reorder Fear

• Jesus: Have no fear of them (persecutors, 26). Don’t fear those who can only kill the body but cannot kill the soul (27). Instead, fear the One (God) who judges both the body and the soul in hell (28). Fear not (31).
• How?
  • Know that Christ’s truth will win out in the end (covered/revealed; hidden/known, 26).
  • Know that God is sovereign over the eternal destiny of both soul and body (28).
• When your fear is rightly ordered, you will more readily acknowledge Jesus.
  • Daniel’s friends had a rightly ordered fear: Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. (Daniel 3:17–18)

2) Trust the Father

• Jesus: God is conscious and engaged regarding the death of sparrows and even knows the number of hairs on your head (29-30).
  • Cultural background: two sparrows for 1/16 of a day’s wage—food for the poor.
• The God who knows and sees all values his people more than sparrows (31). There is not one thing that can happen to us, including persecution, that escapes his vision.
  • Implication: sparrows still fall and believers are still persecuted, but the God who values us above all else in his creation sees all and bends a long arc to justice.
  • Jesus: he became the fallen sparrow, wondering aloud of the Father’s care—My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

3) Remember the Cross

• Jesus acknowledged us before the Father when he endured the hellishness of the soul and body destroying cross—he gave us every reason to be honored to stand with him!
• Jesus works to restore us when we fail to acknowledge or lose our lives for him.
  • Example: Peter at the fire—he denied Jesus, but Jesus restored him (John 21:15-17).

2. Jesus lost His life for us, so we lose our lives for Him. (10:34-39)

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Christological Load: This entire section exalts Christ.

• I have come (3x, 34-35).
  • Who talks like this? Where did he come from? As readers, we know his birth was no normal birth—he came from God! (Matthew 1:18-2:12)
  • There are over twenty first-person references in our text today.
• Whoever loves father/mother/son/daughter more than me is not worthy of me (37).
  • A shocking reality!
    • Micah lamented the disordered social conditions during a dark time among God’s people.
      • He said: “For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.” (Micah 7:6, NIV)
    • Now Jesus laments the disordered social conditions that will be caused in the messianic age—a shocking (and unfortunate) reality (34-36)!
  • His presence is like a dividing sword in many households (34, 36).
    • Luke: “division” is the idea of sword (Luke 12:51).
    • Jesus isn’t authorizing Christian belligerence or a warrior mentality—he is talking results not method.
    • Example: Muslim, Hindu, or Jewish converts will pay a social price for Jesus.
    • Example: Caution regarding believers married to unbelievers.
    • But Jesus said our love for him should be more than our love for our parents or our children (37).
  • Was Jesus denigrating the fifth commandment that tells us to honor our parents (Ex. 20:12)?
    • No, he was putting himself as the focal point of the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)
      • Example: You’ve heard the incredulous question, ‘Who does he think he is?’ Well, Jesus thought he was the God who should be first place in our hearts.
      • No one else can ever say this! If they do, find a break in the fenceline and flee the compound.
    • Love your family—but love Jesus more.
      • Example: When I wanted to get married, I hoped to find someone who loved Jesus more than me. And, by God’s grace, I did!
      • To love Christ most is the best gift you can give your family. If you love them, love Christ more.
• Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (38).
  • Cultural backdrop: When they saw someone carrying the crossbeam through town, they knew they were headed to their death.
  • Jesus promotes an active decision to take your cross.
    • Cross-bearing is not mere acceptance of trials. i.e. Not shorthand for putting up with a difficult coworker or chronic illness.
    • Cross-bearing is selecting a way of life most will resist.
• Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (39).
  • This is not self-hatred, asceticism, or works-righteousness.
  • But: paradoxical wisdom that we need to hear.

Jesus’ words are a massive counter to a major aim of our region: curate the good life.

• Be true to yourself vs. Take up your cross to die
• Affluence insulates me vs. Lose your life

• We can lose our lives for him because he lost his life for us.
  • We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19, ESV)

3. Jesus brought a good message to us, so we receive His messengers. (10:40-42)

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:26–42)

The chain of representation: disciples → Jesus → the Father.

• Ancient Jewish principle of agency: an agent is considered as the agent’s sender.
• Who are these?
  • A prophet boldly speaks Christ’s word.
  • A righteous person lives out Christ’s word.
  • A little one is made vulnerable for Christ’s word.
    • Note: giving a cup of cold water was the most basic, fundamental act of hospitality in that culture—the least one could do for a traveler.
      • Example: Life group hosts!
  • And what is their common ground? Christ!
    • Receiving them is like receiving Jesus—so Jesus also bestows their rewards on those who receive them.
• To receive the messenger is to receive the King is to receive God.
  • Implication: massive dignity is given to the Jesus mission, and those who engage with it.
  • We flawed human beings are God’s chosen delivery system for the gospel.
    • Example: Acts 10—an angel told Cornelius to go ask Peter, because God uses the foolish of the world to confound the wise.

Jesus rewards!

• 2 Kings 4: The Shunammite woman built Elisha a small room—and God gave her an impossible child.

Conclusion

• Jesus is good. So trusting or following Jesus is good.

  • Some say you only live once, but Jesus says we live forever, and what we do now impacts that forever.
  • Some say family first, but putting Jesus first is the best thing for your family.
  • Some say peace at all costs, but Jesus paid the ultimate price to provide true peace with God, which sometimes causes division with others.
  • Some say be yourself, but Jesus showed us what it means to truly be human—and walking with him will make you more yourself than you could ever have imagined.

• He is worthy:

  • He stood for us.
  • He lost his life for us.
  • He sent his word to us.
  • We were brutally enslaved, but now we are his!