Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

We’ll be laying out this passage according to the thought of Matthew and seeing his intended purpose for the chapter rather than unpacking any one story fully.

ILLUST - Ever felt powerless ?

When working on a truck, it took off out the door and I had to chase it - it was completely out of control and I was powerless to direct or stop it.

How did being powerless make you feel?

Anxious?

Fearful?

These are not the qualities of the Kingdom of God.

And they are not because of the King.

Matthew describes in recounting these events that Jesus has authority over three areas of our lives - and the demonstration of Jesus’ authority in these areas leads to one conclusion about his authority in our lives.

These three areas cover everything in our lives.

These three areas are the places from which our anxieties grow.

The authority that King Jesus has is used for life.

Matthew begins to paint a picture of this by highlighting three stories where Jesus uses his authority over sickness and disease.

This is especially shocking when we see that the people that Jesus heals are on the outskirts of Jewish life - A leper, a Gentile servant, and a woman.

Jesus has authority over sickness and disease.

(8:1-17)

(The leper, the servant, and the woman)

Leper (1-4)

Matt 8:

Sickness

Sickness

- leprosy (if actual leprosy) was unhealable - a death sentence - no one had authority, knowledge, or ability to heal it.

I love what happens next:

The Touch

The Law of Moses stated that to come in contact with someone with leprosy made that person unclean.

Jesus could have spoken the healing for the leper; instead, he touched him.

He broke social taboos.

“By touching an unclean leper, Jesus would become ceremonially defiled himself.

But at Jesus’ touch nothing remains defiled.”

— D. A. Carson

To touch the untouchable and make clean the unclean is the perfect display of the love of God.

The person of Jesus, the King himself, has the authority to heal and make clean.

The Benefit of Healing

Matt 8:

Jesus wanted the now clean leper to go to the priest - according to the Law he was the one who could declare the leper clean and allow him to come into the community life.

Imagine their reaction - this had never happened before.

Imagine their reaction - this had never happened before.

Servant (5-13)

Healing is based on Jesus’ will not mine.

Next, we see that the authority and power of the King is not only for a select few, for a certain race, social status, or group of people.

Matt 8

- A centurion - a man with authority from one of the world’s greatest powers comes to Jesus when he recognizes he has no more authority over nature than the lowliest slave.

The authority of the King is found not only in who he is but what he says.

If Jesus could heal someone at a distance simply by saying the word, imagine what the power of the word of Jesus could do in your life.

Belief in the Jesus’ words is essential to the faith which allows some into the Kingdom and the lack of trust in Jesus’ words is what keeps people out.

Matt 8:11

There are some here today that need Jesus to speak into their life.

What are the things in your life which you need Jesus to speak into?

Peter’s Mother-in-law

Physical healing was part of Jesus’ ministry while he was here on earth, but it wasn’t the whole reason -

I honestly struggle with the word “many” in this passage.

Jesus healed all who were sick and came to him that evening, but he didn’t heal all the sick in the world - why not?

Matt 8:1

Matthew points out these healings revealed that the Kingdom of God had broken into and begun a rebellion against the kingdom of this dark world, but the King came to do something far greater than simply heal physical sickness and disease.

He came not only to give us physical life but spiritual life as well.

Beyond the fact that Jesus can and does heal (Sickness and disease is not his plan), these stories tell us three things:

This tells me three things:

Jesus can and does heal.

Healing is based on Jesus’ will not mine.

(The leper rightly understood his healing was based on whether Jesus would, not if he could.

Jesus doesn’t limit his healing (physically or spiritually) based on where we come from or what we have done - It’s based on what he can do not what we have done.

When Jesus heals it points to the cross.

Matthew links the physical healings of Jesus with the promise of spiritual healing of the Messiah in .

The King takes that which separates us from the Kingdom (sin) and by his authority absorbs it himself, in order that we can be healed.

— Jesus heals and it leads to discipleship (healing leads to discipleship) - sometimes physically - always spiritually ()

Jesus is worth following even if he doesn’t heal now.

Jesus has authority over nature.

(8:23-27)

(One terrible storm)

The storm

I can generally sleep like the dead, (ILLUST - I can fall asleep while talking to Christine - borderline narcolepsy), but I don’t think I could sleep in a storm in a soggy, sinking boat.

The presence of power

:23-24

Jesus could sleep not only because he knew the limit of the storm - he was the limit!

Matt8:25

The presence of power

Jesus could sleep not only because he knew the limit of the storm - he was the limit!

The peace

Matt 8:26-

- Fear creeps in when faith recedes.

Which means the inverse is also true - fear recedes when faith is brought in. 

- HOW? 

**notice how the peace was expected to be present even in the midst of the storm.

“What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” 

- He is the King of Creation

— (The presence of Jesus leads to worshipful peace)

Jesus has authority over spiritual forces.

(8:28-34)

(Two men and many demons)

When Jesus reaches the other side, he is faced with another scene that requires and receives his power.

The Demons

lit- “No one ‘had the power’ to pass that way.”

lit- “No one ‘had the power’ to pass that way.”

- spiritual forces so strong the blocked everyone, but Jesus.

- spiritual forces so strong the blocked everyone, but Jesus.

The demons recognized Jesus and, as he is King, they knew his authority and power.

No one on earth could bring freedom to these men, but Jesus .

The Pigs

Matt 8:30

Satan wants you in bondage in order to destroy you .

Jesus wants to free you.

Not everyone will respond well to the option of freedom:

Matt