The Work Continues
Matthew 15:29-31
The story of Jesus Christ truly is the greatest story ever told. One of the greatest aspects of that story is the fact that it is not over. Though Jesus ascended to Heaven, He is still working here on earth. Jesus is still changing the hearts and lives of people as we speak. Though He secured the ultimate victory at the cross, the process of redeeming mankind continues!
Jesus came as a babe in a manger with the eventual purpose of saving the world from their sins. The Bible gives us a brief account of His early years and then there is a gap in the record of His life. In John Chapter 1 we are reintroduced to the events of His life by John the Baptist as he proclaims - …Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) In Matthew 4 we witness Satan tempt Jesus after a time of fasting. Jesus resisted the Adversary there in the wilderness. Shortly after this Jesus preached in Galilee. He then chose and ordained the 12 Disciples. He continued throughout the region teaching, preaching and performing miracles. He healed multitudes of people (Peter’s Mother in Law, a leper, a paralyzed man ,a man with a withered hand, the woman with an issue of blood, the centurion’s servant and many other sick people.) Jesus even raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
By this point in His ministry He has preached the great Sermon on the Mount, He has been challenged by the Pharisees, He has cast out many demons (He even sent an entire legion into a heard of swine) He has walked on water, stood on a boat and calmed a raging storm, and fed 5,000 men with a little boy’s lunch. In the previous chapter He healed even more people - Matthew 14:34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
In recent days He has taught the Scribes & Pharisees about inner purity. And in the preceding verses Jesus cast a demon out of a little girl. Our selected text says that “they brought Him many sick and He healed them all” . Even with all that we have covered, Jesus was just getting started!
The Gospels record many miracles, there are many others that are not recorded, and the good news is that Jesus is still working today! Lost people are still being saved and saved people are still being sanctified. His amazing work continues. There are times when we grow tired and weary, but not Jesus! He is ever working in the lives of His people. I want to walk through these 3 verses and preach about the fact that "The Work Continues".
Scripture records several occasions where Jesus would see a multitude and He would have compassion on them. This has not changed. There is no shortage of people who are need of a miracle, and Jesus is the only hope that they have. Consider that:
I. THE NEED FOR A MIRACLE CONTINUES - v30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet;
Notice this phrase - “And great multitudes came unto him”. Certainly there were some who came to Jesus on their own. We have a picture of this in a previous miracle. The woman who suffered from an issue of blood sought Jesus out and reached down and touched the hem of His garment. Because of her faith she was made whole.
But in this specific passage, the majority of the people were bringing others to Jesus. They brought with them those that “were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others” . The blind man couldn’t see to get to Jesus. How did the deaf man know of Jesus unless someone told him? The lame man couldn’t walk to where Jesus was. People saw their loved ones in need and they took them to Jesus!! They saw the need and they cared enough to act on behalf of those in need. They took them and “cast them at Jesus’ feet”. It is very likely that some of those who brought people to Jesus had experienced His healing touch in their own lived.
Perhaps one who had been delivered from a demon brought others who were possessed. Maybe one of the previous blind, deaf, dumb or lame men brought others to Him. Maybe one of those who had been cleansed of leprosy went back to the leper colony and said COME WITH ME!!
This is exactly what happens when Jesus saved a lost soul. People get delivered from their sins and immediately they go and tell everybody what Jesus did for them! When you truly get saved you want the whole world to get saved! When you truly meet Jesus you want everyone to meet Jesus! Those of us who are saved should have that same desire to take all of our loved ones and “cast them at Jesus’ feet”
You will notice that when these people were placed a the feet of Jesus, He healed them. Jesus did not turn them away... instead He changed their lives! If you will bring your lost loved ones to Jesus, He can and will do the same for them today. Jesus worked miracles in people's lives back then, and He is still working miracles today. Notice that:
II. THE WORK OF THE SAVIOR CONTINUES - v30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
The main focus here is the last 4 words of this verse - “and He healed them”. Jesus healed many, He continued to heal many and Jesus continues to heal many today!
Mark 7 gives us a detailed account of one of these amazing miracles of Jesus. Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee. Someone brought a deaf man with a speech impediment to him. They cried out to Jesus and asked Him to heal him. Jesus took that man away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat on His fingers and touched the man’s tongue. He then looked up to Heaven and said …“Be opened!”. Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and he could speak clearly!
A blind man receiving sight and a deaf man being made to hear are truly amazing miracles, but they cannot compare to the miracle that Jesus does when He saves a lost soul. For that is a miracle that has eternal value! If you have ever seen a lost soul surrender to Jesus you have witnessed a miracle. If you have been born again yourself you have EXPERIENCED a miracle! And if you haven’t …JESUS CAN WORK A MIRACLE IN YOU TODAY!
- The Need for a Miracle Continues, The Work of the Savior Continues and as we move farther we will see that:
III. THE ASTONISHMENT OF THE CROWD CONTINUES - v31a Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see:
There was a great crowd present that day, and those in that crowd were amazed by the miracles of Jesus! People who had never said a word were talking, those crippled from birth were made whole, lame people were walking around, lepers were clean, the blind could see the deaf could hear, and the mute could speak.
Every single issue that was brought to Jesus was taken care of by His mighty hand! And this multitude of people was able to witness these things first hand. When Jesus comes on the scene we will see some things that are simply amazing. Even if you have first hand experience with the miracle of salvation, it is still amazing to see someone else receive their miracle!
When other lost people see someone who has been radically changed by Jesus, they will be astonished. They may not understand what has happened, they may not believe… but there will be no doubt that something has happened. We should live in such a way that when the lost world looks at us they see the miracle that Jesus has worked in our lives. And when this is genuine, they will know that it is not our works, but the work of Christ in us that has wrought such an amazing change! When this happens, God will get the glory.
- In fact, that is the last thing I would like to consider about the fact that The Work Continues. Notice:
IV. THE GLORIFICATION OF THE FATHER CONTINUES - v31b “and they glorified the God of Israel.”
Notice that Matthew says "they glorified the God of Israel". There were many people who were in desperate need of a miracle. Certain people cared enough to take them to Jesus. Jesus healed each and every one of them. The people in the crowd were amazed by His wondrous works. In the end, God was glorified!
God's glory is the ultimate goal. Our purpose is to bring honor & glory to the Father in Heaven. That was Jesus’ goal and it should be ours as well. We have the great honor and privilege to be used to reach people for Jesus. But we must never forget that we are simply vessels that He use for His glory! With that being said, let us do our part to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember what He said in Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. We must never forget that we have a job to do!
There are still people with needs. There is still an opportunity to help them. We must take them to Jesus. Jesus will perform the miracle, lives will be changed. people will be astonished and the Father will be glorified.
There is no denying the fact that Jesus was the only one with the power to heal each of the people mentioned in this passage. We know that it was the Savior who worked the miracle. But never underestimate the impact of those who took their loved ones and cast them at His feet.
If Jesus has saved you, then He has saved you to serve. The aim of that service is to bring glory to Him by you becoming His true child in faith and by your bringing others to become His true children in faith. If you are willing, God can use you for His glory!
D. L. Moody was an uneducated shoemaker whom God saved. A man named Reynolds told about the first time he ever saw D. L. Moody, before Moody became famous. Moody was in a little shanty that had been abandoned by a saloon keeper, holding a small black boy in his arms, reading to him the story of the prodigal son. Moody couldn’t even read all the words, so he had to skip them. Reynolds thought, “If God can ever use such an instrument as that for His honor and glory, it will certainly astonish me!”Before his life was over God used D. L. Moody to reach two continents for His glory!
God can use you today! The Work Continues, let us roll up our sleeves and do our part!
