They Were All Amazed
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
The theme for this year’s morning sermons is, “The Life Of Christ.”
Up to this point we have been examining what led up to the “fulness of time” and the “prelude” to Jesus’ ministry.
Last week, we studying Jesus’ calling of his disciples and what it means to “Be Called A Disciple Of Jesus.”
Today, we turn our attention to a major aspect of the ministry of Jesus, his miracles, and specifically his healing miracles.
John, the apostle whom Jesus loved, would say concerning Jesus’ miracles…
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
If Jesus’ miracles were such a major part of his ministry and since they help us “believe that Jesus is the Christ” it stands to reason in a study of the “Life of Christ” we should spend some time here.
So with that in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
When it comes to Jesus’ miracles we find their…
Reasonableness
Reasonableness
Jesus Really Did Miracles.
Jesus Really Did Miracles.
They happened just as recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Those that do not believe in miracles make fun of them no doubt.
Did Jonah really get swallowed up by a great fish?
Did Jesus really feed 5000 people with a few pieces of food.
Some who call themselves Christians have gone to great lengths to try and “reason out” how the miracles in the bible aren’t really miracles.
So, why can we be so sure Jesus really did miracles?
First, because Jesus was a real i.e., historical person, not a made up one.
Tacitus, who lived from 56 AD to 117 AD wrote in his book called “Annals.”
“Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus [Christ], from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for a moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…”
Notice…
Christians existed in Nero’s time.
Christ was their creator.
Jesus was killed by Pontius Pilate.
Christianity spread from Judea outward through Rome.
Second, because the Jews couldn’t deny Jesus did miracles.
The Jews couldn’t deny this and wrote…
“Jesus of Nazareth was a transgressor in Israel, who practiced magic, scorned the words of the wise, led people astray, and said that he had not come to destroy the law but to add to it. He was hanged on Passover Eve for heresy and misleading the people. His disciples, of whom five are named, healed the sick in his name.”
Third, because our God can do all things possible.
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Fourth, because the bible can be trusted.
There is nothing in the bible that hasn’t been proven true or unreliable.
There are zero contradictions in the God’s word which makes it impossible to be “from man.”
Summary
Summary
We can easily have faith in God and his word concerning Jesus really doing miracles as we read them.
What a comfort knowing we can trust in such.
We also notice when it comes to Jesus’ miracles their…
Reality
Reality
Miracles Then.
Miracles Then.
We use the term miracle very loosely today.
We talk about the miracle of birth.
People say, “If I pass this test it will be a miracle” or “If I get through this year it will be a miracle.”
However, the word “miracle” has a special meaning and definition in God’s word.
First, a miracle was not natural or even supernatural, it was “supranatural.”
When something in nature takes place that is completely natural, like child birth, that is not a miracle.
When something like rain coming after a drought takes place and much prayer is answered that is possibly a supernatural event known as God’s providence but it is not a miracle because we “can’t know” if God did that or chance happened (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
When a miracle took place it “broke nature” in that it would have been “impossible” without God.
Thus, a miracle is “supranatural.”
There is a reality of Jesus’ miracles that we need to remember.
(1) The reality is Jesus was not limited in his miracles.
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
In other words, Jesus could perform miracles without limit.
Jesus wasn’t limited to the types of miracles he performed.
Matthew 4:23 (ESV)
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Jesus wasn’t limited to the number of people that he could heal.
Matthew 4:24 (ESV)
24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
Jesus wasn’t limited by the faith of those needing the miracle.
39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
(2) The reality is Jesus’ miracles had distinctive characteristics.
Jesus’ healings were immediate.
42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Jesus’ healings were complete.
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.
Jesus’ healings were convincing.
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
Let’s now compare the miracles of then to the…
Miracles Now.
Miracles Now.
The “so-called” miracle workers today are nothing like Jesus or his disciples then.
In fact, one reason people often do not believe in the miracles of the bible is because of the great harm these “modern miracle workers” have done with their lies.
When skeptics examine the miracle workers of today they can easily see through them as imposters and conclude all miracles are thus nonexistent.
As we notice earlier Jesus and his disciples for that matter were without limit when it came to miracles.
Miracle workers today, when they cannot heal someone, often say…
“He didn’t have enough faith.”
“You didn’t have enough faith.”
In other words, they are saying they are limited in being able to do miracles.
As we noticed earlier Jesus healed people immediately and completely.
There has never been a “healing services” where someone is healed “immediately or completely.”
You will never find a withered hand become straight.
You will never see an actual blind man see.
You never witness a skin disease disappear.
What you will see is someone putting their hands on a person and saying “you are healed now keep your faith and it will fully come to take place.”
In other words, over time this miracle will happen.
Lastly, Jesus’ miracles were convincing.
Even those that did not believe in Jesus could not deny that something “supranatural” took place.
They called it magic, sorcery, and any number of things but the miracle could not be denied.
This simply isn’t the case as “every single” modern miracle worker has been proven or could be proven a fraud.
Whether it’s Benny Hinn or Oral Roberts (who needed a hospital) they have been proven frauds.
The words of Jesus couldn’t be more timely concerning these “modern miracle workers.”
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Summary
Summary
The reality is Jesus’ miracles were actual miracles.
They were without limit, immediate, complete, and always served a purpose (Mark 16:20).
Lastly, we notice that when it comes to Jesus’ miracles they always produced…
Results
Results
The Miracles Had An Impact.
The Miracles Had An Impact.
The impact that I’m talking about is not concerning the miracle itself but the result it had on those around it.
When we see Jesus perform these miracles there is a common theme or result that happens.
12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
26 And they were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
Summary
Summary
Those that witnessed the miracle, who were not hardened by sin…
Were amazed, astonished, marveled, and most precious of all “glorified God.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
The miracles of Jesus teach us so many wonderful lessons.
We see Jesus is concerned with the well being of his creation both physically but more importantly spiritually.
Jesus our Christ, is still moved by compassion for us so let us look to our Messiah and live for him who loves us.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.