The Power of Jesus
Bible
Study FBC-K Oct 22, 2014
1-
Last week we covered the healing of the
Centurion’s servant. We learned how
Jesus was not confined by space or time in His ability to heal. We also saw that He had no regard for the
position in society of those He contacted.
Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, accepted the unclean Centurion coming to Him,
something a ‘good” Jewish Rabbi would not do, and served Centurion, recognizing
his “amazing” faith, and healed the servant as requested.
2-
Equally important, we studied John
1:1-3,14. In this from Jesus’ disciple
John, we learned and understood that Jesus was in and with God at creation and
from verse 3, Jesus created everything.
This is not to say God was not involved, for in the Trinity, 3 in 1, we
see Jesus as the Son, God as the Father, but also as one being. We must remember that our finite words are
but symbols for the infinite (the Trinity) which we in our finite minds cannot
totally comprehend.
3-
This week, we see more healings and
amazing acts of Jesus and how love and compassion overcomes cultural bias,
medical afflictions, and Jesus’ power over nature and natural events.
1 When he came down from the mountainside,
large crowds followed him.
2 A
man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me
clean."
3 Jesus
reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am
willing," he said. "Be clean!"Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
4 Then
Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But
go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses
commanded, as a testimony to them."
Healing the Centurion's Gentile Servant -
Covered last week
14 When
Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a
fever.
15 He
touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on
him.
16 When
evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove
out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This
was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
23 Then
he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without
warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the
boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The
disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to
drown!"
26 He
replied, "You of little faith, why are you so
afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it
was completely calm.
27 The
men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and
the waves obey him!"
Commentary
There are some important things to understand about the biased culture at the time of Jesus.
1- Anyone with any disease was thought to sinful. People thought that you were diseased because of your unforgiven and unforgivable sins. You were a social outcast not to be touched or even to be spoken to as a person speaking to an unclean person could become unclean Spiritually. Such was it thought about the man with leprosy.
2- Many women and Gentiles (non-Jews) too were thought to be unclean and social outcasts, especially by the group of Jews called the Pharisees- a “Holy” order of people known for their strict obedience and observance to the Laws of the Old Testament.
3- Total avoidance by society, made the life of a leper and others that were sick so very difficult. The lepers often lived together in caves depending on people to bring them food and water.
There are some important things to understand about the biased culture at the time of Jesus.
1- Anyone with any disease was thought to sinful. People thought that you were diseased because of your unforgiven and unforgivable sins. You were a social outcast not to be touched or even to be spoken to as a person speaking to an unclean person could become unclean Spiritually. Such was it thought about the man with leprosy.
2- Many women and Gentiles (non-Jews) too were thought to be unclean and social outcasts, especially by the group of Jews called the Pharisees- a “Holy” order of people known for their strict obedience and observance to the Laws of the Old Testament.
3- Total avoidance by society, made the life of a leper and others that were sick so very difficult. The lepers often lived together in caves depending on people to bring them food and water.
From Saint Paul, the great Jewish theologian
turned Christian shortly after the time of Jesus we understand that Jesus came first to the Jews as a Messiah,
then was to come to the Gentiles. He write in Romans: 1:6 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
and in Romans 2:9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
In a William Barkley commentary on this, he points out that the Jews receive the Gospel first because of being God’s people. But, their rejection is not why it is then presented to the Gentile. In God’s way, the Gospel of Jesus was always meant to be for all people, Jew and Gentile.
and in Romans 2:9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
In a William Barkley commentary on this, he points out that the Jews receive the Gospel first because of being God’s people. But, their rejection is not why it is then presented to the Gentile. In God’s way, the Gospel of Jesus was always meant to be for all people, Jew and Gentile.
In Matthew, we see this Jews/Gentile
happening with the healings in Chapter 8
Verse 1-4: Power
of defilement! After
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus comes down from the mountain side. Because of the information in verse 4, the
healed man being sent to a priest indicates the man is a Jew. This is the first healing in this Gospel and
it is of a Jew (“first for the Jew”).
Here we see Jesus telling the man is to stay quiet about this, tell no
one, and the reason being, it would bring too much attention to Jesus that He,
Jesus, was not yet ready for. In verse 2,
notice too that the man expresses His undoubting trust in Jesus to make him ‘clean’. There is an implication of being made clean
(sinless) in the healing, not just the leprosy being taken from his hand.
It is amazing, with the cultural bias toward a leper, that the leper was even aware of Jesus, much less allowed to get close to Jesus. The leper must have perhaps, had been told of Jesus and hidden his leprosy with some type of covering.
It is amazing, with the cultural bias toward a leper, that the leper was even aware of Jesus, much less allowed to get close to Jesus. The leper must have perhaps, had been told of Jesus and hidden his leprosy with some type of covering.
Jesus, risking judgment in being seen
as being defiled by the man, immediately reached out, touched and healed the
man. Obviously, Jesus felt and knew the
man’s faith. In healing the man, Jesus
clearly overcomes any thought of being defiled.
In the same healing, He is, at this point, showing His ability to
overcome cultural bias. In the cultural
bias, when Jesus healed the defiled, then nobody is defiled.
In Verses
9-13 we discussed last week, we see Jesus, as presented by Matthew,
reaching out to the Gentiles! There is
prophecy and predictions from the Old Testament about this. There are others, but one is: Isaiah 49:6 Indeed He says, `It is too small a thing that You
should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved
ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You
should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
Verses 14-17 Power over disease Here we see Jesus turning back to healing, but this time to others that in the cultural bias was inferior, a woman, and the demon possessed. In both cases, all it took was a touch of Jesus’ hand, and a word from Jesus, and the infirmed were healed. This too was prophesied/predicted in Isaiah 53:4.
It is interesting to note that in Chapter 8, Jesus heals with a touch or with very few words, and no words about forgiving sins. In Chapter 9 we will see Jesus forgive the sins of a paralytic man, and be accused of blaspheming (sinning against) God, then doing the healing. Only God can forgive sins, and blaspheming God was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). The paralytic healing miracle in chapter 9 will be discussed next week.
Verses 14-17 Power over disease Here we see Jesus turning back to healing, but this time to others that in the cultural bias was inferior, a woman, and the demon possessed. In both cases, all it took was a touch of Jesus’ hand, and a word from Jesus, and the infirmed were healed. This too was prophesied/predicted in Isaiah 53:4.
It is interesting to note that in Chapter 8, Jesus heals with a touch or with very few words, and no words about forgiving sins. In Chapter 9 we will see Jesus forgive the sins of a paralytic man, and be accused of blaspheming (sinning against) God, then doing the healing. Only God can forgive sins, and blaspheming God was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). The paralytic healing miracle in chapter 9 will be discussed next week.
Verses 23-27 Power
over the deep It
is hard for us to imagine sleeping through a storm in a boat about 26 feet long
and seven feet wide, AND with waves lapping over the edge of the boat! But, such was Jesus on this occasion.
Perhaps Jesus was tired, He was most certainly human. He had had a full day of preaching and healing.
The Sea of Galilee had geography of surrounding mountains and 600 feet below sea level. Due to this it was a place where storms could come up is a very quick manner and at night, it could be most frightening. Such was the case with the disciples.
Perhaps Jesus was tired, He was most certainly human. He had had a full day of preaching and healing.
The Sea of Galilee had geography of surrounding mountains and 600 feet below sea level. Due to this it was a place where storms could come up is a very quick manner and at night, it could be most frightening. Such was the case with the disciples.
In this situation maybe we should be surprised
at the disciples. They had just seen
mighty acts and wonderful words spoken by Jesus and yet they were still not
understanding the Power Jesus Had in Him and appreciating who Jesus is.
In their storm, Jesus sleeping is approached
by the disciples saying, “Lord, Save us!”
In His response, Jesus is disappointed, responding with words of them
lacking faith and being afraid.
Clearly, from verse 27, they did not expect
and were unprepared for the kind of help Jesus had for them in their storm. But, even as Jesus was disappointed in
them, He does not abandon them! In
their moment of need and lack of Trust, He delivers their salvation from their
storm. In our storms, He still does the
same for us.
1. In
verse 27, we see that important word ‘amazed’ used. With Jesus, this word and like words
‘astonished’ has shown up three times within 28 consecutive verses of Matthew-
7:28, 8:10, and here in 8:27. All three
occasions and many others to follow, trace back to two verbs in Greek meaning
wonderment, to
be struck with amazement, astonished, and amazed. Words of this nature occur some 59 times in
the Gospel about something involving Jesus.
An Observation that must be noted:
In the healings and in the storm being rebuked, the results of Jesus’ touch or with his words was always clear, complete, and immediate!
Two important conclusions: 1- Not only does Jesus calm the storms of the Disciples, He does so for us. We must seek Him in Trust, and our storms will be calmed too, especially in our hearts and mind.
2- “In this incident, Matthew again presented Jesus as man and God. As man, He slept in the boat. As God, he calmed the sea. As man, He suffers, but as God, He rules.” He fulfills prophecy and this shows He has power over nature.
An Observation that must be noted:
In the healings and in the storm being rebuked, the results of Jesus’ touch or with his words was always clear, complete, and immediate!
Two important conclusions: 1- Not only does Jesus calm the storms of the Disciples, He does so for us. We must seek Him in Trust, and our storms will be calmed too, especially in our hearts and mind.
2- “In this incident, Matthew again presented Jesus as man and God. As man, He slept in the boat. As God, he calmed the sea. As man, He suffers, but as God, He rules.” He fulfills prophecy and this shows He has power over nature.
2. Jesus began in the Sermon on the Mount turning
thinking upside down with His words, now he does it with His deeds.
And He still does. Thanks
be to God
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