Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 115, Matthew 10:28 — The Sending of the Twelve Matthew 10:28 (NASB1995) “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Historical Context We have been reading Jesus’ instructions to His twelve chosen disciples as He sends them out for ministry. He specifically chose these men to represent Him as ambassadors to the remaining Jews and gave them divine power and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick (10:1). These representative men are also to present the good news of Jesus’ coming to the people of Israel and declare to them the truth that there is freedom from the burdens of the law. Discussion Yesterday, we read Jesus’ instruction about being fearless as we faithfully endure persecution for Christ. Those who endure to the end in Christ with the right motives and heart posture will be free of any evidence against them in God's sight on judgment day. Even if religious leaders and others wrongly accuse them in this life, God will vindicate them on judgment day for their faithfulness in Christ. For this reason, we do not need to fear earthly persecution even unto death, as we will receive eternal rewards for our faithfulness instead of eternal judgment. The LORD will expose the darkness of people’s hearts on judgment day, as the wicked will face the reality of their sins. But God will not find those who remain faithful to Christ guilty on judgment day. Today, the LORD solidifies this command of not fearing those who persecute you. The disciples are to expect persecution as they preach the truth of Christ, but they must not fear under any circumstance. No matter what the religious leaders and other authorities accuse them of and what their punishments become, even unto death, the LORD tells them, “Do not fear.” Jesus says, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” This is a heavy warning and applicable teaching for all. Fearing those who can kill our temporal bodies is pointless as our souls live forever. It is ultimately God who judges us and will either welcome our souls into glory with Him or cast them into hell to be destroyed forever. Therefore, Jesus says the only person we should fear is the LORD GOD. But this fear is not meant as a terror or panic as we define it today. It is a healthy fear, bringing people to repentance and faith in Christ. It is a fear that establishes respect, honor, and reverence for God and acknowledgment of who He is and the power He possesses. Jewish tradition emphasized the centrality of fearing or respecting God and stressed it repeatedly in Jewish literature.[1] He is the creator of all things, after all. He has the power to save those who come to Christ and destroy those in sin. While death is not something many of us look forward to, it is not something to fear for Christ followers. The faithful follower of Jesus should look forward to eternity, where death is but a gateway to that wonderful reality. As Paul states, “Death is gain” (Phi. 1:21). Conversely, those who reject Christ will ultimately face the death of their body and soul forever. Jesus wants His disciples to understand that martyrdom may come, but they are not to fear, as those condemning them for their faith cannot do more than kill their bodies, which will one day be resurrected with Christ. We will read about how much God loves and cares about His children tomorrow. Application The fear of the LORD is a wonderful thing. It is a necessary conviction that breeds repentance and refocuses our priorities back on God. While most of us will probably avoid facing martyrdom, we will all one day face death. For the believer, we must not fear what is killing us in that moment because it will only destroy our temporal body. It is the LORD who has the final say and will resurrect those who accept Christ into eternal life or cast those who reject Christ into eternal judgment. The believer has nothing to fear but to fear the LORD. I used to have a huge misunderstanding of what fearing the LORD meant. I always felt perpetually condemned or looked down upon by God because of my struggles or my ‘not doing enough.’ It was clearly because of a twisted understanding of the gospel of grace mixed with the worlds of the law. Now, by God’s grace, I thankfully have a healthy perspective of fearing the LORD. A fear that brings me to repentance and reverence. A fear that has me zealous for holy living and glorifying God in all I do. I am not perfect. Sometimes I struggle and must repent, but it is the fear of the LORD and His wonderful grace that corrects my wrong ways of thinking and fleshy behaviors. May we all seek a proper understanding of the fear of the LORD. May we not be fearful of death but look forward to living forever with our wonderful Savior. May we stay faithful to Him as He is faithful to us. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 10:29-31. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Craig Keener, “IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition.”
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