Matthew 11:1-30

What is the theme of this chapter?

The Program of the King Attested by comforting John's disciples; by condemning the cities; by calling all to Himself.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 4-6

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?



Additional observations/questions:

Matthew 11:20-30

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Chorazin - "Chorazin was about 2.5 mil (four km) N of Capernaum." (Ryrie)

Bethsaida - "Bethsaida was at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee." (Ryrie)

Tyre and Sidon - "Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities in Phoenicia." (Ryrie)

Capernaum - "We have already seen that in the prophecy quoted there, interpreted from the Jewish standpoint, when they spoke of 'the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,' their terms were those of reproach, because that whole district, more than any other, had become influenced by Gentile thinking.  But when the King began His work, this public ministry of the Kingdom, 'He came and dwelt in Capernaum.'  That is always His method.  If there is a district neglected, abandoned, forsakes, there He comes and dwells.  So we know of Capernaum that it was the adopted home of Jesus for a long period, during His public ministry, the center from which He went forth upon His way ... But now we see Jesus looking out upon the cities where most of His mighty works had been done, and we hear Him beginning to upbraid.  What was the cause of His upbraiding?  'Because they repented not.' ... 'Repent'—that is, Change your mind, for whenever a man changes his conception, his thinking is change, and his conduct." (Morgan)

you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding - "The Pharisees considered themselves to be wise and learned because they were students of the Scriptures.  They deemed themselves to be rightly related to God.  They rejected Christ's words to them.  Christ said the Father had revealed the truths that He had preached to those, who like little children, accepted His word and put their faith in Him (Matt 11:25).  No man can know the Father except through the Son.  Christ had come to reveal the Father (John 1:18).  If men will not accept His revelation, there can be no knowledge of the Father.  So Jesus declared, 'No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to real him' (Matt 11:27).  It is evident that Jesus would reveal the Father to any who accepted His word." (Pentecost)

vss 28-30 - "This great invitation, extended to all, is threefold:  (1) to come and receive salvation; (2) to learn in discipleship; and (3) to serve in yoke with the Lord." (Ryrie)

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - "In contrast to the burdensome yoke of the Pharisees, those who took Christ's yoke and learned of Him would find that submission to Him was easy and that the burden He imposed was light.  This was true because of the nature of the One to whom they were joining themselves and of whom they were learning, for He was gentle and humble, or submissive.  And He who experienced peace from trusting God imparted that peace to those who trusted Him." (Pentecost)

Matthew 11:1-19

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written. “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance, we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” - "To encourage John the Baptist, the Lord sent a reminder of the miracles He was doing.  The OT predicted that Messiah would give sigh to the blind (Isa 29:18), and there are more recorded miracles of our Lord's doing this than any other kind.  This alone would have assured John and Jesus was indeed the Messiah." (Ryrie)

the poor have good news preached to them - "This was a quotation from the great prophecy of Isaiah, and from that portion of it which He had already read in the Synagogue as He entered upon this very work that was causing John perplexity (Isaiah 61:1-2).  When Jesus read that in the Synagogue at His induction, He did not read the whole statement, but stopped before the last clause, 'the day of vengeance of our God,' ending with the words, 'to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.'" (Morgan)

blessed is the one who is not offended by me - "I.e., he who can in full faith acknowledge and accept My 'mighty work' (Matt 11:20) as evidence of My messiahship." (Ryrie)

vss 7-8 - "These are rhetorical questions expecting negative answers." (Ryrie)

This is he of whom it is written. - "See Isa 40:3 and Mal 3:1." (Ryrie)

is greater than he - "The greatness of John the Baptist in the old dispensation of the law before the Cross fades in comparison to the high position every believer has had since Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and the descent of the Spirit." (Ryrie)

"The only way to understand it is to take it in close connection with all the rest of the defense of Jesus.  Our Lord meant to say, You have seen this man, who naturally is greatest among men; asking a question in perplexity.  Yes, there are things he cannot know, there are methods that he cannot understand, and presently the least soul brought into the Kingdom will have greater light that this man, with all his  natural endowments, has had in the past.  Presently the little child who comes into My Kingdom by the mystery of My mercy, might, and passion, will have more light than John, until he also comes to understand the sweetness and mercy and majesty by coming into this Kingdom of power.  John was the light that preceded the Kingdom, and the weakest inside knows more than John." (Morgan)

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. - "Since the time John began preaching, the response had been violent, whether by vicious opponents or enthusiastic supporters." (Ryrie)

"The Pharisees and scribes who stand here before our Lord are the violent who take the Kingdom of the Heavens (never the Gospel) by force and seize on it.  Our Lord says:  'From the days of John until now.'  The forerunner, John, was violently rejected by the Pharisees.  This foreshadowed the rejection of the King, the rejection of the preaching of the Kingdom and the Kingdom itself.  In this seizing upon the Kingdom, rejecting it, the Kingdom of the Heavens suffered violence.  It was rejected by force and now is postponed till He comes again.  If they had received John the Baptist he would have been Elias.  But he was rejected, they would not have it so.  They did violence to what the King had come to bring.  Another Elias will come once more, and then no violence can keep back the coming of the Kingdom of the Heavens." (Gaebelein)

he is Elijah who is to come - "Jesus is saying that if the Jews had received Him, they would also have understood that John fulfilled the OT prediction of the coming Elijah before the Day of the Lord (Mal 4:5) ... (1) Elijah is coming as the restorer (Mal 4:5); (2) he came, unrecognized, in the person of John the Baptist, and was killed; (3) the Son of Man faces a like fate." (Ryrie)

Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. - "The people were rejecting both John's and Jesus' ministries even though their styles were exactly opposite.  Eventually the wisdom of both would be justified." (Ryrie)

"'We piped unto you, and ye did not dance.'  John came, and you all piped to John, you went out after him, you made him popular, you crowded to him, but he did not dance to you, he thundered at you.  'We wailed, and ye did not mourn.'  The Son of Man is come, and you wail in His presence, but He has not lamented; He has been your friend, comforting, cheering, eating and drinking with you; and you say He is gluttonous.  Oh, the unreasonableness of the age! And what was the King's answer?  'Wisdom is justified by her works.'  Some ancient manuscripts have the word 'works,' for this harmonizes with the words of Jesus throughout this section.  In every case He appealed to His works.  Of these John in prison was to be told; and these were the evidences of His right, refusing to obey which, the cities were condemned.  The works of John and Jesus were wise.  They were both the methods of God.  To the restless and unreasonable age the King declared that wisdom would yet be vindicated in John's ascetic strength, and in His own comradeship of tenderness." (Morgan)

"John appeared among them and they were dissatisfied with him.  He was too strict, too severe; they cared not for him, and because he would not sit down and eat and drink with them they said, he was a demon.  Then the Lord came.  Truth and mercy were revealed through Him.  He sat down with the tax-gatherers and sinners and mingled with them, eating and drinking.  Divine mercy towards the fallen and outcast was most blessedly shown—the spotless One in touch with the defiled and lost, calling sinners to repentance.  But they had no understanding for this, no heart for that wonderful grace.  He was in their eyes but a man, for they said:  'Behold a man—eating and drinking.'  They put Him on the same level with the wine drinking company.  Neither mourning nor rejoicing suited them." (Gaebelein)

Matthew 10:1-42

What is the theme of this chapter?

The Program of the King Announced.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 5-7

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?




Additional observations/questions:

 

Matthew 10:26-42

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”


do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul - "What if they should even go so far as to kill the body, as they often did and will yet do, especially to the Jewish Saints in the great tribulation.  (We mention again that all these words have a future meaning and fulfillment during that time of Jacob's trouble, after the removal of the church.  The Jewish believers will know the comfort of these words, as Satins during this know them.")  If they kill the body they cannot kill the soul and the killing of the body and faithful testimony given through martyrdom will enrich the Lord as well as the disciple.  We may not be called upon to surrender thus our bodies, yet the principle of it is ours; fear nothing outward, nothing temporal, whatever it may be.  'But fear rather Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.'  And He who is able to do that and will do it at the great white Throne to the unsaved, is God.  He then is to be feared alone.  Of course all this is not to be read as referring to the believer.  He who has believed is passed from death unto life, he does not come into judgment.  Once saved means always saved.  We must, however, not overlook the fact that among the twelve there was one who was not saved.  It was the first warning coming to Judas.  He looked to outward things and was a thief." (Gaebelein)

Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell - "God, not Satan." (Ryrie)

"But there is One to fear.  By some strange perversion there are those who say that Jesus here meant the devil.  Satan has no power to fling soul and body into Gehenna, and we are never told from Genesis to Revelation to fear the devil.  We are always told to fear God.  Men may destroy the body, but there is One Who can take hold of the body and the spirit, and condemn them to the place of rubbish and ruin.  Fear Him!" (Morgan)

a penny - "This small, copper coin is called, in the Greek of the verse, assarion.  Its value was one sixteenth of a denarius, the basic unit in the Roman coinage.  One denarius was the day's wage of the rural worker." (Ryrie)

And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father - "Without His knowledge." (Ryrie)

everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven - "In their ministry they were under the care of their Father, who knew their every need.  Because of their inestimable worth to Him, they were assured of his protection (vv. 29-31).  Christ gave these men a promise: 'Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heave' (v. 32).  These men were sent out as His representatives to proclaim His message.  They were identifying themselves with His person and word.  Their obedience to Him was a sign of faith that assured them they would be accepted by the Father.  On the other hand, those who disowned Him, as the Pharisees were intent on doing, would be disowned before the Father by the very One whom they disowned (Matt 10:33)." (Pentecost)

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. - "However we learn that the words He speaks here, foretelling the history of this age, are blessed evidences of His divinity.  This age is not the age of the world wide peace.  'Peace on Earth' is not yet reached in the divine program for the earth.  The nations may boast of peace among themselves at this time, but it will not last very long and soon the rider upon the red horse will gallop over the earth (Rev 6).  Peace like a river will surely flow after the King has come and all swords have become plowshares.  The Lord hasten the day." (Gaebelein)

"Since Christ was the Prince of Peace and had come to speak peace to the nation, the question might be raised as to why the religious authorities did not accept Him.  Christ explained this in the words that follow.  He said He had not come to bring peace but a sword.  He had come to bring about division.  He would separate those who were bound to each other by the strongest of natural ties (Matt 10:35).  It is Jesus Christ Himself who divides.  People are divided by their attitude toward Him.  Christ was using a Jewish idiom when He referred to loving father or mother (Matt 10:37).  To love involved more than emotions.  It involved subjection and obedience.  Christ was demanding the unquestioned submission and obedience of those who would be accepted into His Kingdom.  One who puts loved ones before Christ and submits to them instead of submitting to Christ is not worthy of Christ or to be in His kingdom." (Pentecost)

whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me - "This reference to a cross needed no explanation, for the Jews had seen thousands of their countrymen crucified by the Romans.  Allegiance even to death is demanded of Christ's followers." (Ryrie)

"Christ demanded that His followers take up their 'cross and follow me' (Matt 10:38).  The cross in the life of Christ was what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was to Adam in the garden.  An individual's cross is the revealed will of God for him.  At this juncture God's will was that people should receive Christ's words and believe His person.  Such was the test to determine whether one was acceptable or unacceptable to God." (Pentecost)

one who receives a prophet...one who receives a righteous person - "One who received a righteous person and counted that one to be righteous would receive the same reward that the righteous person received from God.   Christ was saying that when the Twelve preached in a community, there would be those who counted them as God's prophets and as righteous.  Such persons would accept the message as from God and turn in faith to the One whom they were introducing, and those persons would be rewarded in the kingdom.  Nothing done in God's name is ever forgotten by God (Matt 10:42).  Whatever the hearers of the  Twelve did in Christ's name would be a basis for reward.  Thus rewards would go to all who received their ministry and consequently received them.  With these instructions the Twelve were now sent out to proclaim the good news throughout Galilee that the kingdom was near." (Pentecost) 

Matthew 10:1-25

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.


disciples - "A disciple is one who is taught by another; he is a learner.  In the Gospels the word is frequently used of the disciples of Moses (John 9:28), of John the Baptist (John 3:25), and of Christ.  Judas is an example of an unsaved disciple of Christ, and there were others who deserted Him as well (John 6:66).  The word is used in Acts as a synonym for 'believer.'  It does not appear at all in the rest of the NT.  This may be because a disciple was expected to physically follow his teacher wherever he went, leaving family and occupation.  After Christ's ascension, this was impossible." (Ryrie)

"The first verse in this chapter tells us that He called His twelve disciples and that He gave them power over unclean spirits, so that they should cast them out, and heal every disease and every bodily weakness.  The twelve messengers, whose names are given in the second, third and fourth verses, stand as such always in relation to Israel.  He tells them later, 'Ye shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28).  Even in the New Jerusalem there will be this distinction.  'Her shining was like a most precious stone, as a crystal like jasper stone; having a great, high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel ... and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb' (Rev 21:12-14).  The twelve apostles thus stand in prominent and definite relation to Israel.  Here among the twelve, who are sent forth, is also the name of Judas the Iscariot, who delivered Him up.  After his awful end another was rightly and divinely chosen in his place, that is Matthias." (Gaebelein)

apostles - "The word apostle means 'one sent forth' as an ambassador who bears a message and who represents the one who sent him.  The qualifications included (1) seeing the Lord and being an eyewitness to His resurrection (Acts 1:22; 1 Cor 9:1), (2) being invested with miraculous sign-gifts (Acts 5:15-16; Heb 2:3-4), and (3) being chosen by the Lord of the Holy Spirit (vv. 1-2; Acts 1:26)." (Ryrie)

Zealot - "As in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13 Simon is called 'Zelotes' (the Zealot; the equivalent Greek term for Cananaean, a resident of Cana).  He likely belonged, before following the Lord, to the extremist party of Zealots who advocated the overthrow of Rome by force." (Ryrie)

go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel - "This 'Great Commission' was limited to going to Jewish people only.  Not even Samaritans (mix race of Jews and Gentiles who intermarried after the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 722 B.C.) were included, because the Jews had to prepare spiritually for the coming messianic, earthly kingdom first.  After their rejection of the King, the commission given to the same group was to go to Gentiles (Matt 28:18-19).  The disciples' ministry would be accompanied by miraculous signs (v. 8)." (Ryrie)

And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ - "What does this mean?  It meant that the promised Kingdom for Israel, and through Israel to the nations, the Kingdom with all its earthly blessings, was about to come.  It was heralding the fact of the presence of the King to set up the Kingdom, if His own would have it.  Such a preaching of the Kingdom of the heavens is not given now.  After the church age closes by the removal of the church from the earth into heaven, as foreshadowed by the vessel which Peter saw coming out of heaven and again received into heaven, then the kingdom will again draw nigh in the person of the returning King and Lord with His saints." (Gaebelein)

"Israel was the nation with which God had entered into a covenant through Abraham, David, and Jeremiah, and to which He had promised a Savior and Sovereign who would redeem and reign.  The Old Testament anticipated blessings for Gentiles (Gen 12:3; Isa 60:3; Amos 9:12).  But blessings on Gentiles were to come through Israel's Messiah.  Such blessings could not come to them until Messiah ruled over His covenant people.  At the time of the ministry of the Twelve, a message needed to go to Israel announcing to that nation that her King had arrived.  Israel herself needed to come to faith before blessings could flow out from Israel to the nations of the earth.  Next we notice the message the Twelve were to preach: 'The kingdom of heaven is near' (Matt 10:7).  This was the message that Israel had first heard from John and the message that Christ had been publicly proclaiming." (Pentecost)

no bag for your journey - "They are to travel light; perhaps it was a quick journey.  They could count on traditional hospitality at the hands of many devout Jewish householders.  Notice the later change of instructions in Luke 22:36." (Ryrie)

"The general meaning in all three Gospels is the same: 'make no elaborate preparations, but go as you are.'  They are not to be like persons travelling for trade or pleasure, but are to go about in all simplicity.  It is not that they are purposely to augment the hardships of the journey (as forbidding staff and sandals might seem to imply), but that they are not to be anxious about equipment.  Freedom from care rather than from comfort is the aim.  Their care is to be for their work, not for their personal wants." (Plummer)

"When they entered a village, they were to seek out one who had a good reputation and request hospitality there.  If they were entertained in the home of a disreputable person, it could injure their testimony and jeopardize their ministry.  Once they found a suitable home, they were to stay there even though another might offer them greater convenience or comfort.  They were to accept gratefully such hospitality as was extended to them." (Pentecost)

shake off the dust from your feet - "An act indicating rejection of that Jewish city as if it were an unclean Gentile city." (Ryrie)

flog - "...with a bastinado (stick or club), a painful punishment." (Ryrie)

vvs 21-23 - "These verses are a prediction of persecution in those days and in the Tribulation before the second coming of Christ (Matt 24:9-14)." (Ryrie)

 I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. - "These words are perhaps the most important in the whole chapter.  They are a kind of a key to the entire chapter.  The coming of the Son of Man which is mentioned is His second coming.  The giving of the testimony by Jewish disciples concerning the Kingdom of the heavens is according to the words of our Lord to continue till He comes again.  How are we to understand this?  The testimony which was begun by the apostles up to the time when Israel rejected once more the offers of mercy from the risen Lord, when He was still waiting for their repentance as a nation, is an unfinished testimony.  After that offer was again rejected the great parenthesis, the church age, began, and during this age (which is not reckoned in the Old Testament) there is no more Jewish testimony of the kingdom of the heavens.  Israel nationally is set aside, blindness in part is theirs till the fullness of the Gentiles is come in.  When the church is complete and the rapture of the saints has taken place, then the Lord begins to deal with His people Israel again.  There is the seventieth week of Daniel 9 yet to come, and this week of seven years forms the end of this dispensation.  In this coming last week of seven years the church testimony is finished and the Jewish believers will take up the unfinished testimony to the nation and proclaim once more 'The Kingdom of the heavens is a hand.'  The 24th chapter in this Gospel is a continuation of the 10th chapter, inasmuch as Matthew 24 shows us the unfinished testimony of the 10th chapter, finished and completed.  (Read Matt 24:5-32.)  In Matt. 24 we read of the great tribulation, so likewise here in the tenth chapter.  In Micah 7 we read of a dark picture and there the Spirit Christ reveals a tribulation, which His lips on the earth proclaim to His disciples.  Then during the tribulation (never now) it will mean enduring to the end and salvation will come then by the visible return of the Son of Man from heaven.  What our Lord said in verses 17 and 18 about persecutions from Jews and Gentiles for these witnesses will find its final great fulfillment in that great tribulation, when not alone the unbelieving nation will persecute the believing and witnessing Jewish remnant, but nations as well." (Gaebelein)

Beelzebul - "...means 'lord of the flies,' a guardian deity of the Ekronites (2 Kings 1:2), but used by the Jews as an epithet for Satan.  The name may have been a mocking Hebrew alteration of BaalZebul, a local archdemon of northern Palestine and Syria.  For Jesus' enemies to allege that He was possessed by Beelzebul was the worst kind of blasphemy (Mark 3:22)." (Ryrie)