Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety teaches that following Jesus requires commitment beyond comfort, approval, and self-preservation. Jesus prepares His disciples for persecution and rejection, calling them to fear God rather than men. He promises that truth will be revealed, that the Father watches over them, and that confession matters. Loyalty to Christ may bring division and loss, but true life is found by surrendering self and choosing faithfulness over safety.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Audio
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 10:23, Matthew 16:27–28, Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62, Matthew 23:36, Matthew 23:38-39, Matthew 24:1-2, Matthew 24:34, Luke 21:20, Luke 21:27, Luke 21:28, Luke 21:31–32, Revelation 2:5, Revelation 2:16, Revelation 3:11, Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20, Exodus 13:21–22, Exodus 14:19, Exodus 14:24, Exodus 19:9, Exodus 19:16–19, Psalms 18:11, Psalms 104:3, Isaiah 19:1, Matthew 10:25, Matthew 10:26-31, Matthew 10:32 33, Matthew 10:7-8, Genesis 3:15, Matthew 10:33, Matthew 10:38-39, Matthew 10:39, Revelation 1:16, Hebrews 4:12, John 13:34,
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Returning to the Foundation
I want to begin by returning to last week’s notes. This is something we touched on earlier, and I believe it has had time to settle into us. I want to see if we find more truth.
What I’m about to say will challenge a lot of our existing programming. It will run counter to the way many of us have been trained to think. Because of that, I want you to examine them and test whether what I’m saying truly lines up with the Word of God.
Right away, we’re going to address something that may rub against the grain. That’s okay. I’m not taking things out of context. Stirring us to think is part of the process.
Matthew 10 and the Issue of Persecution
I also want to turn to Matthew chapter 10 and read verse 23. We planned to cover this last week, but we didn’t get to it, even though it was on the agenda.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Matthew 10:23
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
I’m not going to deal with the first part of that scripture. It says that when you are persecuted, you flee to another city. Persecution here is not general opposition. The word refers to bodily harm. If someone is trying to injure you, you leave. You do not stay and let them hurt you. You go to the next city. That is what the passage addresses, but it is not my focus today.
Identifying the Audience
What I want to look at is the statement, “You shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man come.” The first step is to identify whom Jesus addresses in Matthew 10. He is speaking to His disciples. He is addressing specific people. These are individuals who are alive at that time and living in that generation. When He says “you,” He is not speaking generally. He is speaking directly to them, and that matters for interpretation.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Interpretive Challenges and Possible Explanations
This passage, along with others like it, poses serious challenges because it addresses the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are several ways in which translators and theologians have sought to explain it. Some argue that, since the Second Coming did not occur, Jesus must have been mistaken. If that were true, then we would have to question everything else He said. Others claim Matthew misplaced the passage. If that is so, then Scripture itself becomes unreliable. Another view suggests the meaning is that the Son of Man would come and find them as they traveled. That makes no sense, since they were sent out in different directions and not traveling together.
Comings Versus Advents
I hold that this refers to the judgment of the Jews in AD 66-70. I want to take time to show you this, because we need to understand it clearly. There is a difference between Christ’s advents and His comings. His first advent was His incarnation as a baby. His second advent will be when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. The “comings” spoken of in Scripture are something different, and that distinction is critical.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
A First-Century Promise
I will demonstrate from Scripture that this passage concerns the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 66-70. To do that, we need to look at other passages. One of them is Matthew 16. In that passage, Jesus promises that He will come to the generation to whom He is speaking. He is referring to the first century, the people living at that time. That promise is found in Matthew 16:27.
Matthew 16:27–28
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
When you mentioned angels to a covenant person, they would either recognize that angels were for you or against you.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
When Joshua saw the man with a drawn sword, he asked, “Are you for me, or are you against me?” (Joshua 5:13-14). Covenant works the same way. If you are a covenant person, God’s covenant is either for you or against you. There is no middle ground. In Hebrew thinking, references to angels or clouds always pointed to blessing or judgment. That context matters when Jesus says He is coming with His angels and will reward every person according to their works.
Jesus then says in verse 28 that some standing there would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. That statement is plain. As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He told them that some of them would still be alive when He came. There is no honest way to explain that away. Either Jesus was mistaken, Matthew misplaced the passage, or our interpretation is missing something.
The Problem With a Distant Fulfillment
If we insist that this refers only to the second advent, then we must admit that something does not fit. The text clearly says that some of those disciples would still be alive at His coming. That forces us to rethink how we have interpreted these passages in the past.
Matthew 16:27-28 shows that Christ promised a coming in His kingdom during the first century. That points to a near and imminent coming. In addition, in Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62, Jesus told Caiaphas that he would see the Son of Man coming. He promised that the very one involved in His crucifixion would see Him again in that way.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Matthew 26:64
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 14:62
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
I’m doing this so we can let this truth settle into us. As we move forward and dig deeper, I won’t need to spend as much time explaining it. The foundation will already be in place, and we can build on it.
In Matthew 23, Jesus directly confronts the scribes and Pharisees. He addresses the multitude and His disciples, explaining that the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. From there, He begins a strong rebuke. Over and over, He says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” He calls them blind guides, fools, and blind leaders. The language is sharp and intentional.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Jesus is clearly addressing the religious people and the religious system of His day. He continues by calling them serpents and a generation of vipers, asking how they will escape the damnation of hell. Then in verse 36, He makes a crucial statement. He says that all these things will come upon this generation, not a generation thousands of years later, but the one He is speaking to at that moment.
Matthew 23:36
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
What’s gonna come upon this generation? Verse 33, the damnation of hell. Verse 38, the desolation of the house of Israel. Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kill us the prophets and stonest them which are sinned into thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, but you would not. Behold your house, whose house? Their house, the house of Moses, the house of Israel, the all-covenant house. Not the new covenant house. The all-covenant house, behold, your house is left desolate.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Matthew 23:38-39
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Once again, we see a coming. In this verse, Christ promises the religious scribes and Pharisees that desolation would come upon that house in their generation. This is imminent. It is directed at that house, not a distant people or time.
What followed is confirmed by history. In AD 70, Jerusalem fell when the Roman Empire invaded and crushed the city. The temple was completely destroyed. Not one stone was left upon another. Fire consumed it, and the gold melted and ran between the stones. The soldiers tore the stones apart to retrieve the gold, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:1.
Matthew 24:1-2
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
That house fell in AD 70. It was an act of judgment and a coming of the Son of man. I want you to stay with me and keep an open mind as we look at this together.
We are familiar with Matthew chapter 24. Many people read it and automatically interpret it as the second advent, with the Lord coming in clouds of glory. That is not what it is addressing. It concerns the desolation of the house. When Jesus left the temple, He said that not one stone would be left standing upon another.
Afterward, the disciples approached Him and asked when this would occur. Jesus then sat down and explained the events that would precede it. This brings us to Matthew 24:34.
Matthew 24:34
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Jesus says plainly, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” He is not talking about something far in the future. He is describing events that occurred between AD 33 and AD 70. The timing and the audience are clear.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
He is speaking directly to His disciples. They are the ones who would see these things. As He sat with them on the mount, He told them that when they saw these events unfold, they were to know that it was near, even at the doors. What was near was His coming, the very thing they asked Him about.
Jesus then says that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away. That heaven and earth did pass away. The old covenant system passed away, meaning the Mosaic order passed away. The light associated with Moses faded as that system ended. All of it was removed, which occurred in AD 70.
Now look at Luke 21. I know this may be new for some of us, but I want us to allow our thinking to be reshaped. Whatever these passages may also point to in the future, I am certain they mean what I am saying here. Luke 21 presents the same warnings and events found in Matthew 24, including the coming troubles and the signs Jesus described. In Luke 21:20, He continues laying out those same realities.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Luke 21:20
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Jesus says, “When you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation is near.” He is speaking to His disciples when He says, “you.” This is the same desolation He spoke of earlier in Matthew 23. It is near, not distant. This coming is soon and quick. It is not something pushed two thousand years into the future. It is a present and immediate coming.
He then provides clear instructions. Those in Judea are to flee to the mountains, and those inside Jerusalem are to get out. Those in the surrounding areas are not to enter the city. These are the days of vengeance, when everything written would be fulfilled. This is God’s judgment on the old covenant system, not on a future generation. It happened in AD 70.
These events literally took place. There was great distress, suffering, and devastation, just as Jesus described. The historical reality confirms His words. You can read the rest of the passage for yourself, but I want you to notice how this continues as you come down to verse 27 in Luke 21.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Luke 21:27
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Then Jesus says they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. That language matters. I’ll say more about the cloud in a moment, but to the Hebrew mind, the cloud was a covenant symbol. It always represented either blessing or judgment.
When Israel left Egypt, a cloud was present. For those who were not in covenant with God, that cloud brought judgment. For the covenant people, it brought protection and blessing. The same symbol operated in opposite ways depending on the covenantal relationship.
In Hebrew thought, clouds and angels conveyed the same covenantal meaning. They signified God acting for or against people according to their covenant standing. That is how this language would have been understood. With that in mind, look next at verse 28 in Luke 21.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Luke 21:28
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
And when these things began to come to pass, then look up and lift up whose head? Your heads for your redemption draweth not.
Not of people 2,000 years later, but theirs. And he spoke to them, a parable about the fig tree again. Look at verse 31.
Luke 21:31–32
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
So likewise, who? Verse 31. So likewise you…
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Clarifying the Nature of Christ’s Coming
Based on what we have read, I want you to open your mind to what I’ve just presented. The question is this: what kind of coming are we seeing in Matthew? Is it a coming that occurs two thousand years later, or is it a near and rapid coming to that generation Jesus lived in? Is it something that would happen in the generation Jesus was speaking to and that they would actually see? If we can grasp that, it will help resolve many interpretation problems throughout Scripture.
Understanding the comings of God and not confusing them with the advents is essential. When we separate those correctly, it clears up difficult passages. This approach not only aids interpretation in general but especially with the biblical book that causes more confusion than almost any other.
Now turn with me to the book of Revelation. In chapter 1, Christ instructs John to write to the seven churches of Asia. These messages begin in chapter 2 and continue through chapter 3. There are seven letters written to seven real churches that existed in John’s day.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
In verse 5, Christ tells the church at Ephesus to remember where they have fallen, to repent, and to return to their first works. He warns them that if they do not repent, He will come to them quickly and remove their candlestick from its place. That language again points to a near and imminent coming.
Revelation 2:5
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Did They Understand What “Quickly” Meant?
We need to ask whether Jesus is only making a threat or whether He is serious about coming quickly to judge that church. Is He talking about something two thousand years later, or something that could happen soon? When John wrote this, and Matthew wrote similar statements, did they understand what they were saying? I believe they did, and I do not think they were confused, nor do I think they were trying to confuse anyone else. I believe they knew exactly what Jesus meant.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Once this is understood, the meaning becomes clear. With that in mind, we can examine additional examples. In Revelation 2:16, Jesus addresses the church at Pergamos. There again He says, “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly.” This reinforces the same idea of a near and immediate coming.
Revelation 2:16
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus is not making empty threats. He means exactly what He says, and He is telling these churches that He will come and judge them quickly. He cannot say this to one church and not mean it for another. The warning is consistent and real.
He is speaking of a coming, not an advent. That distinction matters. The advent is His return to establish the kingdom in its fullness. What I am addressing here is His coming in judgment or in blessing. We recognize this principle already. We say the Lord came in a powerful way during a service, and we know what that means. In the same way, we must understand His coming in judgment.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Biblical Precedent for Covenant Judgment
God came to Sodom, and judgment followed. He also came to Jerusalem in AD 70, and judgment followed there as well. The principle is the same. This is why we must distinguish between the comings of God and His advent. To reinforce this, look again at Revelation 3:11, where Jesus says to another church, “Behold, I come quickly.”
Revelation 3:11
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
His coming to these churches was not something far off. It was near and immediate for them.
Affirming the Future Advent Without Confusion
I am not denying that Jesus is coming again. I understand Acts 1:11, which states that the same Jesus who ascended will come again in like manner (Acts 1:11), and I fully believe that. That is not what I am setting aside. What I am talking about here is His coming in judgment. He did come in judgment in A.D. 70, and Jerusalem was judged for breaking the covenant with God. The city rejected the Messiah and crucified Christ.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
I want to continue showing you this, even though I believe you are already seeing it. My goal is to clarify this further. When I examine the book of Revelation, I now see it as a covenantal text. It reveals judgment upon a people who broke covenant with God. I could not see that before, but I can see it now.
There is a book that greatly helped me develop this understanding, titled Days of Vengeance. It clarified many of these issues for me. Now consider Revelation 22:7, where this same theme continues.
Revelation 22:7
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22:12
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
In Revelation 22, the blessing is given to those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Then Jesus says, “Behold, I come quickly.” That statement appears repeatedly in Revelation. It is emphasized again and again.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Each time He says He is coming quickly, He means He is coming in judgment. That pattern is consistent throughout the book. This is not a distant or delayed event. It is presented as near and imminent.
The Final Testimony of Christ
The same message appears again in verse 20. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I come quickly.” The repetition reinforces the certainty and nearness of that coming.
Revelation 22:20
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
What I am addressing here is not primarily a futuristic advent of Jesus Christ. I believe Matthew chapters 10, 16, 23, and 24, along with Luke 21 and Mark 13, are all speaking about a coming upon Jerusalem. That is their primary meaning. They describe a coming in the clouds, a coming with angels, and a coming in judgment. Every one of these passages points to a soon coming, a quick coming, a coming upon that generation, and a coming within the lifetime of the disciples.
This understanding is an encouragement to me and should be to the followers of Christ. I know the Word of God is true because I can see not only God’s blessings but also His judgments. He is the God of both. Romans speaks of His goodness and His severity (Romans 11:22). Every covenant has two sides. When that covenant was broken, judgment followed, and that is what these passages are describing.
How the First Readers Understood These Words
I believe the authors of these books were not seeking a distant return of Christ, nor were the first readers. They understood the language as it was written. Soon. Quick. This generation. Lift up your heads. Your redemption draws near. Jesus consistently spoke to them in the present tense. He said you, ye, and your. He was not speaking in future terms.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
The key is understanding the difference between a coming and the advent. Once we grasp that distinction, we can see that the coming of the Lord appears throughout Scripture. God has come in judgment before, including in the cloud. One example of this is found in Exodus 13:21-22.
Exodus 13:21–22
21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
He led them out in the glory of God. The people followed that cloud throughout the wilderness. It was a blessing to them throughout. He gave them shelter from the elements. The pillar of cloud covered them by day and protected them. It provided relief from heat and cold. It was a covenant covering. He led and guarded them throughout the journey.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
The Same Cloud as Judgment
That same cloud also brought judgment. Exodus 14:19 and 14:24 describe the destruction of Pharaoh. The presence that blessed the covenant people became judgment to those outside the covenant.
Exodus 14:19
19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exodus 14:24
24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
So the cloud was a blessing to one group of people, but at the same time, it was a severity to another group of people.
In Exodus 19:9-16 is when God gave the covenant.
Exodus 19:9
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
Exodus 19:16–19
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
He came in the cloud. His presence was revealed by that cloud, and that pattern is significant. I want to examine Psalm 18 to show this more clearly.
God’s Coming in the Psalms
In the Book of Psalms, many chapters include a heading that explains the song’s setting and purpose. Psalm 18 does that. It tells us that this song was given when the Lord delivered David from all his enemies, including Saul. David celebrates that God appeared to him in the cloud and rescued him.
Psalms 18:11
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
David begins by praising the Lord as his strength, fortress, deliverer, and salvation. He describes being surrounded by death, fear, and distress. In that moment, he cried out to God, and God heard him. What follows is a vivid picture of the Lord coming. The earth shook. The foundations moved. Smoke and fire went out from Him. The heavens were bowed, and He came down. Darkness and thick clouds surrounded Him. Lightning, thunder, hailstones, and fire were released as He scattered David’s enemies.
To David, this coming was a blessing. He rejoiced to see God come in the cloud. He welcomed the fire, the thunder, and the judgment, because it brought deliverance. His enemies did not experience it that way. What was a blessing to one was a severity to the other.
This same imagery appears elsewhere. Psalms 104 describes the clouds as God’s garment and His chariots.
Psalms 104:3
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Isaiah 19 speaks of the Lord coming on a swift cloud to judge Egypt. That judgment was desired by God’s people. The cloud again represents God coming, bringing deliverance to some and destruction to others.
Isaiah 19:1
1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
How the Hebrew Mind Understood “Coming”
What I want you to see is that His coming in clouds and with angels was clearly understood by the Hebrew mind as judgment. It was judgment upon a nation and upon the old covenant. They refused to accept the Messiah as Messiah. Jesus declared that the old covenant was in its last days. The kingdom of heaven was at hand. One system was ending, and another was beginning.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
This is not difficult to understand. The challenge is that we have been programmed to think a certain way. To understand Scripture, we must read it as it was written. We cannot simply assign spiritual meanings because we struggle to relate to the text. They knew what they meant when they wrote it. The meaning stays consistent throughout Scripture, and it does not change when you come to the book of Revelation.
Returning to Matthew 10
I am not going to spend another week on Matthew 10, but there are a few points I want to address. In the second half of Jesus’ second discourse, He continues instructing those He sends out. He warns them about persecution. If He were called Beelzebub, those He sends will be called even worse things.
Matthew 10:25
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Still, He tells them not to fear their persecutors, but instead to expose what is hidden in their hearts.
Jesus emphasizes the Father’s constant care.
Matthew 10:26-31
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
If the Father watches over a sparrow, He surely watches over us. No one can escape His presence. These verses strongly stress commitment. That commitment goes beyond family, relationships, and persecution. Jesus calls for cross-level commitment, especially from those in ministry.
Jesus addresses how He was accused of working by Satan or being demon-possessed, as seen in Matthew 12 and John 8. He explains that if they said those things about Him, they would say even worse things about His followers. We should not be offended or surprised by that. This is not a popularity contest. We are not here to make people like us. I struggle with that myself, but I have to remember that I answer to God, not people.
Fear God, Not Men
Jesus teaches that we are not to fear those who can kill the body, but the One who has authority over the soul. He repeatedly says, “Fear them not.” Those persecutors include people, governments, systems, laws, family members, those who hate us, and those who label us with names. The word fear means to be frightened, alarmed, or held in awe. Jesus tells us not to respond that way toward them.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Matthew 10:32 33
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
He gives the reason for this command. Nothing hidden will remain hidden. Everything will be revealed. What is spoken in secret will be made known openly. That truth is meant to steady us. This returns to the reason New Testament ministry is sent in the first place, as noted earlier in Matthew 10:8.
Matthew 10:7-8
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
He says, I want you to go preach the kingdom of God and tell everybody that it’s at hand. It’s close. It’s near. Then he says, “I want you to heal the sick.” I want you to cleanse the lepers. I want you to raise the dead, and I want you to cast out devils because you’ve been freely given these things, so you freely give them.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Light, Sword, and Revelation
We know that this is what ministry is meant to do, but there is something more here. When we obey verse 8, ministry naturally follows. Jesus promises that nothing covered will remain hidden. One purpose of being sent out is to reveal what is in a person’s heart.
The Word of God brings both light and a sword. It does that in my life and in yours. It exposes everything that needs to be uncovered. Whatever is hidden, ministry will bring it to light. That is the promise Jesus gives here.
Accordingly, He tells us not to fear people but to reveal the truth. When hearts are exposed, persecution follows. People react when what is inside them is brought into the open.
We all try to hide things at times. That is part of human nature. This is why the Word and ministry confront what is hidden and bring it into the light.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
In Genesis chapter 3, we see the sin and fall of Adam and Eve. God came and killed an animal(s) (Genesis 3:21), showing that blood was required to deal with sin. Sin always demands blood, and something innocent must die. After that, God covered them. Covering is essential.
If God did not cover us, none of us could have real relationships. If you knew all my thoughts, you probably would not want anything to do with me. The same is true in reverse. It is by God’s grace and His covering that we are able to live together. Without Christ, without the blood, humanity is broken and corrupt. We are a mess, and God mercifully covers us.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
The Word of God enters our lives as both a light and a sword. It cuts away what we try to hide and illuminates it. That is what the Word does, and that is what ministry does when it obeys Matthew 10:8 and preaches the kingdom of God. Jesus promises that when ministry functions properly, what is hidden in us will be revealed.
The Gospel Reveals Hearts
One purpose of ministry is to reveal hearts. We try to cover our motives and intentions, but the gospel exposes them. That is why Jesus says not to fear persecutors. Instead, truth exposes what is in them. Nothing that is covered will remain hidden. What is spoken in darkness will be spoken in the light, and what is heard privately will be proclaimed openly.
From there, Jesus moves into a strong call for commitment. He makes it clear that confession matters.
Matthew 10:33
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Whoever confesses Him before people will be confessed before the Father. Whoever denies Him before people will be denied before the Father. God has already given us everything we need to overcome and succeed, but there are things we must do. We must praise, pray, worship, and forgive. These are not things God does for us. They are the responses He requires of us, as He teaches in Matthew 6:12, 14, and 15, i.e., to forgive.
Forgiveness is our responsibility. God’s forgiveness toward us is directly connected to our forgiveness of others. That is how forgiveness works. Similarly, confession is our responsibility. We must confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
As we confess Him, He confesses us. This is a direct relationship that people need to understand. If we are ashamed of Him, He is ashamed of us. That is not because He desires it, but because He is faithful to His Word. Obedience to truth governs the relationship.
We have already identified four reasons to fulfill our calling and purpose as those sent out. First, enemies will be revealed. Second, they can kill the body but not the soul. Third, the Father is always present. Fourth, we will only be confessed if we confess Him. That truth should motivate us to walk out our purpose so that He confesses us.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
The Mandate of Commitment
This leads to the issue of commitment. Jesus moves into a clear mandate of commitment. The disciples’ commitment is not casual or halfhearted. He calls for a cross-level commitment. Jesus expects such commitment from us. This is stated plainly in Matthew 10:38.
Matthew 10:38-39
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Jesus says that anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Him is not worthy of Him. That makes His expectation clear. He wants commitment. Over the past few weeks, what I have sensed is a call to commitment. God seeks a people who are fully committed to Him.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
In Matthew 10:38, He is not asking for partial devotion. He is demanding one hundred percent. The idea of thirtyfold or sixtyfold is not the goal. He wants a hundredfold life. He clearly states that this level of commitment is required.
Then in verse 39, He explains what that commitment means. Whoever finds his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it. If we understand “life” as self, the meaning becomes even clearer. If we cling to self, we lose. However, if we let go of self for His sake, we truly find life.
Through Matthew 10:34-39, the Lord calls for deep commitment. That commitment must endure adversity and even family conflict. Jesus goes on to say that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:39
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
That sword is coming into your life, and that sword is coming into your family. Jesus Himself is that sword. He brings division where truth confronts what is false.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Christ Revealed as the Sword
The book of Revelation describes Him this way. In chapter 1:16, He is presented with that sharp, piercing authority. The sword represents His presence, His word, and His separating work in our lives.
Revelation 1:16
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12,
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
The Word of God is living and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it divides asunder. Jesus is that Word. When He comes into our lives, He comes to do cutting work. He comes to separate and to expose.
In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says that He did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. He explains that He came to set people at variance. That includes division within families. A man may be set against his father, a daughter against her mother, and households divided. Jesus promises this will happen.
When Jesus comes, commitment is required to endure this division. It is a cross-level commitment. That is why this matters. I want to close by turning to John chapter 13. One of the things that troubles me most is a casual commitment to Christ. I struggle to understand why anyone would not want to give themselves fully and completely to Him.
The New Commandment of Love
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
And in John 13:34,
John 13:34
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Jesus says that the command He gives is to love one another as He has loved us. That love is how the world knows we are His disciples. My understanding of love is commitment. Words alone are not enough. Love is proven by commitment. Until commitment is visible, spoken love has no weight.
I can say I love someone every day, but without commitment, that love is empty. Commitment is what makes love real. That is how Jesus loved His disciples. He loved them all the way to the cross. His love was one hundred percent. He laid down His life. That is the standard He set. Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for those he loves.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
That kind of love is literal. It is not merely symbolic or emotional. It is a willingness to give everything. I believe some of you would step in front of a bullet for me, and I know that because of your commitment. I feel that same commitment toward you. That is the kind of love I am talking about. It is not a Sunday or Wednesday connection. It is a life commitment.
Commitment Within the Fellowship
I want us to love one another that way. I want there to be no doubt about our commitment to each other. However, I struggle with people who say they love us but do not want to be with us. That troubles me, and I ask you to pray for me about that. I am not unappreciative, but I am concerned about what constitutes real commitment.
We need to ask ourselves if we are satisfied with the level of commitment in our fellowship. If so, we should ask whether Jesus is satisfied. The Lord has been speaking to me about unity. I believe this is a season for new beginnings. We need to address whatever causes disunity and resolve it. That requires one hundred percent commitment.
We can talk about love and express affection regularly, but until we truly love with commitment, we will never show our city what we are called to show it. Without unity, we are only talking. We have talked for a long time and accomplished little. I believe the Lord wants to move in our midst.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
So we must ask hard questions. Where is our nation in its commitment to Christ? Where are our church, our families, and we as individuals? God is looking for a people so committed to one another that they would lay down their lives. He is addressing this. His word, His sword, and His light are uncovering things in us so we can deal with them and come into the unity He requires.
Jesus prayed that we would be one, just as He and the Father are one. That is my prayer. This is how the Lord has been speaking to me. Commitment. I believe He is speaking it to all of us.
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
Matthew 10 24-42 How to Choose Loyalty Over Safety
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