The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 19 Part 5 Jesus Will Reward Those Who Follow Him

Matthew 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 

This is the fifth question Jesus has answered in this chapter.

The scribes and Pharisees asked two questions while the rich, young ruler asked two more questions. 

The last question came from Jesus' disciples. 

It is connected to Jesus' teaching about it being harder for a rich man to be born again than for a camel to thread itself through the eye of a needle.

Peter observed what Christ said to the young man about selling all his possessions and coming to follow Christ.  

Therefore, Peter grasped the significance of His Lord's instruction.

Jesus' disciples left behind all that they had for Christ's sake.

They left behind their parents, wives, children, houses, and vocations by which they supported themselves and families.

As Peter said, they forsook everything to become disciples and followers of Christ. 

Peter was already turning into a leader of Christ's disciples and his question was simply "Lord, we have given up everything to follow you. What will we receive in your kingdom?"

Peter's question was practical, for he wanted to know what reward was awaiting them for giving all things up in order to follow Christ. 

This is a very practical question and our Lord addressed the subject of His blessing for those who love and serve Him.

We will learn more about rewards for Christians later in our study of this gospel record. 

Jesus spoke of "the regeneration" that will happen when Christ sits enthroned as King.

Matthew 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Jesus begins His answer with the words "Verily, I say unto you" which He often used to emphasize the authority of His Words and the certainty of them coming to pass.

He recognized that His disciples had given up everything connected with a "normal" life, in order to be with Him to follow and minister alongside Him.

Matthew 16:27  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. 

Jesus previously touched on this topic by telling His disciples that He will return in the glory of His Father and will judge every man according to his or her works.

First will come the resurrection of life which happens when the Christ returns in the air with the trumpet of God and the voice of His archangel. 

He will raise the dead from the grave, give Christians alive at that time a new body, and will catch them up and take them home to heaven (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

This is the time that Paul refers to when he said we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (See Romans 14:10;2 Corinthians 5:10).

This is when Jesus will reward us for our love and service to Him (See Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:17; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 3:9-23; 1 Peter 1:7). 

About seven years later, at the end of the tribulation period, Jesus will return in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all the wicked, all the Christ rejectors and upon the Devil and his angels (See 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:1-15).

Jesus placed His answer to Peter's question into the context with "the regeneration."

What did Christ mean by using this term? 

The word translated "regeneration" is only used twice in the New Testament.

In this case, it is used within the context of when the kingdom of God will be universally established on earth as it is in heaven (See Matthew 6:10).

Thus, "regeneration" is connected with the new heavens and new earth that God promised to create.

The other place where this word is found is in in Titus 3:5 where Paul speaks about being born again into the family of God.

The apostle described this action as the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

This word connects with 2 Corinthians 5:17, where Paul says that "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation where the old way of life passes away and is replaced with new life in Christ."

Therefore, the context of Jesus' reply to Peter shows us the intent of how He used this word.

Salvation or "regeneration" is the wonderful work of God in the hearts men, whereby His Spirit imparts resurrection life to a soul that was previously dead in trespass and sins.

In Matthew's gospel, Jesus spoke of regeneration in terms of the new heaven and new earth prophesied by Old Testament prophets.

In terms of the power of God in regeneration, the physical restoration of the heavens and earth will be accomplished by the same power of God that raised Christ from the dead and that imparts resurrection life to believers in Christ.

Isaiah 65:17-25  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. 

We must bring some perspective to bear on this truth. 

Isaiah 66:15-24, along with many other prophets, makes it clear that the final day of God's judgment of the wicked will come first.

After that final judgment, the eternal and universal kingdom of God will be established and that is what Isaiah speaks of in the text above. 

The Old Testament prophets did not foresee the age of the New Testament church. 

The whole idea of the church was not known by them because this was a great mystery hidden in Christ until the moment God Sent His Spirit to birth the church at the day of Pentecost (See Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 1:26-27; Ephesians 1:9-10; 3:5-9; 6:19).

What are the hallmarks of Christ's kingdom?

First, God will create a new heavens and new earth, along with a new Jerusalem.

Second, it will be a place filled with worship and joy.

Third, there will be no more tears, no more suffering and no more affliction.

Fourth, the life Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before the fall will be restored and our new bodies will live forever in heaven.

Fifth, God's redeemed people will do work, building, planting, harvesting but in the context of a sin free world! 

No more sin, no more curse, no more thistles and no more hardship.

Sixth, the work and service we will render to God in that kingdom will stand and no one will attack us, or take us captive or steal our things.

Seventh, animal kingdom will revert to how God originally intended it to be. Carnivorous animals will become herbivores.

Predatory animals will no longer prey like a wolf hunting a lamb.

Instead, they will all eat herbs and peacefully exist side by side.

The same will be true of all the redeemed people in Christ's kingdom. We will truly love God and our neighbors as God originally intended.

Matthew 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

This is what Jesus meant when He spoke to Peter about "the regeneration"  when He is enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Thus, Jesus told Peter; "Yes, you have given up all things in order to follow me, and my twelve disciples shall sit on twelve thrones to administer my kingdom to the twelve tribes of Israel."

Much speculation exists about what it means when Jesus' said His dsciples will sit on thrones to judge Israel.

I would simply say that just as Jesus has work for us to do right now, while we live this life on earth, He will have work for us to do in heaven.

Our focus here is preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ and learning to live a holy life as Christ taught us to do (See Matthew 28:18-20).

1 Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

We are to seek to honor and glorify God with our body, soul and spirit. 

Paul and Peter teach us to do as God commanded His people to do: "Be ye holy as I am holy" (See 1 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:4; 2:21; 4:30; 5:27; Colossians 1:22l 3:12;1 Peter 1:15-16).

In the regeneration when Christ sits on His throne, the twelve apostles will have some type of judging or administrative work to do in the world.

Beyond that, scripture does not specify what kind of judging they may be involved with.

1 Corinthians 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

Paul also said that believers in Christ (The saints) shall also be involved in judging the world, but we are not told the specifics of what our work or roles will be.

Therefore, is is foolish for anyone to speculate about something God has not made clear to us His Word.

No doubt, it will be made very clear and plain to us when that day arrives.

Later in this gospel, several parables of Jesus will illustrate some aspects of our kingdom work for us.

Thus, all Christians should focus upon the present duties Christ gave us in the Great Commission and not spend our time trying to figure out what the future holds.

Our All Wise God has planned Christ's kingdom out and He will show us what to do at the time He deems best.

Matthew 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

Jesus then affirmed that the apostles would have great responsibilities in His kingdom and He promised that though they gave up all to follow Christ, He will liberally reward them.

"And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children for my name's sake" is a hope filled promise of Jesus.

This promise of hope is not reserved only for Jesus' original disciples. 

It is for all other believers in him, at any time in history who will be called to leave old things behind for the sake of following Christ.

Believing in Christ does not always require a Christian to part with all worldly substance or natural relations. 

Here, the key is understanding that anything or anyone who distracts or diverts our attention from  following Christ, must be parted with.

Matthew 10:37  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.  

Earlier in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus taught that we must not love our parents more than we love Jesus.

In like manner, we must not love our children more than we love our Savior.

By extension, we must not covet wealth instead of cultivating a deeper relationship with God through Christ.

We must not put education, skills, or status higher than our love for God.

This means we must keep all of life in its proper perspective.

We must deny any love of self and take up our cross to follow Christ.

We must not love anything or anyone more than we love the Son of God who redeemed us from our sins.

Is all our time devoted to work, or school, or seeking to become rich?

Then, the priorities are wrong and our thinking must be brought into alignment with what God says in His Word.

The idea is that Christ will repay our faithful efforts in loving and serving Him a hundredfold.

This is not to be understood literally, but rather that Jesus will give what to His faithful servants what will be worth one hundred times as much in peace, and joy, and kingdom blessings.

The crowning glory of all this is receiving eternal life and an eternal home in heaven with Christ.

Matthew 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 

Jesus ends this discourse by reminding us of our need for the faith and humility of a child.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore, Jesus reminds all of us that if we seek prominence in His kingdom, this means our motivation is wrong and God will put us last in His kingdom.

Those who have humble hearts and contrite spirits will be blessed for having child like faith and Jesus will honor them.

We learned that Jesus will bless our faithfulness, love and service to Him.

We learned about Jesus' promise to abundantly reward those who follow Him, especially when they suffer loss of jobs, family relationships or friendships for the sake of His name.

We learned that all of our relationships must be subordinate to our relationship with God through repentant faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

We learned that our desires must prioritize Christ's kingdom work and mission, rather than trying to get rich or or seeking status.

It benefits us to remember daily that we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive a reward from Him if our service survives His testing fire.

It is also beneficial to remember that if our motivation was selfish instead of seeking to glorify God, our service will go up in flames and we will suffer a loss of reward.

Let us think about the truths Jesus taught us so that our lives and be transformed as the Spirit of God is at work in our heart.

Bob