Matthew 14:22-33
After the feeding of the five thousand and the enthusiasm created by such a wonder, Jesus constrained His disciples to go by boat to the other side of the lake. Why?
The disciples wanted to bask in the sun of the Master’s popularity, but Jesus knew that there was more danger in the favor of the multitudes then from the fury of the storm. So Jesus sent them on and the storm had the effect of saving them from the wrong ambitions. They had to learn that the stormy night along with the bright day worked together for their good.
Another suggestion is that they had to learn that He, who had fed His disciples miraculously, was the same one who sent them to encounter the storms and waves of the angry, tempestuous sea. They had to learn that He never sends His own to warfare of their own charges. Strength was there to suffer the trial ahead. Alas, as we shall see, they forget the miracle of the loaves and the supernatural power of Christ.
Also, the disciples had already been tested by the sea. Would they remember the deliverance by their Master? Would their faith be strong?
As for Jesus, after the frenzy of the people wanting to make Him King, He resorted to the mountains for rest, solace and communion with God. After those hours of prayer, He appeared the next day and preached a sermon in the synagogue that turned rejoicing to rejection so much so that almost all of His disciples left Him. The nearness to a path of earthly greatness would have lead Him away from the Cross, and in the solitude on His knees, the victory was won.
Going up to the mountain to pray also reminds us of how Deity and humanity were united in Jesus. On the afternoon of that day we see Him as Very God of Very God, and at night we see Him as very man of very man, standing in need of prayer.
As our creator, we adore Him and as a man of prayer, He is our example.
W also see His ascension to God and His Throne, leaving us to fight the storms of life but not without the protection of the Holy Spirit.
Back in the boat, the disciples were hard pressed. Jesus however knew of their plight and came down from the mountain and walked out to them on the sea. Th disciples were afraid and thought He was a ghost. “It is I, be not afraid.” With these words, we see the ever present Lord in our lives.
For the natural thinking man, this miracle is perhaps the hardest to understand. We must remember that Jesus Christ is the Lord o all creation. It isn’t so much an example of going against the law of gravity as overcoming it.
The walk wasn’t done to show off. It was done for the deliverance of the disciples. Peter, at first, had the faith but his natural tendencies were not to be able to overcome the carnal and rely totally on the spiritual. He was not able to remain in the firmness of his faith. This is the difference between the impulse of faith and the test of faith. Peter started to sink. Jesus asks him. “Wherefore did you doubt?” Jesus would not let Peter drowned even though he had a slip of faith. He won’t let us drown in our sins either.
The record of the miracle ends up with the display of Jesus’ miraculous power on all the diseased brought to Him by interested friends, and they were all made perfectly whole.
The lesson of this miracle is instructive and comforting. Faith is tested by the storms of life, but in struggling home “midst the wind and rain and storm,” He is ever near.
Mass Healing
“And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret and drew to the shore. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him; And ran through the whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those who were sick, where they heard He was…and as many touched Him were made well.” (Mt 6:53-56)
If you want to see the Father, look at Jesus. (Jn 14:8-10) During His ministry on earth, Jesus revealed to man the express will of God in action. When you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father.
Everything He did and everything He said was of the Father. ( Jn 8:28) He was God’s vehicle on earth and God’s way to man and man’s way to God. God’s will was for Jesus to destroy the works of Satan and every work of power and healing was in the will of God.
Jesus could not be against disease without being against sin. He preached deliverance to them and healed all that were oppressed by Satan and oppressed of heart. Jesus, the expression of God’s will, never refused to heal anyone. Power, or virtue, was continually going forth from Him to heal all and to show the glory of God. The only thing that would deter the healing was unbelief. (Mt 13:58)
Jesus told none that they should keep their disease because God was trying to teach him something through sickness. Not one in all of the vast throngs and multitudes was told that God wanted them to stay sick for His glory. It is the healing that brings joy and glory to God, not the sickness. The measure of the healing was according to the measure of their faith.
OUR LORD’S POWER- MIRACLES EN MASSE
“Healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” Matthew 4:23
“All the sick…possessed with devils…lunatics…palsy…He healed them.” Matthew 4:24
“Healed all their sick.” Matthew 8:16
“Great multitudes followed Him and He healed them all.” Matthew 12:15
“Healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matthew 9:35
“These mighty works.” Matthew 13:54-58
“The blind and the lame came to Him… and He healed them.” Mark 21:14
“All that were diseased…He healed many.” Mark 1:32-34,39
“He healed many.” Mark 3:10,11
“Mighty works are wrought by His hands.” Mark 6:2,5
“As many touched Him, were made whole.” Mark 6:55,56
“He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them.” Luke 4:40
“To be healed of their disease…they were healed.” Luke 6:17-19
“He cured many” Luke 7:21,22
“Certain women…healed of evil spirits and infirmities.” Luke 8:2
“He healed them that had need of healing.” Luke 9:11
“They saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased,” John 6:2
There are a large number of indirect references to miraculous action on the part of Jesus. In the Gospels, there are forty-two such references. Nineteen of them are found in “John” alone. They are by Jesus, evangelists, Nicodemus, the people, and Herod.
“The day following, when the people who stood on the side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there…And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when comest thou there?” (Jn 6:22,25)
When the people who were seeking for Jesus arrived at Capernum, they were surprised that He was there. Jesus did not tell them how He had gotten there because He didn’t want the allegiance to Him based on miracles. That miracle was for the disciple’s benefit and, now, ours. The feeding of the 5000 was enough for the people to crown Him King then and there. He had fed them as Moses had done in the wilderness. He had to tell them of the real reason for His mission. “Verily, verily I say unto you, You seek Me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you are of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat that parishes, but for the meat that endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” (Jn 6:26-27)
The people were thinking only of the present with no regard for the future. Jesus was talking about them being fed for all eternity; their welfare and their salvation.
They wanted to know what they had to do to do the works of God. Jesus told them to believe on Him “whom God had sent.”
The hearers were not satisfied. They were still stuck on “what have you done for us lately?” and “What ate you going to do for us next?”
Jesus had a deeper message for them. “I AM the Bread of Life; he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.” (Jn 6:35)
At this, we have the opponents of Jesus bringing in the same argument as He had heard at home. “Why was Jesus saying that He came down from heaven? Why does He say that He is the Bread of Life? “Do we not know Joseph, His father, and His mother Mary, and was not this man a mere carpenter?” (Mk 6:3; Jn 6:41-42)
Jesus answered simply, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and he that comes to Me I shall in no way cast out.” (Jn 6:37) “I AM the Living Bread which came down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)
Another bone of contention came up with these words. Are we going to eat His flesh? It was too difficult for the people to understand and some would begin to leave. His disciples said to each other, “This is a hard saying. Who can hear it?” (Jn 6:60) “Therefore said I unto you that no one can come to Me, except it were given unto him by the Father.” (Jn 6:65) Jesus then questions if the disciples were going to leave Him.
Peter states, “ Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Jn 6:68-69)
Judas was the most disappointed of the twelve. “Have I chosen you twelve, and one of you is the devil.” (Jn 6:70-71)
THE UNWASHED HANDS
“Then came to Jesus Scribes and Pharisees who were of Jerusalem saying, ‘why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” (Mt 15:1,2)
This was Jesus’ chance to level His questioners. “But He answered…why do you also transgress the command of God by your tradition?’
His charge to His questioners went right to the heart of their tradition that they had worshiped instead of worshiping God. Instead of a man helping his mother and father in their old age, he might simply hand over the money for their support and say, ‘It is a gift’ and then have no further obligation to them. It was a scheme to add to the coffers of the treasury and was done in the name of religion. The Pharisees were quieted for now. It was an indictment of their traditions.
The disciples were worried about offending the Pharisees and Jesus said to them, “Every plant, which My Heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Mt 15:13-14)
The Oral Law was just put down. He consigned to oblivion the mass of laws contained in the Mishma and the Gemara.
Jesus continued.” Hear and understand: Not that which goes into a person defiles that person, but that which comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Mt 15:10-11)
The disciples needed further explanation and this exasperated Jesus. “Are you also yet without understanding?” But He went on to explain that is the words that a person speaks come from the heart and that is what defiles them. All of this was later to be used by Peter, as he would struggle with the question of clean and unclean foods. We also see mention of the power of words in James.
The first feature of this miracle is change. Jesus’ labors consist of a succession of tours and journeys. It was a time of peril for Jesus for Herod was suspicious of Him and the Pharisees could not conceal their exited hostility and hatred of Him. The people, who before were enthusiastic over His dynamic teaching and marvelous works, were now taking deep offence at some of His words. Jesus sought the seclusion of a friend’s home and would have no one know of it, but as we read, “He could not be hid.”
Although Jesus departed for the borders of Tyre and Sidon, we are not told that He actually entered this half-heathen territory. A woman from this heathen area, a pagan outside the convent, was to refresh His distressed spirit. This miracle is one of the sweetest stories of them all. The mother’s heart carrying the need of her daughter with unswerving faith to Him who had created the love of the mother. This woman would not go untouched by Jesus’ divine love.
Meeting the Divine Master, she presented her request. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” This shows the affection she held for her daughter but it should be noted that she first asked for mercy for herself and then for her daughter. She was making the child’s misery her own.
We come against a seeming contradictive happening wit this woman. Jesus’ reception of this woman was first with silence. She would not be shaken off for she followed Him with her entreaties, so much so that the disciples were annoyed with her importunity. They wished that she would leave. Jesus’ answer to her pleas. “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, (Mt 10:5,6), which was indeed His mission at that time, as a true minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promise made unto the Father.” ( Rm 15:8) So, as a Gentile, the woman had no claim upon Jesus whatsoever.
The controversy is that Jesus came to save not only Israel but also the whole world. (Ps 72:11; Lk 2:32; Rm 15:9-12) There must have been a purpose, therefore, in the restriction of His ministry almost exclusively to Judea.
He was reserving the perfect salvation of the Gentiles for His passion and resurrection. Besides the revelation of Christ being the “Word made flesh” and being the world’s Savior, there is the theme of God’s chosen people. We see throughout the entire Bible the movement and God’s divine providence to bring Israel to Jesus. “To Israel First”.
Cornelius and the Syrophonician woman foreshadowed the present dispensation of grace. (Rm 11:11) They were “the first drops of the gracious shower which would one day water the whole earth.” (Jn 12:30-32)
She is not of Israel. The word that Jesus used for ‘Dogs” was a soft one meaning little dogs or puppies.
The woman’s answer was on of pure logic and a clear insight into the heart of Jesus. She was asking for a crumb of His mercy.
Her reward is that she is commended for her great faith and she received a cure for her child and she gained the full treasure house of divine grace.
Spurgeon said of this happening that “Jesus tried her faith by His silence and by His discouraging replies, that He might see its strength; but all the while He was delighting in it. And when He had sufficiently tried he faith, He bought it forth as gold, and set His own royal mark upon it in these memorable words, ‘ O woman, great is your faith; be it unto you even as you want.”
The lesson is that of reward for persistent faith; the faith that changes despair into the full assurance of hope, the faith that overcomes all obstacles like silence, exclusion, and apparent reproach, the faith in Christ’s willingness and ability to undertake for us. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”
THE DEAF AND DUMB MAN OF DECAPOLIS
“And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis, And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment of speech; and they beseech Him to put His hand upon Him.” (Mk 7:31,32)
This sufferer is one of the many healed in Matthew 15:30. This man could not hear and had a great difficulty speaking. God lost the ears of man in the garden, and since then man will listen to everyone and everything except God. (Ps 81:13: Heb 2:1-3) The tongue of the unsaved person is as estranged from God as his ear is.
The methods used in this miracle were: Isolation; not for privacy but to prevent excitement and also to obviate and profane imitations of His creative act, (Mk 7:33); better concentration by the one who would be healed; and He didn’t wish to bend to those who would seek a sign. He put His fingers in the deaf man’s ears to encourage the man by touch and it is also the first defect to be removed. He used saliva and touched His mouth with His finger and placed His finger on the man’s tongue as a symbol of the supernatluralness of Jesus being transferred to the man. Christ looked to heaven to God in prayer; sighed because sadness was His at the sight of suffering. He spoke a miracle and it was done. The results were immediate. The man’s hearing was restored, his tongue was loosened, and he had plain speech. The work of Satan was undone.
We must first hear, then receive, then believe, then conceive, and through speech; achieve. (Rm 10:17; 2 Cor 4:13)
THE FEEDING OF THE 4000
“And Jesus departed from there, and came nigh to the Sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them.” (Mt 15: 29-30)
“Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him and said ‘I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat; I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.” (Mt 15:32)
The contrasts between the ‘feeding of the 5000’ and the ‘feeding of the 4000' are: There were different locations and motives, (this time Jesus spoke first; the 5000 was at Bathesda, the second at Dacapolis; the first had a storm right before it; the 40000 didn’t; Jesus stayed at Bathesda one day and at Dacapolis, he stayed three days; the 5000 were local people and the 4000 were travelers; the 5000 were fed with five loaves and two fishes and the 4000 were fed with seven loaves and a few little fishes; the containers used were different.)
Why two reports concerning both feedings? The feeding of the 4000 was to give the Gentiles the same sign as the Jews and for the disciples, we have double enforcement.
When it comes to Jesus, He never sends us away fasting for salvation. We see again, as with the feeding of the 5000, that Jesus is the Bread of Life, we see His kindness and compassion for His people and that the more we give, the more we receive. Always, there is gratitude given to God for all of His bountiful provisions.
THE DEMAND FOR A SIGN
“And He sent away the multitude, and took ship and came into the coasts of Magadan. The Pharisees with the Sadducees came tempting Him, and desired the He would show them a sign from heaven.” (Mt 15:39-16:1)
Jesus rebukes these great teachers and leaders of the people who should recognize Him as, the One who is spoken of the Scriptures and that although they understand the signs of the natural world, “But can you not discern the signs of the times?” (My 16:3) He then repeats the reminder of the ‘sign’ of the prophet Jonah.
The disciples, after they had left the Jewish leaders, “had forgotten to take bread.” They thought that Jesus was now rebuking bread when He said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” He new what their thoughts were, and said to them, “…Oh you of little faith…” and reminded them of the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000 with the loaves and fishes. Then they understood that He was talking of the false doctrines of the Jewish leaders.
THE BETHESDA BLIND MAN
“And He comes to Bethesda; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.” (Mk 8:22)
The features of this miracle are that it was the faith of friends that brought the blind man to Jesus, there was isolation, and the cure was in a progression.
When we come to Jesus for the first time, we are spiritually blind. It takes some time to completely understand the full meaning of salvation at first and time is needed to study the Word before we can gain an understanding of all that it means for us.
PETER’S CONFESSION
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phillipi, He asked His disciples saying, ‘ Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Mt 16:1)
After a time of prayer, (Lk 9:18), Jesus asks this question. They had to admit that He was not thought of as the Messiah, but as a prophet, John the Baptist or Elijah. The people’s idea of the Messiah was one who would come and literally take things over, government, and all. They were looking for a warrior.
That answer led to another question. “But who do you say that I AM.” Peter’s answer was short and to the point. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Mt 16:16)
It was very important that the disciples knew that Jesus was the actual Son of God. In this, one of the few times that He was able to teach His disciples without the benefit of multitudes, He would begin to impress upon the disciples the fact of His Deity. The people and the leaders of the Jewry had rejected Him either as not being the true Messiah or as being from God, but a threat to the status quo. This was all predestined and Jesus now works to convince His disciples. Even though His disciples admitted that He was the Son of God, they were still skeptical. It was their faith that kept them with Him.
Peter’s confession had a ring of absolute conviction. It was of transcendent importance and Jesus received the statement with great joy. “Blessed are you Simon Barjonah for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in Heaven.” The Spirit had revealed this great truth to Peter. All of Jesus’ acts and miracles were designed to reveal this point. Jesus is saying, Finally! Someone is getting the point of all of this! Next comes the first mention of the Church. Much has been made of the next statement of Jesus. “That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church…and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” (Mt 16:18,19)
In “ The Days of His Flesh” David Smith makes a statement pertaining to these two verses. “It is the Papacy’s grand proof-text; and it is surely no less a tragedy, a pathetic evidence of human perversity that on the saying of Him, who combated the priest-class of His day even unto the death, a new priest-class would be built, more enduring than the old, more widespread in its dominion, and more malign in its influence. Suffice it to observe that the Romanist interpretation is sanctioned by none of the great fathers. Origin insists that the promise was made not to Peter alone, but to every disciple who joins in Peter’s confession. St. Chryostom holds that the rock was not Peter, but Peter’s faith, “the faith of his confession.”
The “keys of the Kingdom” are the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The rest of the statement reveals that the job of the disciples will be to gather the people of the world to the Church.
“The gate of Hell” pertains to all evil that flows forth from Hell. All of this evil cannot “prevail against it.”
In Jesus’ caution of not telling anyone that “He was the Christ,” (Mt 16:20), we see the ignorance of the people to comprehend the depth of meaning that such a statement carries. If they couldn’t fathom this truth, while witnessing His divine power and majesty, how could the comprehend the mere sayings of a natural man? For all of our faith and belief, we cannot save the unbelieving. This is done by the grace of God and the belief in Jesus Christ. We can lead the unbeliever to Christ, but we can'’ make him drink of the “Water of Life.” They must accept Jesus on their own accord.
“From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how He must go into Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him saying, ‘Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be done unto you.'’But He turned and said unto Peter, '‘Get thee behind Me, Satan! you are an offence to Me: for you savor not the thins that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Mt 16:21-23)
Peter thought that he had to straighten Jesus out because He was now talking of His death. It was a combination of his love for Jesus, knowledge of His Divinity, and a natural man’s reasoning that prompted his rebuking of Jesus.
Jesus, recognizing the voice of Satan in the proposition that the people would do nothing to Him because He was the Son of God. He was being tempted again as H was in the wilderness. Jesus was rebuking the work of Satan in Peter’s words. Satan had used Peter’s passion and strong resolve. Jesus was merely telling Satan that He was past listening to him and that Peter’s words and thoughts were natural and not spiritual.
This kind of thinking has invaded many of the churches and church leaders today. The thought that the words of ‘God the Son’ cannot be complete leave them to thinking that something must be added and so they cling to their rites and rituals thereby discounting the power of Jesus and Jesus alone to be our salvation. Only one tool of worship is needed and that tool is prayer. Only one mediator and advocate is needed so that we might be presented perfect before God and that One is Jesus Christ.
To add or subtract from the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to deny its existence. All we need is written in the Book of God.
Jesus went on to tell His disciples the cost of discipleship. “If any one will come after Me, let that one deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
The Gospel benefits are based solely on the basis of personal choice and meeting certain conditions. (Jn 3:16; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Rev 22:17) One must give up their self-will and habitually follow Jesus and God’s will regardless of the price, even unto death; not only when it is comfortable and convenient or popular. (Lk 9:62; Heb 10:38-39)
The four things listed to be done are: Deny self daily and renounce all self-dependence, self-interests, and self pursuits which are contrary to God; take up your cross daily; follow Jesus daily and continually.
“For whosoever will save his life will loose it; but whosoever shall lose their life for My sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it.”
To save one’s life at the expense of the teaching of the Gospel and Christ will cause physical and spiritual death. To avoid this, one must lose his life or deny themselves of whatever is necessary to win Christ, and they shall save their soul. What a person loses in this life in the pursuit of Jesus and daily denial of self will be repaid a hundredfold in this life with eternal life and inheritance in the world to come. (Mt 19:29;Rm 8:16-18; 1 Pet 1:4-5)
In verse 16:28 of Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples and us that we will not suffer spiritual death “til they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
The Transfiguration Mark 9:1-13
“And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart. And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.”
Everything about this happening was supernatural. As Jesus prayed, He “was transfigured before them.” The word for ‘transfigure’, metamorphoo, means not only an outward change of clothes or acts, but also an inner essential change. The description of the transfigured Savior not only describes a change in His outward appearance, but an outflashing of His inner, essential divine nature.
His transfiguration was prophetic of His revelation in the glory, which He had with His Father before the world was, and His incarnation. Deity shows through the glorified face and shining raiment of Christ.
“His face did shine as the sun” and as Luke puts it, “The fashion of His countenance became other than it had been.”
His veiled glory also covered His garments, changing them into a dazzling brightness. “And there was a “bright cloud overshadowing” all. This was the Shekinah wrapping around Him, the Shekinah glory that appeared above the Tabernacle that Moses had built.
Adding to this supernaturalness was the Father’s voice saying, “This is My beloved Son, in who I AM well pleased; hear Him.”
An important feature of the transfiguration is that Jesus, if He had wished, could have been raised right at that moment! Jesus turned away from the glory in order to carry out His mission. (Heb 2:10) The glory of the mount was the emphasis to the announcement of His death.
Such a supernatural vision confirmed the disciple’s faith in Jesus’ Deity against the shock of the days that were to come. The three who had witnessed His Glory obtained a sense of security as they faced their own martyrdom for His sake. (2 Pet 1:14-18)
The disciples recognized Elijah and Moses by revelation or just intuition. It is clear that their identity had been retained.
“They spake of His decrease, His exodus which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.” (2 Pet 1:15)
Both were there because of their relation to each other and because they were proper representatives of the old dispensation that was about to end with the death and ascension of Christ. Moses represented the ‘Law’ and Elijah represented the fellowship of the prophets and of prophecy. They were witnesses to the passing of the old order, and to hail the incoming of the new. The ‘Law’ and the ‘Prophecy’ were combined in Jesus.
Peter, James, and John were the only disciples who were ready to witness such a supernatural vision. Jesus wanted to assure these three so that they would not loose faith in the days to come and because of His foretelling of those days.
Peter wanted to build the three tabernacles so that all of this rapture would continue but earth is not heaven. He had forgotten that we are given glimpses of the divine glory not to take us away from out duty on earth, but to make us ready for the coming Kingdom and strengthen out resolve.
This ‘happening’ was for the disciples, the Master, and us. We have been given our glimpse in truth of a transfiguration of standing and position, of character and life, of outlook and hope.
“And when they came to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is a lunatic and sore vexed…” (Mt 17:14,15)
Jesus now goes from communication with the Father to communication with the devil; from supernatural splendor to having disciples who are baffled and beaten. The father of the boy approached in all humility and reverence and had turned to Jesus because the disciples could not help him.
“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.” (Mk 9:19)
The boy had severe convolutions and was deaf and dumb. This was a supernatural affliction. The boy got worse the closer he got to Jesus. The father had come to the end of all he could do for his son and he comes to Jesus with faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his son.
“If you can believe, all things are possible to they that believe.” (Mk 9:23) The father cries out, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief.” With that, Jesus said, “You deaf and dumb spirit, I charge you, come out of him, and enter no more into him!” The boy, after looking like he was dead, is helped up by Jesus. The disciples wondered why they were unable to help the boy. Jesus tells them, “This kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting.” This was because of unbelief. The lesson of this miracle shows us the vicarious and victorious power of faith, the strong love, and faith of a father, and that sinners are in bondage to Satan. They are deaf to God’s truth and dumb in utterance to sing His praise and no human power can emancipate them from their depravity. Only through deep faith and belief in Christ can this be achieved.
Right after this miracle, Jesus felt that it was necessary to repeat the foretelling of His death and resurrection after the failure of the disciples and the victory over Satan by the Son of God.
“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, ‘Does not your Master pay tribute?” (Mt 17:24) Peter’s answer is proof that Jesus paid tributes to the temple that was common to the people. Jesus, in His statement to Peter, said that this is a tax levied for the temple of which He was Lord, and He would not be obligated to pay and the disciples would not be obligated to pay either. But to save offence, they would pay. In the miracle of the coin in the fish’s mouth, we see Our Lord’s power over all creation. This miracle was done for the disciples to remind them that He was the Son of God with power.
THE CHILDREN AND DISCIPLESHIP
“At the same time came the disciples to Jesus saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” (Mt 18:1)
Due to the recent events, the disciples appeared to realize that something great was about to happen and they believed that it would be the start of the Messianic Kingdom. With this on their minds, they were full of questions concerning this coming Kingdom when they should have been asking about what Jesus was trying to teach them about their discipleship. Favoritism had already been shown by Jesus taking Peter, James, and John with Him when He raised the Pharisee’s daughter and at the Transfiguration. Jealousy was being felt and this is what prompted the question.
The answer was, “If any one desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” (Mt 9:34)
Then to illustrate this lesson He took a child into His arms and told them that they should be as humble as a little child, giving up all self-will or they could not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A child has no ambition or selfishness, and is received unto God. “Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receives Me.”
The question of “Who is the greatest? Runs rampant in our churches today, even to the point of one not being saved if they do not belong to the ‘right church’ or sect. The nest statement should be taken to heart in many of our Christian denominations today when John asked Jesus about the one who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name but was not a member of their group.
“Forbid him not; for there is no one which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me. For the one who is not against us is on our part.” (Mk 9:39,40)
Certainly Jesus spoke against sectarianism. The fact that the man was having success in casting out demons indicated that the anointing of God was upon him, “for the one who is not against us, is for us.” (Lk 9:50)
“And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believes in Me, It is better for that one that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” (Mk 9:42)
Jesus used the child to symbolize the true disciple, and so it is in this case. “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven that one of these little ones should parish.” (Mk 19:14)
The believers are promised power in verse 18 of Matthew 18 and the disciples were told of the power of prayer and the simplicity of local churches and Christian worship. “That if two of you agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt 18:19-20)
FORGIVENESS
“Then came Peter to Him, and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, until seven times? Jesus said to him, ‘I say not unto you seven times, but until seventy times seven.” (Mt 18:21-22)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant teaches a very important lesson of the Kingdom of Heaven. If one is in want of forgiveness, that one must first forgive; also the necessity of godly treatment of fellow Christians in the Kingdom of Heaven or realm of profession in this age.
This parable can be divided into three distinct parts: the king and his servant, the reckoning, the debt, impossibility of payment, judgement, mercy given, the king’s compassion and cancellation of the debt: the servant and fellow servant- new freedom, small debt, possibility of payment, judgement, mercy not given: the king’s judgement against the first servant and the results of that judgement.
The implications are: God cancels all debt for penitent sinners, God demands fair treatment between Christians, and God will not forgive unless one forgives.
“After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee: for He would not walk in Jewery, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now was the Feast of Tabernacles at hand. His followers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart hence, and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You do.” (Din 7:1-3)
The disciples want Jesus to show Himself and make Himself fully known to all, as the disciples knew Him. This was no ordinary man who would have taken the opportunity to exhibit himself before the public that he might become famous. Not so with Jesus.
“For neither did His followers believe in Him.” (Jn 7:5) They knew His miracles and accepted Him as a prophet, but not as the Messiah, for they had found Him declining Kingship, (Jn 6:15), which was one of the Messiah’s supposed chief offices, They could not believe that He would do this if He were really thee Messiah.
“My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready.” The world cannot hate them because they still had its interests at heart and Jesus had condemned its injustice, pride, ambitions, way of life, and its doctrines. It would be best if the people not be advised of His coming. Their earlier fervor to crown Him King after the feeding of the 5000 was still in their thoughts.
Jesus followed them to Jerusalem secretly. The people were anxious to see Him and that meant the ones who liked Him and the ones who didn’t. “Howbeit no man spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.” Not even His own disciples.
Jesus made his appearance, taught and, as usual, the Jews marveled at His wisdom. Jesus claimed, as He did six more times in “John” that He spoke only God’s words and at God’s direction and if “any man do His will, he shall know of His doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”
Since Jesus proclaims God’s glory, He was not seeking His own, just as Moses had done in giving The Law, “and yet none of you keep it.” And Jesus asked them point blank,”Why go you about to kill Me?’
The people, being ignorant of the plots of the Pharisees, were astonished at this saying. Jesus tells them of the Bathesda healing on the Sabbath and its results.
The Jewish objection to Jesus was that they knew this man and Isaiah 53:8 taught them that, when the Messiah would be born, he would be hidden and that when he appeared, no man would know where he came from. They had a proverb: “Three things come unexpectedly: a thing found by chance, the sting of a scorpion, and the Messiah.” What is ironic about all of this is they didn’t really understand where He came from, His Father, and who He was, The Christ. They moved to kill Him.
He would be with them for only a small time but soon He would be with God and they would not be able to find Him, and where He would be, they could not come because of their unbelief. They didn’t understand this. This is basically the way the Jews stand today as a nation.
THE WATER OF LIFE
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, our of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (Jn 7:37-38)
In these verses, we find conditions and results.
First, “thirst”: This means the ardent, eager, famishing, keen and all-consuming craving and passion of the soul for complete union with God and the fullness of the Spirit. (Ps 42:2)
Second, “Come to Me”: This means the complete surrender of life to do the whole will of God as light is received. (Isa 55:1)
Third, “Drink”: This means the wholehearted reception into one’s life of the gifts, the fruit, and operations of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:4-13; Gal 5:22-23; Rev 22:17)
Fourth, “Believe on Me as the Scripture has said.” This means to believe in and obey to the letter the whole Gospel program. (Jn 14:12-15)
All of this must be done in absolute faith. When this is done, out of the believer will flow unlimited power to do the works of Christ. It flows from the midst or innermost being or part of a man- the soul, spirit, as the seat of intellect, emotions, and desires. (Ps 3:9; Prov 18:8; 20:27; Jn 7:38)
It is the constant flow without measure, the same measure that Jesus experienced.
This is the explanation that Jesus gives, that the rivers of living water refer to the fullness of the Holy Spirit that was to be given to all people after His ascension and is Joel’s prophecy, (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:1-21)
