WWUTT 2063 The First Will Be Last and the Last First (Matthew 19:27-30)

The disciples said to Jesus, look at what we've given up to follow you. What will we get for this?

But they forget themselves, that it's not because of what they've done. It's about what

Christ has done when we understand the text. This is

When We Understand The Text, a daily Bible study in the word of Christ. For he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Tell your friends about our ministry at www .wutt .com. Hey, once again, it's Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky. In our study of the Gospel of Matthew, we've been in chapter 19 this week. And today we finish up with this last portion,

Jesus talking to his disciples and really summarizing everything that we've read in Matthew 19 up to this point.

So I'm going to begin reading here in verse 27 to verse 30 out of the Legacy Standard Bible, hear the word of the

Lord. Then Peter answered and said to him, behold, we have left everything and followed you.

What then will there be for us? And Jesus said to them, truly I say to you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms, for my name's sake, will receive 100 times as much and will inherit eternal life.

But many who are first will be last and the last first.

So like I said, this summarizes everything that we've read in Matthew 19 up to this point.

At the start of the chapter, what we looked at last week was Jesus teaching with the Pharisees and with his disciples on marriage and divorce.

And there are some who cannot receive this saying, but there are others who understand what

God created marriage to be, a man and a woman committed to one another for life.

And then Jesus encounters children, verses 13 to 15. The disciples tried to keep those children from coming to Jesus.

Jesus said, do not hinder them, for to them belongs the kingdom of God. Then you had the exchange with the rich young ruler, which we looked at yesterday.

The rich young man wants to know, how can I enter the kingdom of God? Jesus says, keep the commandments. Rich young ruler says,

I've done that. Look how good I am. But he hasn't really. He doesn't love God more than his stuff.

The first table of the law, he isn't keeping. He kept the second part, love your neighbor as yourself. At least he thought he did, but he was not loving

God above everything else that he had. So Jesus challenged him and said, give up your possessions, give them to the poor, come follow me and you will have treasure in heaven.

But the rich young ruler walks away sad because he loved his possessions. He didn't want to give them up. Jesus tells his disciples, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle and survive that trip, than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

And the disciples are astonished at this and says, who can be saved? And Jesus says, with people it's impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

So we've had these lessons here about living in a right way, according to God's standard, entering the kingdom of God, knowing that it is only through God that this access is even possible, that we would gain eternal life.

So after this, the rich young ruler wasn't willing to follow Jesus, but the disciples had followed

Jesus. Peter asked this question, behold, we have left everything and followed you.

What then will there be for us? So there's the question. And then Jesus' answer covers three verses, talks about them sitting on 12 thrones, talks about what they will gain in verse 29.

And then lastly, many who are first will be last and the last first.

And this is including what Jesus had said about the children back in verses 13 to 15, to them belongs the kingdom of God.

This rich young man is not going to enter the kingdom. No matter how much stuff he has and no matter how good he thinks he is, he's not entering the kingdom.

But the children who have humbly come to Jesus and clamored after him, the kingdom of God belongs to these.

Humble yourselves. The last, those that man would consider to be the last will be greatest in the kingdom of God.

But those who are greatest on earth in the eyes of man will be last in the kingdom of God.

So let's come back to verse 27. Peter answered and said to him, behold, we've left everything and followed you.

What will there be for us? Now, I wanna remind you of what the disciples had going through their heads with all of this.

Remember that they think they're going back to Jerusalem. That's what we get to next week, by the way.

The triumphal entry is coming up in, oh no, that's not until chapter 21,

I'm sorry. So that's not next week. I was thinking we were gonna be starting off the new year, 2024, with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

No, that's not until chapter 21. But they're heading back that way. They're gonna get to Jerusalem. And what they're expecting is going to happen is that Jesus is gonna enter into the palace.

He's gonna kick the Herods out. He's gonna drive the Pharisees and the Sadducees out of the temple. Jesus is gonna take his rightful seat on the throne and he is going to reign in the place of his father,

David. Jesus as a descendant of David. They think Jesus is here to make Israel great again. We're gonna be a superpower.

We're gonna take this thing over and be the empire that will be the envy of the world, fulfilling the covenant that God made with Abraham.

I'm gonna bless everyone who blesses you and everyone who curses you, I'm gonna curse.

They think that that's all gonna come in, that's all gonna be fulfilled through Israel becoming a great nation in the earth.

And so the disciples are with Jesus, expecting that all this is gonna happen. And there are many others that expect the same thing because at the triumphal entry, you've got many that are shouting

Jesus praises and saying, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the son of David. So many are thinking this is it.

And finally, we're gonna have our guy who's gonna get rid of this Roman oppression.

He's gonna get rid of these awful Edomites that sit in the palace and he himself is gonna rule and there is gonna be nothing that would be able to stop him because they've seen his miracles so they think he just has this great power and that's the way he's gonna exercise his power, is political triumph, is emancipation and building a political empire on the earth.

That's exactly what their expectation is. So they think that when we enter into this thing, when this thing finally happens, what are we gonna get?

Consider all the stuff that we've given up to follow you. So they were surely excited by this answer that Jesus gives in verse 28, truly

I say to you that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Now the disciples are not taking this as some sort of spiritual or heavenly promise.

They're taking this as something literal and they think it's going to happen in a few days time.

So weeks from now or however long, we're gonna enter into Jerusalem, Jesus is gonna reign, we all get our own thrones and we get to reign over all of Israel here.

That's probably what's on their minds because they were not thinking in such heavenly terms, they were thinking in earthly terms.

They were thinking as far as like national politics for Israel are concerned.

That's what they're thinking about. But Jesus had clarified in the regeneration. Well, they think the regeneration is gonna be

Israel's restoration. That's really what they were thinking about. When the son of man sits on his glorious throne, you're gonna sit on your 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

This is quite figurative. And if you know the language of revelation, you understand the figurativeness of this.

The number 12 is the number of God's people. And oftentimes you'll see in revelation the number 12 used two times, like 24.

You have the 24 elders. Well, the 24 elders represent 12 tribes of Israel in the

Old Testament and 12 apostles who are the foundation of the church in the

New Testament. 12 and 12 is 24. So you have the number 12 that represents the people of God before the cross and you have the number 12 that represents the people of God after the cross.

And those two come together forever in glory in heaven to worship

God and praise him for the salvation that they have in Christ Jesus. And because Christ will have destroyed all of his enemies.

That's something else we're gonna be praising God for in glory, not on earth, not with an earthly reign, not with the kingdoms of the earth overthrown and Jesus sitting on David's throne in Jerusalem.

That's not the intention. This is a heavenly reign. You know, there are saints in heaven now praising

Christ who is reigning now. Don't you believe that? Don't you believe that loved ones that you have lost, friends, that they're gathered around the throne praising

Christ who reigns over all? We know that he reigns. The scripture tells us he reigns, that he reigns right now.

Not talking about a future reign. There is certainly going to be a reign in which all of his enemies are destroyed, including the last enemy, which is death.

First Corinthians 15, that day is still to come, but Christ is reigning now. He reigns right now.

And all the saints who are with him in glory are praising him for his reign. And they are likewise reigning with him in glory.

Death can't touch them. Satan and his schemes and stuff like that, they can't get to them.

They're reigning, reigning with Christ in glory. And when we get together with Christ, we will be reigning with him also.

He talks to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. He who conquers, I will give a place to him to sit with me on my glorious throne.

We receive crowns in glory so that we might take our crowns and cast them before he who wears the crown, the

King of kings and Lord of lords. This is the kind of reign that Jesus is talking about with his disciples, not something that is going to happen on earth, but the reign that they have in heaven.

And again, that number 12 represents the people of God. They are 12 disciples. They're sitting on 12 thrones.

They're going to be judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And Israel being the church, as I've explained that before, that's not quite a context that they understand yet here, but they will understand it when the

Holy Spirit is given to them. We see that in Acts 1. I've taught on that, however many years ago that was, that I was in Acts.

But here, Jesus is talking about what they receive for giving up all that they have and following Jesus.

They're going to get glorious thrones. These are 12 disciples that will sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Now, keep in mind that Judas is still among them, right? Yeah, Judas thinks he's going to get something out of this, but he's the son of perdition.

He is going to perish. Matthias is going to be the apostle that will be appointed to his place.

So anyway, this representation of the number 12, now, 12 tribes of Israel, that could mean a couple of things.

It could be in reference to the church, because as I've made that equivalence before of Israel being the church, it could literally be the 12 tribes of Israel.

It could be talking about Jews. And it's talking about the judgment that the disciples will have over all of those who had been

Israel, whether they were truly Israel or not. The disciples will be able to make those judgments over Israelites as to whether they do receive the kingdom or whether they will be cast out from the kingdom.

And that's even just like a flavor of the judgment that we all will have when we reach heaven.

As talked about in 1 Corinthians 6, we're going to judge even angels. So Jesus is just putting it in the context here of having judgment over the 12 tribes of Israel, but that's even just a small taste of further judgment that will come when we are able to judge even which angels are holy and what's going to happen to those that had rebelled against God.

As Paul talks about with the Corinthians. So then he goes on in verse 29 to say, everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake, will receive 100 times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Now it's stated a little bit more plainly in Mark 10 that Jesus is talking about, not just what you'll receive in the kingdom of God, but even what you'll receive in this life.

I think that's stated here in Matthew 19 as well, but Mark lays it out a little bit differently so that you see that he is actually talking about, you will receive these things in this life and you also will receive these things in the life to come.

So everyone who has left literal houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my name's sake will receive 100 times as much.

And this is in reference to the church that's going to be spread to all nations. The great commission that Jesus is gonna give the disciples at the end of Matthew, go into all nations, making disciples, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and I'm with you always to the very end of the age.

So you have that in the commission that Jesus gives. And so going out into all of the world, they're gonna gain more, they're gonna gain houses.

They'll have brothers and sisters in the Lord. They'll have father and mother, those that will be there like spiritual fathers and mothers who will help to train them up and teach them more.

Children or farm, children would be the spiritual offspring that you have because you've been preaching the gospel to others.

Fret not if you are childless, you have many spiritual children. If you are one who shares the gospel with others and helps to train up others in the

Lord, you have many spiritual children. And then farms, for my name's sake, there are all different kinds of places that we can go and we meet up with other brothers and sisters in the

Lord and they share what they have so that we might be blessed with what God has blessed them with. When we moved from Kansas down to Texas, I had told my kids,

I took this verse exactly and I showed them how the Lord is gonna bless us with so much more.

You feel like you're losing one church family, you're gonna gain even more family in fulfillment of what

Jesus said to his disciples, we'll gain even more brothers or sisters and father and mother and children.

There's more friends that you are gonna make and you're gonna add more family with this next church that we're going to.

Then when we moved from Texas to Arizona, I reminded them of the same thing again. We're going to go to yet another church and you're gonna see, you're gonna be able to witness just how much

God's kingdom is growing throughout these United States. Now, I've now lived in 10 % of the

United States. This is my fifth state to live in, in my lifetime. But, and I've certainly witnessed everywhere that I've lived.

Brothers and sisters that I have gained. People, I was just looking up online the other day as a matter of fact, had somebody pop into my head and I pulled up Facebook, I did the

Facebook stalker thing. I was like, I wonder how this family is doing. I haven't thought of them in a long time and they had a wonderful family photo posted right there that they had just taken at Christmas.

It was gorgeous. So, thinking about those people that I have done ministry with in the past.

And if we don't see each other again on this side of glory, we have the promise of rejoicing together around the throne of God when we reach heaven.

I love the Michael W. Smith song and it's still a favorite of mine. I know some people think this song is cheesy anymore, but I love the song,

Friends. Friends are friends forever if the Lord is the Lord of them. We will see each other.

We will be brothers and sisters in the Lord forever. So, get used to those people that you go to church with.

You're gonna be with them a really long time. We are delighted to experience the wealth and blessing that God has bestowed upon his children, upon his church.

Not earthly possessions, but things that we gain spiritually, things that we gain heavenly and will inherit eternal life,

Jesus says at the end of verse 29. So, then verse 30, but many who are first will be last and the last first.

And this goes back, again, it's kind of the bookend to what he had taught with the children or taught about the children.

Let the children alone do not hinder them from coming to me, Jesus said back in verse 14, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Those that people consider to be the greatest, like the rich young ruler, they're not gonna enter the kingdom of heaven.

But those that the people have forgotten about and think of as the least, it would even try to keep them from coming in.

Jesus says, do not hinder them. The kingdom of heaven belongs to these and drawing the disciples attention back to a lesson that he gave in chapter 18, when he said, if you wanna enter the kingdom of God, you must become like a child.

You must humble yourself. You must know that there is nothing under your power that you can achieve.

That was certainly what we considered yesterday with the exchange with the rich young ruler. With people, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible, right?

So you cannot achieve eternal life or gain the kingdom of God by anything that you've done or by your power.

You must humble yourself. You must depend fully upon your father. And it is only by your father in heaven that you receive these things.

Forgiveness of sins, hope, faith, love,

Christ, eternity. These things are given by the father, by the work of God, not by anything that we've done, but because of God's mercy and grace.

Going back to something that Jesus prayed in Matthew chapter 11. I praise you father,

Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants, to little children.

Yes, father, for this way was well -pleasing in your sight. All things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father, nor does anyone know the father except the son and anyone to whom the son wills to reveal him.

So again, it's not even by our ability to will ourselves to believe and then we will be saved. Even the belief itself is because God was merciful to open our eyes and see him and trust him.

Jesus says, come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Next week as we continue our study through Matthew, we get to chapter 20, not 21.

The triumphal entry is still a couple of weeks away, but we will read about these parables, the laborers in the vineyard.

Jesus, again, telling his disciples that he is going to go and be arrested and killed, but he is going to rise again from the dead and we see him do many other miracles before finally that entry into Jerusalem.

And once we get to chapter 21, we're entering into that last week of Jesus' earthly ministry leading up to his crucifixion and his resurrection.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we know it is because of what Christ has accomplished that we can have eternal life, not by anything that we have done, but because of what

Christ has done. So remind us of these things that we put our trust in him and then we live our lives to the glory of God.

We know that we have been forgiven, so we must forgive. We know that we have been redeemed and so we must put our trust in Christ and follow him because being redeemed, we've been bought with a price.

We belong to God. So may we honor God with our bodies. Convict us of our sins that we would flee from temptation and lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake.

It is in Jesus' name that we pray, amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the

Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a New Testament study.

Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book. On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers.