Matthew 11:7 says, And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?  The disciples of John the Baptist went back to give their report to him.  He was still in prison.  We might have expected Jesus to have freed John the Baptist from prison, but He did not.  Sometimes, we may be left in dangerous situations as we witness for Christ, but if we are, we simply need to remember that this life is but temporary and salvation through Christ is forever.  Not all sickness is healed nor are all those who are imprisoned for their faith in Christ set free in this world, but they are all healed and set free in the everlasting world to come.  Verse eight asks, But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  Jesus asked those who had gone out into the wilderness what they expected to see when they saw John the Baptist.  If they were expecting to see someone who wavered in his beliefs, they would be disappointed.  John the Baptist was steadfast in his message, and did not waver even when imprisoned.  We must be just as steadfast today.  Jesus also asked if they thought John the Baptist would be clothed in soft or fine cloth.  Jesus further stated that soft or fine cloth was for the king's house.  We are not called to follow Christ for the fine things in life, but instead are called to take up our cross daily.  Verse nine asks, But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.  Jesus asks again why they went out to see John the Baptist.  Did they go out to see a prophet of God?  Some people may come to hear a preacher today simply because they are curious about him, but if that preacher is true to his calling he will simply point them to Jesus.  Verse ten states, For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.  John the Baptist was the messenger that would point people to Jesus, as had been foretold in the scripture.  If we are followers of Christ today, we are the messengers who are to point people to Jesus also, though it is after He fulfilled His purpose.  We, like John the Baptist, can only point people to Jesus.  Verse eleven says, Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  Jesus said that even though there had been no greater mortal man than John the Baptist that anyone who was even the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John the Baptist was.  I believe this means spiritually greater than he was by his physical nature.   Verse twelve declares, And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.  After John the Baptist started preaching repentance and preparation for the coming Messiah, the kingdom of heaven, or of God, began to suffer violence, and it has continued since.  Verse thirteen states,  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  The prophets before John the Baptist could only prophesy under the law, but after him they would prophesy under the grace of God.  Verse fourteen says, And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.  The people of Israel were looking for Elias, or Elijah, to come again to proclaim the arrival of the Messiah, and Jesus said that John the Baptist was spiritually the one they were looking for, if they only would believe, or understand, that fact.  John the Baptist was in no way a reincarnation of Elijah, but was like Elijah spiritually.  Verse fifteen states, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.  If we would know what God wants us to do and what He is doing in the world today, we simply need to listen to Him.

Matthew 11:1 says, And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.  I believe that we often think of the disciples as simply following along behind Jesus in every step that He took, but having just commissioned the disciples to go and preach, teach, heal and work miracles, Jesus departed from them.  Now, this could refer to the time after Jesus' death on the cross, or to disciples other than the twelve, but it seems to refer to this particular time and to the twelve.  Matthew Henry says that Jesus may have departed because the disciples would have been reluctant to leave Him.  We today, since we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, do not have that problem, but we must still go out into the world to share the gospel.  Sometimes, it might seem easier to just sit alone communing with God, but just like the disciples, we have a commission to go and spread the gospel.  Even if they were temporarily physically separated from Jesus, He was still with them in spirit.  Verse two says, Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,  John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard of the works of Jesus and sent two of his disciples to check on what Jesus was doing.  When we hear of someone doing something great in the name of Jesus today, we might do well to make sure that they are truly doing so based on God's word and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Verse three says, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?  This is the ultimate question that everyone has to answer himself or herself today.  Is Jesus the Messiah, the promised Savior of mankind?  The only way to salvation is to answer yes.  The only way to salvation is to answer the question of Who Jesus is.  Verse four says, Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:  Like the disciples of John the Baptist, we need to tell those seeking Him what Jesus is doing in the world today through the work of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of those who follow Jesus.  Verse five states, The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  We may not know of personal examples of some of these miracles, but we do hear of them and must give God the credit for them.  We should all know the reality of the last thing, and that is that the poor have the gospel preached to them.  The more that we live by faith, the more miraculous things we will see, but we should always proclaim the gospel to the world.  Verse six says, And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offened by me.  I believe that this means that we should always give Christ the credit for the good things that happen in life, instead of almost apologizing for believing that He is at work.  We can never be ashamed of following Christ.

Matthew 10:35 says, For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. I believe that this means that when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord that we will be at variance with those in our families who do not believe in Christ.  Our values will be different than their values.  This does not mean that we automatically have to look for ways to be at odds with them, but that we will be living by different standards.  We should still reach out to them with the gospel of Christ, but we cannot allow ourselves to live by their standards just to maintain peace.  Verse thirty-six declares, And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.  It is ideal when a whole family comes to salvation through Christ, but this is often not the case.  In many families today, there are those who believe in Jesus and those who do not, and this will always lead to conflict.  Verse thirty-seven states, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  We know that God commands us to love our father and mother, but we cannot allow that relationship to come between God and us.  All parents should love their children, but not to the point of allowing them to come before God.  Verse thirty-eight declares, And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  The cross was an implement of death, and we must daily take up this cross and die to self so that Christ may live through us.  Nothing on this earth, even family, should come between God and us if we are truly followers of Christ.  Jesus never promised riches, but instead promised a war with the world that does not accept Him.  Verse thirty-nine says, He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  This is a continuation of the statement about taking up our cross.  We cannot live simply to save our physical self, but must live to keep our spiritual life through Christ alive.  Verse forty states, He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.  I believe that this means that receiving the gospel is more than just receiving us physically.  We may be welcomed into homes, but the message of Christ that we should always put first may not be.  Jesus tells us that those who do accept Him as Savior and Lord also accept the heavenly Father.  Verse forty-one states, He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  I believe that this means that we cannot be saved simply by being close to a man of God.  We are not saved by any person, except for Jesus Christ.  If we are to be righteous, we can only be so through the salvation that Christ gives us through the cross.  Verse forty-two states, And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.  Matthew Henry says these verse refer to a person being rewarded for aiding a minister, but I believe that it goes beyond that.  I believe that these verses mean accepting Christ because of one sharing the gospel with a person and then aiding in the ministry.

Matthew 10:24 says, The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.  Jesus tells us that we should never expect that we are due better treatment than what He Himself received.  If Jesus, Who is the Master, was beaten and crucified, then why should we, the servants, expect better treatment.  It may be that if we are totally at peace in the world that we are not following Christ closely enough.  Verse twenty-five states, 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?  Jesus tells us that it is enough for us to be like Him.  We should always hold Jesus up as our example of faith.  Some might say that this is a much different world than the one that Jesus lived in, but our lives are still to be lived by faith in the heavenly Father, just as Jesus lived His life.  Jesus was accused of being of the house of Beelzebub, so why should we be surprised if we are called narrow minded people.  Verse twenty-six says, Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.  We have no reason to be afraid of those that would persecute us, because one day the truth of our faith will be revealed for all to see.  There are no secrets from God.  When God's ultimate judgment comes, we will be judged by our relationship to Christ, and not by the things we have done.  I believe that this goes even further, to the very motives for our actions.  We may fool the world, but God will never be fooled.  Verse twenty-seven declares, What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.  I believe that this means more what Jesus tells us in the spiritual darkness of the world than in the physical darkness.  What Jesus tells us in spiritual darkness, if we accept His truth, it will bring spiritual light to our lives, and we are to preach what Jesus tells us from the roof tops.  Verse twenty-eight says, 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.  We are told to be more concerned about our soul than we are about our body.  If we follow anyone other than Jesus hoping for salvation, or look for any other way to salvation other than faith in Christ, we will suffer the destruction of both body and soul.  Our spiritual life should always be more important than our physical life.  Verse twenty-nine says, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  Jesus tells us that the heavenly Father even knows when a farthing, an almost materially worthless bird, falls to the ground.  God did not create the world and forget it, but has always sustained His creation.  Verse thirty states, But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  We do not even know the number of hairs on our head, but God does.  You might say that a bald person knows, but generally even those who are bald on top have hair on the side.  The point is that God knows everything about us, even more than we know ourselves.  Verse thirty-one declares, Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.  We are not to be concerned with the material things of life, but are to be concerned with the spiritual instead.  God has promised to meet our needs if we follow His leadership in our lives.  Verse thirty-two says, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  If we are truly followers of Christ, we will confess Him to the world, not just by words, but by the way we live our lives.  Verse thirty-three warns, But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.  As with confessing Jesus to the world, I believe that this means with our actions as well as with our words.  Verse thirty-four then declares, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  I believe that we as followers of Christ will always find ourselves at war with the world, because those who do not accept Christ will always be at work trying to destroy His gospel.  Though Jesus Himself warned us that we would be at war with the world, we often act surprised when it happens.

Matthew 10:16 says, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.  Jesus said that He was sending the disciples out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  I don't believe that this has changed today.  At this point, the disciples were going to those who professed to be God's people, and Jesus said they would still be sheep among wolves.  How much more so can we expect those who deny God or worship false gods to attempt to destroy us today when we witness for Christ.  Just as the first disciples were not promised peace and prosperity in the world, neither should we expect it today.  Verse seventeen says, But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;  Again, these were those who were supposedly God's people who would be treating the disciples this way.  They would be brought before the councils and scourged in the synagogues.  As followers of Christ today, His church, we need to ensure that we are never guilty of causing problems for those who are witnessing for Him.  Verse eighteen declares, And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.  Jesus did not say that there was a remote possibility that this might occur, but He said that it would.  We should not be surprised when the government opposes what God teaches.  If we are brought before earthly rulers because of our witnessing for Christ, then we should simply stand firm in our faith, no matter what.  Verse nineteen says, But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  Jesus told the disciples not to worry about what to say when they were delivered to the judgment of men.  If we were in such a situation, we might be trying to figure out what we could say to get out of it, but Jesus said to rely on God to give us the words to say.  We can never alter the gospel, which is Jesus crucified, resurrected, and Lord, in order to escape a bad situation.  Verse twenty states, For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.  If we are to be effective witnesses for Christ today, we must always speak under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-one declares,  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.  This sounds very harsh as a way for people to live, but it has happened and still happens in many countries today, though maybe not always in relationship to Christianity.  Still, being a Christian, a follower of Christ, does often put us at odds with the world, even our closest relatives.  This is what Jesus was warning His disciples, and His followers today, about.  Verse twenty-two adds, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  This was not just a warning for those early disciples who actually walked and talked with Jesus physically, but for all His followers who have come since.  We should not be surprised when this happens, but should simply hold on by faith.  We cannot have faith when it is convenient and turn away from God when it is not.  Verse twenty-three says, 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.  When the disciples were persecuted in one city, they were to go to another.

Matthew 10:5 says, These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:  Jesus ordained the twelve.  If we are to be effective in spreading the gospel today, we must do so under the authority of being called by Christ.  We are not all called to be teachers and preachers, but we are all called for a purpose in God's kingdom.  When we all fulfill our purpose, the gospel will be spread much more effectively.  They were not to go to the Gentiles and Samaritans at this time, but were to go to the Jews first.  Verse six says, But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Jesus ordained them for a mission.  God still desired to work through His chosen people, and they were to be given another opportunity to be God's people in faith and not just in name.  Verse seven says, And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.  If that was to be their message then, how much more so should it be our message today.  As we go about living each day, we should be spreading the gospel by our words and actions.  Verse eight states, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.  Jesus told the disciples that by their faith in Him that they would be able to do the things that He had been doing.  I do not believe that Jesus's task for His followers only applied to the twelve disciples who were with Him then.  We still have this same commission today, but to be successful we can only carry it out by complete faith in the power of God.  Verse nine says, Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,  This instruction meant that the disciples were to be totally reliant on God to meet their needs.  Too often Christians, or even churches, say that they feel God is leading them to do something particular, but that they will only go ahead once they are sure that they can afford to do so.  This is living by sight and not faith.  If we truly feel that God is leading us to do something, then if we follow in faith, He will provide the means.  Verse ten states, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.  This is a continuation of the instruction in the last verse, with the addition of the statement that the workman is worthy of his meat.  Those who were being witnessed and ministered to should support those that God sent to them, and still should.  This does not mean to meet all their wants and desires, but to meet their basic needs.  Verse eleven says, And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.  The disciples were instructed that when they entered a city, they were to ask who could afford to let them stay with them.  Remember, these were Jewish people, God's chosen people, that the disciples were going to and they were going under God's command.  Verse twelve states, And when ye come into an house, salute it.  The disciples were to be respectful to those who allowed them to stay with them, and so should we be today to those who offer us support as we do God's work.  Verse thirteen says, And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.  I believe that this means that if the disciples were treated well that they should be at peace with the household, but if they weren't then they should not be troubled because of it.  Some people may have put them up out of a sense of obligation and have resented it.  Verse fourteen declares, And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.  Jesus told the disciples that when people did not welcome them and hear their words, the gospel, that they were to leave and shake off the dust of their feet.  We cannot force anyone to receive the gospel, and if they will not hear and believe when we have shared it with them, we have done what God asks us to do.  Verse fifteen warns, Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.  Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for the wickedness of their people, but Jesus said that those who refused to hear and accept the gospel would fare much worse.  They would go away into everlasting destruction having openly rejected salvation offered by Jesus.

Matthew 10:1 says, And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.   Jesus called His twelve disciplines to Him, and if we are to be His disciples, or followers, today, we must first be called to Him.  These twelve were special only by the fact that they were called by Jesus to spread the gospel after His death especially.  Matthew Henry says that at this point that they were ordained to preach and were not just gathered to learn from Jesus.  Though we may first need to learn more about Jesus when we accept Him as our Savoir and Lord, ultimately we need to begin witnessing for Him and seek task that He has for us.  We are called for a purpose other than just our own salvation.  We are called to advance the gospel.  Even then, one would betray Jesus.  Just because a person claims to follow Jesus does not mean that they really do, but if we are truly followers of Christ, then He has called us not only to salvation, but to spread the gospel as well.  Verse two states, Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;  Verse three continues,  Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;  Then verse four concludes, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.  We are given a list of the twelve disciples.   Some, we know no more about them than their names, but this does not make them any less important.  They were not extraordinary men, but men from everyday life.  Still, when they put their faith in Jesus and followed Him, they turned the world upside down.  We may not feel extraordinary today, but if we are followers of Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we can achieve extraordinary things for God.  Hopefully, we are not like Judas and only claiming to follow Jesus.  There are those today who attempt to portray Judas as simply a confused person and give him a more sympathetic reason for his betrayal, but I believe that he did what he did for his own benefit.  There are those who profess to follow Christ today who do so only for their own benefit, and we can never justify them.  We may look back at these early disciples and think that somehow they were more empowered than we are today, but that is not true.  The only power that they had came from their relationship to Jesus, the same as our power today does.