Matthew 9:35-38

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35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." ~ Matthew 9:35-38

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 9 where the teachings of the Lord Jesus given in Matthew 5-7 have been authenticated by the various miracles listed in Matthew 8-9. The goal of this authentification is that men and women and boys and girls would recognize what is true and real. The goal is that they would believe the Gospel and be born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

In v.35 of today's passage we read, "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people."

The Lord Jesus didn't do glamorous. He wasn't about the big splash. He went to the common folks in the cities and the villages and no city was off limits to Him. And, when He entered a city, He went to the places of worship and there He heralded the truth of the Gospel. Charles Spurgeon once said, "The heart of the gospel is redemption of sinful man, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of the perfect Christ." Along with heralding the Gospel in these cities, the Lord Jesus performed miracles in order to frame up the truth of the Gospel.

The word "Gospel" refers to the "good news" of salvation through Jesus Christ, including His perfect life, His death, and His resurrection. It is through the Gospel that God offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who believe that the Lord Jesus' death paid the penalty that was created by man's sin. It is only when we have been convicted of our sin are we positioned to see the beauty of the Gospel. The Gospel reveals that God loves us at the expense of the life of His Son. The Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals to us that we are so sinful that He had to die for us. The result of understanding the Gospel is that it leads us to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. The Gospel reminds us that we are not superior to anyone, yet, it reminds us that we have nothing to prove to anyone, not even God.

In v.36 of today's passage we read, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

The word "saw" here means the Lord Jesus acutely noticed the plot of the people with the greatest perception. Essentially, He saw lives devastated by sin. Deeply perceiving that the people had no hope, he was deeply moved with compassion for them. This word translated "compassion" comes from the same root as our English word "intestines." Compassion literally means to suffer with deep down in one's being. The Lord Jesus was so moved from deep within that He chose to solve the problems on the behalf of all the people that were before Him.

The Lord Jesus saw a weary and scattered people, a people who reminded Him of sheep without a shepherd. The role of a shepherd is to watch over, feed, protect, guide, comfort, and sustain the flock under his care. And, sheep are not all that smart or perceptive. Sheep without a shepherd scatter easily, wander into dangerous territory, and become lost. Without a shepherd sheep will starve and die. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth as the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.

In v.37-38 of today's passage we read, "37 Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

The point of discipleship is ministry which is paying so much attention to what’s going on in the lives of others and being used of God to help them to come to know Him. In this verse the Lord Jesus placed emphasis on prayer. Nothing makes us more in tune with God and others than prayer. Someone once said, "It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart." Prayer is a conversation with God. Sadly, most believe it is just asking of God certain things, but it is much more than that. Prayer involves listening as well. When we pray, we open our hearts to Him. God doesn’t care so much about the length of our prayers nor does He does care about the eloquence of our prayers. He does care about the heart of our prayers. Prayer is not informing God for He knows all things. But, prayer is a way to invite God in on that which He is making important to us.

Matthew 9:32-34

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32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” ~ Matthew 9:32-34

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus is healing many different people of all kinds of maladies from paralysis to demon-possession. The healings of God have always been designed to merely to point us to a much bigger issue and that other issue is our need for forgiveness of sin. The greatest contemplate of any human is whether to be believe the Gospel, that God sent His Son to remedy our sin problem. The tragedy is that one might receive physical healing from the Lord and then to spend eternity in Hell.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed."

After the Lord Jesus touched the eyes of the two blind men, another needy man was brought into the house, perhaps he was brought in by the previously blind men. This demon-possessed man could not speak. At that time deafness caused by infection in the middle ear was quite common. They had a severe problem with the blowing of the sand that collected in the ears of the people. With some of them infection set in because they were not quick to remove all of the particles that made their way into the ear drum. This man's inability to hear, though, was caused by demon-deafness.

According to the Bible there are demons who war against God and His people.  And, we can knowingly open ourselves up to demonic possession or oppression without realizing where the forces of darkness desire to take us. Even though Christians cannot be demon-possessed, demonic oppression is a real possibility. There are certain arenas that opens us up to the influence of the demonic world such as involvement in pornography, witchcraft, and the occult. Another arena that opens us up to either oppression or possession is blatant disobedience to God particularly in the sexual realm. 

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!'"

The people that witnessed this man being freed from the demon were blown away. Matthew didn’t give us the details as to how this man was delivered. In fact, I find it quite instructive that there was no fanfare about the power of the Lord Jesus to cast out this demon. This was so due to the fact that there was so much demon possession at that time. Freeing this man of the demon was a simple thing for the Lord Jesus. He cast the demon out and the man could speak. 

Unlike the previous miracles, Matthew mentions nothing about this man’s faith. This merely reminds us that faith is not necessary for healing. The gospels are loaded with times that the Lord Jesus healed and people didn’t have any faith. Whereas faith isn't necessarily a requirement for healing, faith is necessary for conversion. The Greek word for "salvation" really means "healing." When we are "saved", we are healed from our broken state of fallenness. In our broken state spiritual death permeates our lives. We are enslaved to our passions, physical and emotional, to such an extent that we cannot even begin to perceive an existence apart from such slavery. To repent doesn't mean to be sorry for something or to suffer punishment for something, it means rather to turn one's mind towards God. Thus, salvation is something beyond simply "going to heaven."  The real outcome of salvation is that we have been reunited in relationship with God.

Faith is much more than a mental assent. It is something that is exercised not just with our minds, but with our entire being. Faith or belief leads us to trust God in an increasing way. It is belief in and trust in God that leads us to salvation. It is the path by which we reach salvation; it is not some abstract prerequisite. Faith is the activity of the soul set free from the bonds of guilt and shame. It does not mean that we will reach perfection, it does not mean that we will not sin. It just means we will increase in our obedience to God because we have grown to trust Him more.

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "But the Pharisees said, 'He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.'"

Without eyes of faith no man can conclude that the Lord Jesus is God. This is why the religious leaders of Israel mounted up their opposition to the Lord Jesus. They had faith. Their faith was just not faith in the Lord Jesus. Their faith, primarily in themselves, protected their religious domain at all cost. There are some people who will not believe no matter how much evidence is given them. The reason for such unbelief is primarily pride. This explains why the religious leaders accused the Lord Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. They were so accustomed at calling the shots in their own lives, they could not come close to entertaining the idea that they needed a Savior. It is quite ironic that on the heels of the blind men being given sight, the religious leaders of Israel were being made more and more blind to the fact that their Messiah had come to deliver them from the domain of darkness.

Matthew 9:27-31

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27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. ~ Matthew 9:27-31

Today, we are nearing the end of our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus has been teaching His disciples about His culture and how it is different to all the others. The Lord Jesus also authenticated His teaching by performing miracles. Previously He had healed the woman with the twelve year old issue of blood and He raised Jairus' twelve year old daughter from the dead. In a subtle way, He through these miracles illustrated the significance of the number twelve. The number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the coming together of our faith and the kingdom of God. The number twelve stands for the coming together of God's great faithfulness and our faith placed in Him.

In v.27 of today's passage we read, "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'"

When the Lord Jesus departed from Jairus' house, two blind men followed him. Undoubtedly darkness had come upon Capernaum for the Lord Jesus had healed the woman with the issue of blood and He was at Jairus' house for the better part of the day. These two blind men not only pictured darkness come upon the people, but also that the land was ruled the one who is the father of darkness. This is why these two blind men cried out for the Lord Jesus to heal them. They were sick and tired of having no sight. As a result, these guys persisted in their request of the Lord Jesus to give them sight.

The two blind men prefaced their request with, "Son of David, have mercy on us." By identifying the Lord Jesus as "The Son of David," they acknowledged Him as the promised Messiah. This title refers to the humanity of the Lord Jesus as the descendant of David that God had promised. It’s a title that is only used in the synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These two blind men saw the Lord Jesus first with their hearts as their long awaited Savior. They believed that all of the promises given to King David by God were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. Interestingly, according to Isaiah 29, when the Messiah was to come, He would open the eyes of the blind. There is not one miracle recorded in the Old Testament of the blind receiving sight.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They said to Him, 'Yes, Lord.'"

The Lord Jesus did not make it easy for these blind guys as He entered another house after leaving Jairus'. As they followed Him and they were shouting out to Him, He just kept on walking. There are more healings of blind people in the gospels than any other type of healing. Here, the Lord Jesus required these two guys to demonstrate their faith by requiring them to be persistent in their faith in Him. Every one of the healings in Matthew 9 required persistence, and that is how the Lord Jesus draws out from us true faith. Persistence is an important part of any type of success. Persistent prayer is standing in faith that God will answer our prayer. Persistence never stops until it receives God’s answer.

After the Lord Jesus entered the house, the blind men followed Him. It was then that the Lord Jesus asked them if they believed He could heal them. He asked this question in order to hear their affirmation to their faith in Him. In Romans 10 we read, "If you shall confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God had raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." 

In response, the two blind men said, "Yes Lord." We cannot say, "No Lord," because those two words are incongruent. These two men had undoubtedly been at Jairus' house when his little girl was raised from the dead by the Lord and they perhaps witnessed the healing of the woman with the twelve year issue of blood. This explains why these two blind men ardently pushed their way through the crowd, crying out their prayer. Their persistent faith in the Lord Jesus to heal them invited their healing through His touch of their eyes.

In v.29-31 of today's passage we read, "Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith let it be to you.' 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, 'See that no one knows it.' 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country."

With a touch of their eyes, the Lord Jesus demonstrated His power over darkness. The Lord Jesus came as the Light of the world to free us from the power of darkness. But, most people prefer darkness over the light. It was not unusual in those days for someone to be blind. The causes were from high poverty to unsanitary conditions to a blazing sun. These guys had somehow come to be defined by the unsanitary darkness around them. 

The Lord Jesus was so moved by their determined faith that He touched them and healed them. After their sight was returned, the Lord Jesus told them to not tell others about their healing. The Lord Jesus gave the same command to the healed leper in Matthew 8. When these two had departed healed, the first thing they did was to tell everyone they could about their good news. They were so overjoyed that they had to let it out. They could not contain their joy, the result of being healed. They could now see and as a result they exploded with gratitude that could not be withheld.

Matthew 9:23-26

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23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. ~ Matthew 9:23-26

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus had just healed an unnamed woman who had struggled with an issue of blood for a period of twelve years. He did this while He was en route to touch a twelve year old girl who had died. As we mentioned in our last study, the number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the intersection of our faith and the kingdom of God. In total, the number 12 appears 187 times in the Bible. The faith of the desperate woman intersected with the divine rule of God and she was made whole. And ironically, the death of this little twelve year old girl bore forth the same message for her father.

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him."

Just before the Lord Jesus healed the lady with the issue of blood, news had reached Jairus that his daughter had died. The delay had proven deadly. And, at that moment Jairus was advised to not trouble the Lord Jesus anymore. However, the Lord Jesus encouraged Jairus, "Stop fearing; keep on believing." Jairus struggled with the full gamut of emotions as he chose to continue to believe that it was possible for the Lord Jesus to raise his daughter from the dead.

In Psalm 55:4-5 we read, "My heart is in anguish within me. Horror has overwhelmed me. Fear and trembling come upon me. The terrors of death have fallen upon me." 

The only cure for our fears is faith in the God of the Bible. No doubt, Jairus went numb when his greatest fear was made a reality. When we are devastated like Jairus, it is always going to be a challenge to our faith in the Lord. But, when we exercise our faith in Him, our fears are to some degree kept from impairing our view of Him as our Sovereign God. It is especially during the times of our greatest pain that we discover there is purpose to all of life's experiences. And, the greatest purpose is to grow in our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.

As the Lord Jesus entered Jairus house, He encountered the people mourning the death of this little girl. Preparations had been made already for her funeral which was to happen that day. The professional mourners who had been solicited were performing their duties as the first part of the mourning ceremony. The emphasis had been clearly placed on the fact that the little girl had died. But, the Lord Jesus assured them all that the little girl would live. The fear of the mourners showed up that day in the form of ridicule toward the Lord Jesus as He made that most striking announcement. Rather than celebrate, they ridiculed, because they were operating according to what they saw. That which we do not understand we are often tempted to belittle.

The contrast that day at Jairus' house was very evident between the hopelessness of the mourners and the hopefulness of Jairus. Faith in the God of the Bible is the greatest antidote to our fears. But, when we are in the middle of intense pain, it is hard to navigate in the arena of hope. Believing that God is sovereign and that He works in every detail of our lives is the only correct way to navigate our lives in this world, whether He chooses to perform a miracle or not.

Death is not what it appears when faith in the God of the Bible is present because even if death comes, there is always purpose to be found in it. Death is merely temporary, and, is nothing more serious than going to sleep. It is only on this side of the curtain that death is our enemy. Just beyond the curtain, the monster turns out to be our friend. The label death is still on the bottle, but the contents are eternal life. Death is our friend because it reminds us that heaven is as near as a stopped heartbeat. 

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land."

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus went into the room where the little girl was located. Then the Lord Jesus took the little girl by the hand and He commanded the her to stand to her feet. Like the woman before, in that moment life was restored to the little girl. It was His touch that raised her to life. This was the first time in human history that a female was raised from the dead. Death departs and never victorious in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This little girl not only had life, she had all the normal strength of a twelve-year-old. This is the way it is in every miracle of the Lord Jesus throughout the gospels. Every one of His miracles were complete miracles, not partial. And, the Lord Jesus could have healed this little girl from afar. But, had He, His personal touch of compassion would be missing in this story. And, it is obvious this is one element that He accentuates in this chapter, His touch. And, to underscore the fact that she was alive, according to Mark's account, the Lord Jesus told the people to get the little girl something to eat. That the story went out throughout the land underscores the fact that it happened because had not the story gone forth it could have been challenged and perhaps made less believable. People do not herald lies. It was a true story where God exercised His power over even death.

Matthew 9:18-22

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18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. ~ Matthew 9:18-22

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus continues to reveal the difference between His kingdom and all others. His kingdom often comes to us in our desperation and as an interruption. In fact, the Lord Jesus came as an interruption to the lives of Mary and Joseph. And, over time they learned this was the greatest interruption of them all. Through Christ's conception God interrupted time with eternity. The divine interrupted the carnal and Christianity was given birth through the most noted interruption of them all. 

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.'"

According to Mark the man who approached the Lord Jesus was Jairus who was the ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum. Jairus had to overcome his prejudice toward the Lord Jesus in order to go to Him and asked of His help. Jairus was made very desperate because his twelve year old daughter had died. When we are this desperate, we are more prone to embrace the very valuable characteristic of humility. Suffering always involves a certain measure of desperation. And, it is out of such a context that we are most likely to look up to the Sovereign One for His unfailing help. 

Jairus was the most important religious person in the city of Capernaum. He supervised all the worship of the synagogue there. Even though his daughter had died, Jairus believed if he could just get the Lord to touch her, she would come back to life. Jairus, believing the Lord Jesus could resurrect his daughter, fell down before the Lord Jesus and worshipped Him. This word "worship" is used 13 times in this gospel. Interestingly, the number thirteen is the number used in the Bible denoting bonding multiplicity into oneness. The meaning of the number thirteen is the bonding of many into one. In this passage the many included Jairus and this unnamed woman.

Jairus went to the Lord Jesus and asked, "come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." Life, he desperately hoped, was to be found in the touch of the Lord Jesus. As we study the Gospels, we often see the Lord Jesus reaching out with his hand to touch people. He touched Peter’s wife’s mother and took away her fever. He touched the eyes of two blind men and gave them sight. He touched the ears and the tongue of a deaf mute and gave him the ability to hear and speak. And, He touched a leper and made him whole. One touch from the Lord Jesus Christ is worth a lifetime of struggles.

In v.19-21 of today's passage we read, "19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, 'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'"

The Lord Jesus responded to Jairus' request by moving in the direction of his house. It was at that point that the interruption came. While en route, a woman with a twelve year physical ailment touched the hem of the robe of the Lord Jesus. The word "touch" literally means "to grab hold of." It is the same word used in John 20 where Mary held onto the Lord Jesus before His ascension. This unnamed woman with her twelve year old problem reached out and clutched the Lord Jesus, desperate for a change within. And, the Lord mercifully delivered her from her flow of blood.

The bleeding this woman was experiencing made her unclean and unfit for worship in the synagogue over which Jairus presided. Essentially it made her an outcast. According to the Law of Moses, if she had touched anyone in her condition, they also would have been pronounced unclean. To prevent that from happening she was required to yell "unclean" so that others would not touch her. But, like Jairus, she was desperate for the touch of the healing hand of the Lord Jesus. She had spent her life’s savings on physicians to no avail. In her final attempt at hope, she fell down behind the Lord Jesus and she held onto Him for sheer life.

The emphasis in this chapter is on that which the Lord Jesus touched. While Jairus wanted the Lord Jesus to touch his twelve year old daughter, the woman with the ailment of twelve years wanted to touch the hem of His garment. Jairus risked his position by associating with the Lord Jesus, while this woman risked being thrown out of the city by touching the Lord Jesus. They both knew that this was the risk they had to take, for they had both run out of options. The intensity of the touch of God on our lives has to do with how we value His presence in our lives.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, 'Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.' And the woman was made well from that hour."

What a contrast here. While this dear woman had this issue of blood for twelve dark years, Jairus' twelve year old daughter had brought him twelve years of light. This interruption for Jairus became the interruption of the flow of blood that this lady had dreamed of for such a long time. I find it quite instructive that the number 12 in the Bible is a symbol of the intersection of our faith and the kingdom of God. In total, the number 12 appears 187 times in the Bible. That day the faith of this desperate woman intersected with the divine rule of God and she was made whole. And ironically, the death of this little twelve year old girl revealed the Lord Jesus as the light who overcomes the darkness. Although we often think His arrival in our lives is an interruption, when we give Him time, He will reveal that He is the One for whom we are most desperate.

Matthew 9:14-17

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14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”  15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” ~ Matthew 9:14-17

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus has shown the difference between His teaching and that of the religious leaders of Israel. In context, the Lord Jesus has been shown by Matthew as Lord over all, sin, sickness, disease and even the stubborn hearts of unbelievers. In our last study, you will remember that the Lord Jesus joined a number of people over at Matthew's house to enjoy a meal. When the religious leaders noticed it, they complained that the Lord Jesus was hanging out with obvious sinners. It was at that point that the Lord confronted them for not recognizing Him as their Savior. The problem with religion is that it places attention squarely on sinful man rather than on the holy God.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?'"

At this point in the narrative, Matthew notes the arrival of the disciples of John the Baptist who were not yet followers of the Lord Jesus. These disciples of John only knew the teachings of John who was sent to point others to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of fallen man. As good religious folks, these disciples of John and the religious leaders of Israel were in the habit of fasting. It was in the Old Testament that the Lord had required the Jews to fast once a year. The only reference we have of a requirement to fast is found in Leviticus 16 and 23 on the Day of Atonement. 

God's command to fast was a command to the Jews to humble themselves before the Lord. Over time the Jews began to believe that to afflict one's souls or to humble oneself was to not eat. So, it became mandatory to fast once a year on Yom Kippur, the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month. However, by the time of the Lord Jesus came to earth, the righteous people had begun to fast twice a week. They had become religious and their thoughts had been elevated over that which God had said on the topic.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

While fasting, some would put white makeup on so they would look really sick and they would be seen by others. This caused others to think of them as spiritual and godly. Despite the fact that the disciples of John the Baptist were sincere in their fasts, they lacked understanding on the subject. The purpose for which God gave the command to fast was to get the people to focus on humbling themselves before the Lord. Fasting was not given in order to manipulate God. The further reason God gave this command was to aid the people at focusing on the sacrifice. This was important because all of the Old Testament sacrifices were meant to point the people to the ultimate sacrifice made at the cross of Calvary. The Jews focused on the wrong thing, they had their eyes on themselves instead of the Lord.

It was at this point that the Lord Jesus used three illustrations. The first illustration had been used by John the Baptist himself when he identified himself as the best man of the bridegroom. In that day, a Jewish wedding did not have a honeymoon rather in lieu of a honeymoon, the bride and the groom stayed at home in the groom's house for one week and entertained all of their friends. Since people in that culture worked so hard, this would be the happiest week of their lives. They got to eat and hang out with their friends everyday for a week. After the wedding week which was a time of great joy, they would go back to their work. The point of this illustration was to remind the people that while the groom was there, they were to celebrate, but after His death on the cross they would mourn.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

These next two illustrations remind us it doesn't make sense to take a new piece of cloth and put it on a garment that's older and has already been washed. The fibers will not match up because the older ones have shrunk. Wine, in that day, was stored in animal skins. The skin of an animal was sewn up. It was often poured in at where the neck is, the legs were truncated and sewn up and they were sealed. And the reason wine was put in the animal skin was because a new animal skin is very elastic. It stretches. It moves. And wine, as it sets, it ferments and as the fermentation process takes place pressure is built up in the wineskin and the wineskin has to stretch.

The Lord Jesus was referring to Judaism here which had gotten to the point of making righteousness about externals things instead of about the heart. The Lord Jesus did not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism. Religion, which always puts fallen man's performance at the center, cannot contain the new wine. The new wine was the New Covenant, the forgiveness of sin and the arrival of God's grace. Religion always meant that the wine would be spilled and the system would be ruined. The Lord Jesus came with something new which is a personal relationship with God where God's performance on our behalf is at the center, always. In this New Covenant everything comes back to the heart that has been the recipient of God's great grace. And, once we have been apprehended by His grace, we will strive to be all that He desires of us for His glory and not our own.

Matthew 9:9-13

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9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. 10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” ~ Matthew 9:9-13

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus had just healed a paralyzed man at Peter's house and the religious leaders who were present there accused Him of blasphemy. They accused Him so because before He healed the paralytic, He told him his sins were forgiven him. The religious, as always, miss the Lord because they knew not that the kingdom of God is for those who are hungry and thirsty, and hurting and hopeless. Since the fall of man, it has always been that pride and cold-hearted self-righteousness has caused man to resist the work of God's grace in our hearts.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him."

After the Lord Jesus left Peter's house, He passed by Matthew as He walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In Mark and Luke's gospels Matthew is referred to as Levi. It was not at that time uncommon for a man to have two names. So, Levi and Matthew was the same person. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax office. He then implored him to follow Him. And, Matthew immediately followed the Lord. 

After his conversion, Matthew was found to be a modest and humble man. He reduced his conversion to one verse here and he said absolutely nothing about himself. This is significant because before Matthew chose to follow the Lord, he was categorically the vilest person in Capernaum. In fact, this was why he used himself, in context here, as an illustration of those whom God forgives. Matthew's was an extreme case of forgiveness. Matthew understood that becoming a believer in the Lord Jesus is similar to getting healed of a disease. The sick will never get cured of a disease until they first admit their sickness.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples."

Matthew was known as a Publican, a type of tax-collector who served Rome. When Rome moved in and took over the land in Israel, they wanted to exact taxes from the people. In order to do this most effectively, they employed individuals living in the land of Israel who bought franchises from the Roman government. This gave these Publicans the right to operate the Roman taxation system in a certain district or town. So, when Matthew bought into the system, he revealed himself as a traitor to Israel. No one, in the mind of a Jew, was a heinous as the Publican Tax-Collectors. As all Publicans did, Matthew overcharged the people, and this was how they made their income. Tax-Collectors were known to extort the middle class and the poor. They became hated by the Jews overnight and Matthew was the most hated man in Capernaum.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'" 

Now, Matthew didn’t tell us about this meal that he hosted because he had become such a humble man. Mark and Luke give the details. Matthew hosted this dinner because like so many new believers, His first thought was how to share the gospel with his friends. The gospel is not a message to be hidden, it's a life-changing miracle to be shared. At this dinner, the Lord Jesus was the honored guest. Meanwhile the religious leaders of Israel found fault with Him because He spent time with tax collectors and the sinners.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'"

The method of evangelism the religious leaders had adopted was finger pointing. They always lumped the tax-collectors with the most notorious sinners, ignoring the fact that they were in as much of a need for the Savior as the Publicans. Henry Drummond once insightfully asked, "How many prodigals are kept out of the Kingdom of God by those unlovely characters who profess to be inside?" 

When the Lord heard the complaint of the religious leaders, He noted that He did not come to invite those who are convinced of their own goodness. Rather, He came to invite people who are convinced of their sinfulness. The gospel is not for good people. The gospel is for bad people who know they're bad and admit it. All of this had been predicated upon the earlier teaching of the Lord Jesus when He said, "Blessed are the bankrupt in spirit." Blessed are those who admit their own spiritual poverty, those who know they cannot be good enough to earn God's favor for themselves. The Lord Jesus came to the very people that the religious had written off. Sadly, those who saw themselves as deserving of an eternity with God will not enjoy it.

Matthew 9:3-8

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3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk?' 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. ~ Matthew 9:3-8

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 9 where the teaching of the Lord Jesus given in Matthew 5-7 is being validated by a series of miracles that He performed afterwards. Although not in chronological order, these miracles illustrates the power the Lord Jesus has over everything, sickness, disease, the supernatural world and the rebelliousness of man.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, 'This Man blasphemes!'"

Right after the Lord Jesus had healed the paralyzed man in Peter's house, some of the religious leaders of Israel who were there accused the Lord Jesus of blaspheme within their hearts. Amazingly, the Lord Jesus knew what they were thinking. They should have been so convicted by this One who had the ability to know what they were thinking but they were too hard-hearted. This is the difference between the believer and the non-believer, it is really all about the heart. 

In 2 Chronicles 36:13-14 we read, "12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel." 

These words were used to describe Zedekiah, King of Judah. His heart had been so hardened by his sin that he felt no compelling desire to repent and to turn to the Lord. He was unfeeling, unresponsive, like a stone to all the efforts made by the prophets to speak truth into his life. Sadly, even when the warmth of God’s grace and mercy shined on Zedekiah's heart, it did not melt. Zedekiah was so cold at heart, there was no thawing within.

Only humility, in response to God's grace and mercy, softens the hardened heart of mankind. And, in the same way that King Zedekiah was hardened to the Lord so were the religious leaders of Israel. Even though they were exposed to that which changes the human heart best, it was not met with the honesty and humility required to make the truth of God active within their hearts. As a result, the Jewish religious leaders there at Peter's house that day accused the Lord Jesus of blaspheme.

In v.4-6 of today's passage we read, "4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise and walk? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins'—then He said to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.'"

The religious leaders accused the Lord Jesus of being a blasphemer because He said to the paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven you." Only God can forgive sin and in forgiving this man's sin, the religious leaders knew that the Lord Jesus was declaring His divinity. But, as they didn't recognize, in order for the Lord Jesus to be our Savior He had to be God because only God can forgive sin. The Lord Jesus attempted to speak rationally to the religious leaders but to no avail. The Lord Jesus had healed the paralytic and He also forgave his sin. Only God can forgive, and the religious leaders were the ones who taught that disease and sickness was a result of sin. This is why the Lord Jesus asked them, "Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise and walk?'"

The command the Lord Jesus gave to the paralytic man, "Arise and walk" brought this moment to a head because if the man had not been healed he would not have been able to get up, much less go to his house. But, in that most memorable moment, the paralytic arose. His movement demonstrated the Lord Jesus not only had the power to heal, He also had the power to forgive sin.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men."

When all those present there that day saw the man get up and go to his house, they marveled. The Greek word translated "marveled" is the word from which we get our English word "phobia." The multitudes saw that the man was healed and they were afraid. This was that kind of fear that leads us to glorify God. Through this true story, they knew the Lord Jesus to be God and as a result, they worshipped Him. Their fear was the kind of fear that made them reverent in the presence of the Lord. 

This was not the type of fear that made Adam and Eve run from the Lord just after they rebelled in the Garden of Eden. This was the same word used to describe the reaction of the disciples when the Lord Jesus had previously stilled the storm. It was also used to describe the response after the healing of the demoniacs. A true encounter with the living God is truly life-changing and will alter our perspective on everything, especially God. The Lord Jesus came to this earth to transform us from within and it is as we submit to this reality that we will see Him as He is, awe-inspiring. Sadly, those who had studied God all of their lives, the religious leaders of Israel, they missed Him when He came. G.K. Chesterton got it right when he said, “This world will never starve through lack of wonders, only through lack of wonder.”

Matthew 9:1-2

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1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” ~ Matthew 9:1-2

Today, we transition into Matthew 9 where the Lord Jesus and His disciples cross the Sea of Galilee and then the Lord will perform more miracles. The point of His miracles was that He would be recognized as the only One who possessed the power to overcome the power of sin. Through His miracles, the Lord Jesus revealed that He was God and that the gospel only provides the remedy for mankind's sin problem. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city."

The Lord Jesus departed from the area of the Gaderenes due to  their lack of understanding that they needed a savior. The Lord Jesus had delivered two men who had long been demon possessed but the people's livelihood was threatened when the Lord Jesus allowed the demons to leave the men and then to go into the pigs. Then the pigs destroyed the herd of pigs. That which captures our hearts most is that which defines us most profoundly. This explains why the people did not want the Lord Jesus to remain there.

We don’t know how much time passed between the deliverance the Lord Jesus gave to the two demon possessed men and today's passage. This makes sense due to the fact that Matthew was not all that concerned with chronology. In fact, he was more concerned with authenticating the Lord Jesus and His teachings than he was anything else. He did this because at the heart of Christian theology is that God forgives sin and we can know that our sin has been forgiven us.  

And so, the Lord Jesus and His disciples went back to the western side of the Sea of Galilee by boat to the city of Capernaum. You will remember that the Lord Jesus had left Nazareth because the religious leaders there had dismissed Him from the synagogue after His reading of Isaiah 61. After being rejected in Nazareth, the Lord Jesus reestablished His home just a few miles away in the little town of Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is most likely that He had taken up residence in the house of Peter. And, as He came back to Peter’s house, there were many people there awaiting His arrival hoping He could heal a loved one.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.'"

When we consider Mark and Luke's gospel regarding this story we know that four friends of this man who was paralyzed brought him to the Lord Jesus. They had all heard that the Lord Jesus had returned to Capernaum and they were hoping the Lord Jesus would heal him if they could just get their him to the Lord. Apparently, his case was quite severe. It may well have been that he was quadriplegic. What we do know is that he was lying on a bed, flat on his back, unable to move himself in any way.

As a result, the Lord Jesus saw quite vividly the faith of these men who were anxious to get their friend to Him. Obviously, they had seen the Lord perform other miracles, but the emphasis here is placed squarely on the faith of the men rather than on the fact that the Lord could perform the miracle. According to the other gospel writers, when these men arrived at Peter's house, they saw the need to climb the external staircase which was so common in those days. They went up on the rooftop and tile by tile, they began to tear the roof apart. When they had created an opening, they lowered their friend down to the Lord.

According to Matthew, Mark and Luke, there was no request given from the four or even their friend. They just lowered their friend to the feet of the Lord Jesus, in full view of everybody, anticipating what He would do. In true humility, this paralyzed man was exposed completely and vulnerably. It was at that point that the Lord Jesus said, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."

The phrase, "Be of good cheer," literally means "Stop being afraid." How daunting it must have been for that man to face God, conscious of his desperation to be freed from his paralysis. In that moment the Lord Jesus spoke forgiveness to this man before He spoke healing to his paralysis. In that moment the Lord Jesus was like a physician who refused to merely treat his patient's symptoms, insisting on dealing with the root cause of his affliction. 

In that moment the Lord Jesus brought attention to the root cause of all of our diseases, sin itself. If the Lord Jesus just dealt with our afflictions and not the root cause of such, we would be those who would have no hope beyond time. But, He came to us offering us His grace that would usher us back into His family. So, the Lord Jesus came lavished with grace in order to reconcile us to God by His forgiveness of our sin. Before the Lord Jesus healed the paralytic, He forgave his sins. In doing so, He showed the man the greater grace because without forgiveness, the healing would have been just temporary.

Once we understand this, we will understand why the Lord Jesus said, "Be of good cheer." Fallen man's desire and choice to go the way of Lucifer did an extensive number upon us all. When sin entered this world it brought along with it guilt and shame. When we violate God’s laws we feel guilt. Almost simultaneously does shame arrive in us explaining why we need to hide from God and others. Though guilt and shame are twins, born in the Garden of Eden, only moments apart, they are not identical. It is our guilt that reminds us that we have violated God's commands. It is our shame that tells us that we are no good and we deserve our condemnation. 

While our guilt and shame yearns to crush us, God's grace longs to deliver us. We've all try to desperately hide our guilt and our shame but they remain deep in the recesses of our souls. When we try to deal with our guilt and our shame on our own, we find ourselves left exhausted. The only way to gain victory over our guilt and our shame is to align ourselves under the only shelter that can withstand the weight of our guilt and shame, the shelter of God’s forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ. I trust that you have trusted in His finished work on the cross and have invited Him into your life to be your Savior. If not, let me encourage you to talk with Him right now, admitting to Him that you know you have sinned against Him and that you believe He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to be your Savior. And, after having done that, ask Him to come into your life for eternity.

Matthew 8:33-34

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33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. ~ Matthew 8:33-34

Today, we conclude our study of Matthew 8 which contains several miracles which were strategically used by Matthew to validate the teaching of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5-7. In context the Lord Jesus had performed three miracles, the last of which He had delivered two men from demon possession. As we pick up the narrative today, we discover the herdsmen of the pigs running into the city to tell the people about the miracle that had just happened.

In v.33 of today's passage we read, "Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men."

Those who herded the pigs witnessed their mass suicide. After the pigs ran headlong into the sea, the herders ran to town to tell everyone what had happened, highlighting the fact that the two formerly possessed men were bound by the demons no longer. The herders of the pigs saw the narrative unfold and they understood the message. They understood that the pigs were not the story, even though they represented a certain amount of wealth loss. These men had witnessed a miracle and they did what anyone who had witnessed a miracle would do, they ran as fast as they could into the city to tell of this amazing miracle the Lord Jesus performed.

There are those who speculate that the loss of such a large herd of livestock, two thousand in all, was wrong and the Lord Jesus was to blame. They assert that the herdsmen were terrified as these two men were rescued by the One who demonstrated His authority to command legions of demons to leave them. As this narrative plays out, we will discover the contrary. Like them, we find ourselves standing in awe of this One who is all-powerful. This is the message that was being granted the people that day, but as we will see, not everyone got it.

In his Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence and the other is to believe in and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Demons are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist on the one hand, or a magician on the other, with equal delight."

In v.34 of today's passage we read, "And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region."

This incident marks a pivotal moment, revealing not only the power of the Lord Jesus over the supernatural but also the deep-rooted fear and materialistic priorities of the people who lived in that place. Instead of embracing the miraculous event that potentially liberated their community, the residents expressed alarm and they begged the Lord Jesus to leave their region. In doing so, they valued their possessions over the One who offered them spiritual liberation from the domain of the enemy. They valued the things of this world over what God offers. Their plea to the Lord Jesus to depart displayed the tragic choice many make today in rejecting the Savior. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden man has valued the comforts of this world to that which the Lord Jesus offers. This story serves as a poignant reminder that many throughout history have preferred their "pigs" over the transformative power of Christ. Ultimately, this episode foreshadows the growing opposition the Lord Jesus would face as He continued His mission among those who could not see past their immediate losses to the eternal blessings that God offers.

After the announcement from the pig herders, "The whole city came out" but according to Luke's account, the people begged the Lord Jesus to leave them because they were "overcome with panic." There was something not so obvious going on here. When the storm came, the disciples were afraid because the Lord Jesus stilled the waves. The disciples were more afraid of the calm than they were of the storm, because they knew God was in their boat, and they were in awe of Him. The Gadarenes saw the supernatural and it panicked them. Their fear won the battle over their potential faith in the Lord Jesus. Amazingly, they saw the Lord Jesus restore two formerly demon possessed men and He liberated them. And they were so scared that they asked Him to go away.

By the way, this is the first recorded instance of open opposition to the Lord Jesus in the Gospels. And the opposition just increased from this point on. These Gentiles despised Him. They saw that He was greater than they, purer than they, more powerful than they, more holy than they, and they could not handle it. Sadly, they didn’t believe Him to be their Savior. Many after this saw His many miracles, and they still didn’t believe. It seems the miracles just made them resist Him even more. Many today say if He would perform more miracles they would believe. Not so, because some people, when exposed in the presence of the awesomeness of the holy God will literally run because they love the darkness more.

Matthew 8:30-32

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30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. ~ Matthew 8:30-32

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 8 where the Lord Jesus has previously calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee and He has just encountered two demon-possessed men after going ashore at a tomb site on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. Where before we saw in vivid display Christ's authority over nature, that He commanded the winds and waves to cease and they did, in today's passage He demanded those in the supernatural realm to obey Him and they did.

In v.30 of today's passage we read, "Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding."

Even though most are not aware of it, there is an unseen spiritual world filled with beings who try to neutralize the work of God in this world. And, since God has chosen to advance His kingdom in this world through His followers, those unseen evil forces are out to thwart God's work in and through us. This why we must be ardent at battling the schemes of the devil who is set on distracting us from the important things, particularly the salvation of those in this world who are yet to be made born again to God.

As this verse suggests, demons desire not to be homeless. Throughout the Bible demons seem to actively search for a human or some object to inhabit. In Matthew 12:43-45 the Lord Jesus said, "When an unclean spirit leaves a man and goes to the dry places and he finds no rests, even though he seeks it, he says, 'I will return and go back to the house from which I have come.'  And when he goes back and he finds it empty and clean and all swept, he says, 'He brings with him seven other spirits worse than himself to inhabit that person.'" Even though these demonic beings cannot inhabit a born again believer, they can possess unbelievers. One must be wise to not invite the demons to come in or else the results could be damning.

In v.31 of today's passage we read, "So the demons begged Him, saying, 'If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.'"

These evil beings asked permission from the Lord Jesus to enter into a large herd of pigs that were nearby. Demons only operate by permission. They cannot decide to overtake someone or something, they must operate according to God's will. In the book of Job, Satan had to get permission from God to oppress Job. God allowed Satan to wreak havoc in Job's life but only up to a point. And since Satan and his cohorts know that the Lord Jesus is God and that in the future He will judge them, they are ardent at doing as much damage now as they can.

The request of these demons to inhabit the pigs was predicated upon the words, "If you cast us out." The demons couldn't just go into the pigs, the Lord Jesus had to give them permission. It is the deity of Christ that sets Him apart from all others who have ever claimed to be our coming Messiah. One of the major factors in proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is, in fact, the Messiah to come is that He has power over the unseen forces of the supernatural world. He came to this world in order to reverse the curse brought to man by Lucifer. At His cross the Lord Jesus rendered the devil powerless. These demons who said, "If you cast us out," proved the Lord Jesus has such power.

In v.32 of today's passage we read, "And He said to them, 'Go.' So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water."

Notice, unlike the demons who shouted, the Lord Jesus calmly spoke similar to when He calmed the winds and the waves. The demons requested that the Lord Jesus allow them to go into the nearby pigs. The gospel of Mark tells us there were about two thousand pigs in that nearby herd, and so revealed here was the great power the Lord Jesus, a power that only God possesses. This true story is a prelude of what is yet to come when at the end of time the Lord Jesus will vanquish all evil from existence. 

The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to remove the power of Satan by paying for fallen man's sin. He did this when at the cross He crushed the serpent’s head and He ransomed His people from the bonds of evil. We read in Colossians 2:15, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

When the Lord Jesus comes back at the end of the Tribulation, He will bring His kingdom in its fullness and at that time Satan’s power will be completely destroyed. We read about Satan’s final judgment in Revelation 20:10 which reads, "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

Matthew 8:28-29

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28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" ~ Matthew 8:28-29

Today, we continue our study of Matthew 8 where the Lord Jesus has been performing a few miracles which authenticated the teaching He gave in Matthew 5-7. Now that the Lord Jesus has taught the disciples and has authenticated His teaching through His healings, He is now leading them into a trial so that their faith will be bolstered even more through the trial. 

In our last study, the Lord Jesus led His disciples across the Sea of Galilee in boats and while they were fretting over a sudden storm that came upon them, the Lord Jesus slept. Like the disciples, we often wonder if the Lord is aware of our plight when calamity comes upon us. We are often found asking,"Lord don't you care?" But, I have learned through many trials that if I give Him enough time, He always shows Himself to be trustworthy. There are times when we must go through the darkest of times in order to hone a clearer view of God.

In v.28 of today's passage we read, "When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way."

When the Lord and His disciples had come to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gergesenes, also known as the Gadarenes, they met two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs. There are various stages and degrees to which demons or evil spirits can affect and possess or control human beings. In this incident we have an extreme case. These men lived among the unclean dead bodies in the limestone caves which lined the cliffs along the sea of Galilee. I only wonder what preceded these demons taking control of these men.

People who are possessed gave the demons at some point permission to enter into their lives. It is no accident that the rise of satanism and occultism in these last few years has coincided with the spread of pornography and obscenity throughout our society. These are always related. These evil spirits are always to be found among that which God has defined as off-limits. The demonic loves filth and obscenity, and if they gain a foothold in our lives that is where they will lead us, to the obscene and the filthy.

Matthew was careful to identify this place as "the other side."  This gives a hint to why these men had been possessed by those demons. It is always our lack or our suspicion that we don't have certain things that would make us feel better. It was their lack that caused these men to go down the road that led eventually to demon-possession. I grew up on the other side of the tracks. For all of my young life I allowed myself to feel less than those on the other side of the tracks. I did this by allowing those on the other side to wrongly define me. How foolish was I to think that proximity mattered in that way. Of course, had I known what many on the other side of the tracks knew, I would not have allowed the lesser to define me. Had I a personal relationship with the Lord then, I would have been wise enough to know that He provides the best definition for our lives. And, when we walk in the way He has called us, it will be then that we will be best defined.

The country of the Gergesenes was Gentile country. The fact that pigs were there reveals the area was not all that much defined by God who in the Old Testament defined pigs as unclean animals that were off-limits. When we disobey God in one area, we will quickly disobey Him in another. Not that we will ever stop sinning this side of heaven, but when we deliberately disobey God, we will find it easier to disobey Him again and again beyond the initial decision to be defined by the lesser.

We live in a world where the will of Satan is being carried out by a host of demonic beings. In Ephesians 6, we read, "We don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual rulers of darkness in high places." These demonic forces hate the Lord Jesus and thus they hate you and me. And they would love to destroy us. When we ignore God's teaching in one area, we unknowingly open ourselves up to the influence of those in the demonic realm. But, as we discover in 1 John 3:8, "The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the Devil." Even though the believer in Christ can be oppressed by the demonic, we cannot be possessed by them.

In v.29 of today's passage we read, "And suddenly they cried out, saying, 'What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?'"

The demon possessed men knew the identity of the Lord Jesus as "the Son of God" even before the Lord Jesus addressed them. The first time the term "Son of God"  is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew comes from the lips of Satan himself.  It was during the temptation in Matthew 4:3-6, when Satan himself tempted the Lord Jesus. Matthew recorded the details in order to underscore the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, even those who thrive in the darkness are fully versed about the identity of the Lord Jesus. There are very many so-called enlightened people today that say that for us to believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God is misdirected. In the Bible, only humans are ignorant enough to deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Even the devil and his demons believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the divine Son of God. 

According to Mark 5, these possessed men were stark naked, cutting themselves with stones and screaming to the tops of their lungs. This is where demons will always lead anyone who has given their allegiance to them. That place always eventually arrives at the place of hatred toward self. When these two demon-possessed men saw the Lord Jesus, they worshipped Him. They knew exactly the identity of the Lord Jesus. There was a time when they were holy angels who worshipped the Lord Jesus, but when they were convinced to follow Lucifer, they lost their allegiance to the Lord. All in the spiritual realm know the Lord Jesus to be the second person of the Trinity. These two even had the right eschatology when they asked, "Have You come here to torment us before the time?" That question reveals they were pre-tribulational, pre-millennial and they knew it was not the time for their judgement.

Matthew 8:23-27

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23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" ~ Matthew 8:23-27

Following the teaching the Lord Jesus gave in Matthew 5-7, Matthew validates it by sharing with us ten miracles the Lord Jesus performed in Matthew 8-9. Today, we will consider the fourth of these ten miracles performed by the Lord Jesus. His first three miracles dealt with disease while the next three will show His power over nature, the supernatural world, and over sin. 

In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep."

In the context of this fourth miracle the Lord Jesus and His disciples traveled 8 miles during the night from the western side of the Sea of Galilee to its eastern side by boat. After some of the twelve got into one boat with the Lord Jesus, the others followed them in another. After some time while on the water, a storm suddenly formed and the disciples were frightened. The lower level of the lake funneled winds down suddenly creating a sudden violent storm. The winds in this storm were around speeds of 75 mph. Due to the typology of that area, a storm would come upon boaters within seconds. 

Meanwhile, the Lord Jesus slept. According to Mark's gospel, the Lord Jesus made a little cushion for His head, and He fell asleep. The sea was raging, the storm was howling and the wind careened. The little boat was tossed like a cork on the ocean. The other gospel accounts of this event inform us that the boat took on quite a bit of water. All the while the Creator of the world was asleep. While He slept, He held the worlds in their places. He Himself feared not. The Lord Jesus Christ displayed the fact that He was God and He knew perfectly what was happening as He slept.

In v.25 of today's passage we read, "Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!'" 

Even though the elements on that lake that night were terrible and the disciples felt quite vulnerable, they didn't realize that they were in the best context they could be, with the God who made it all. The truth was they were most safe and they were not going to die. But, it was natural for them to feel as they did. At the end of the day we will either be defined by the Lord or our incomplete understanding of everything we encounter. It makes the most sense to trust the One who is omniscient and all-powerful. He knows what is best for us. The end goal through our vulnerabilities is our growing intimacy with Him and we do not know such intimacy unless we go through those moments that reveal our greatest vulnerabilities.

To their credit the disciples cried out to the Lord. They identified Him as "Lord" which comes from the Greek word "kurios" used 740 times in the New Testament and most of those times it is used to describe the Lord Jesus. "Kurios" is a title of honor used by servants to address their master. Through this incredible trial the disciples were being convinced that their greatest deficit was their lack of understanding of the Lordship of the Lord Jesus.

In v.26-27 of today's passage we read, "But He said to them, 'Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?' Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, 'Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"

The response of the Lord Jesus to the request of His disciples reveals when we believe in God’s love and His power, we can weather any storm. Believing in His love and power enables us to see that He cares about us and we will be convinced that He can and will handle any situation we encounter, no matter how frightening it may be. This is why the Lord addressed the lack of faith in the disciples. Faith is the heart's ability to see God and it is only developed in us as a result of us going through rough moments and experiencing for ourselves the love and power of God.

It was at that moment that the Lord not only stopped the wind but He also stopped the waves. How strange it must have been when the massive waves stopped. In that silence these disciples were amazed at the identity of the Lord Jesus. Their view of Him was being deepened. This was a gift that came at the greatest cost. With an expanding view of the Lord Jesus like this, it is no wonder that these men minus one died for their faith in the Lord Jesus as Savior and our God.

Matthew 8:21-22

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21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." ~ Matthew 8:21-22

Today, we return to our study of Matthew 8 where the Lord Jesus drew a clear contrast between the valued traditions of Judaism and His culture. For years during the time of the patriarchs and the prophets of Israel the Jews were defined by God. But, as time meandered on, the emphasis in the teaching of the religious leaders of Israel came to emphasize the wrongs things such as obedience over a broken heart before God. This is why the Lord Jesus presented the Beatitudes to the people.

In the context of today's passage, the Lord Jesus had been telling the crowds they would lose comfort if they desired to be known as His disciple. Like the Jews of that day, we value comfort too much. In fact, I'd say that the number one god in America today is comfort. The American culture is perhaps the most comfort-driven in history. Evidence for this is everywhere. Pain and hardship are always considered bad. And, when we run from the hardships that come along in this life, we discover that we are running from God. Tragedy is sometimes a great tool in discovering what is most important to us. 

Given our fallen state, it is God's design to use our pain to force us into a personal or a deeper relationship with Himself. While most reveal their inability to think deeply, we tend to blame God for our pain. Our short sidedness was born in us long ago when we invited the culture of the devil into our souls. Every pain in our lives invites us to kick out the flimsy props that we have always depended upon to support our comfort. When in pain, we can either curse God or fall upon His greatness. The better part of wisdom, which begins with fearing God, leads us to use the pain as a tool to trust Him further.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "Then another of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.'"

In the previous two verses a Scribe had approached the Lord Jesus expressing his desire to be His disciple. We are trichotomous beings, we have a spirit, a soul, and a body. When we were justified by believing in the Lord Jesus we were born again in our spirit. Being born again and being justified before God are synonymous. Sanctification is the salvation of the soul and our souls are made of our mind, will, and emotions. Sanctification which includes discipleship is the changing of our mind, will and emotions. After the Lord Jesus informed the Scribe that He had no place to lay His head, the Scribe vanished into thin air. The Scribe did not utter another word which gave clear indication that he was not really serious about being a disciple of the Lord Jesus.

It was at that point that one who had previously chosen to follow the Lord in discipleship came to Him requesting a time of leave. In Jewish culture there was something called the second burial in which the surviving family members a year after their death would rebury the bones of the dead after the flesh had decomposed. The response the Lord Jesus gave to this man was not that he shouldn’t honor his father as the Law commands but rather which one of these two endeavors has the higher duty. His point was that there is no earthly duty that is more important than following Him. 

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "But Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'"

When the Lord Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead," He meant, "Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead." In other words there are some tasks that nonbelievers can do as well as believers. And these choices are not usually between something good and something evil but between something good and something better. As followers of Christ, there are certain things that only we can do due to the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We live in a world which increasingly is not defined by God. We must not fall into its trap of comfort and unbelief. Granted, it is not our performance as disciples of the Lord Jesus that gets us into heaven, however, now that we know our sin is forgiven, our natural heart response is to invest fully in Christ's kingdom because it is the best for us and it is the best for all who would look to us for answers. When we follow the Lord Jesus, we point others to Him. The indwelling Holy Spirit equips us to not only follow the Lord Jesus but also to be useful in the furtherance of His kingdom in this world.

We must be wise to not trade our souls for the lesser things of this world. From this posture we do well to remember that it was the Lord Jesus who said, "If you will follow me, be ready to be hated." Even though our loyalty to the Lord will garner hatred from some, His worthiness bursts us into obedience to Him. He is worthy of our faith due to His long track record of faithfulness to us. It helps us in this endeavor to remember that as believers in the Lord Jesus we follow a homeless man who owns everything. And, the more we get to know Him, the more we will recognize that our investments made to His kingdom will last much longer than any other investments we may make.