Yeah, It's Him! Series

“Yeah, It’s Him!”

Matthew 8:14-17

OKAY – let’s do this!

SO – we are in a verse by verse study of the Gospel of Matthew (The King and His Kingdom)...

AND AGAIN – from the day we launched it, the goal of this study has been...

To gain a greater understanding of both who Jesus is, and of what it looks to live in the Kingdom that He established 2000 years ago.

SO THAT – as the 13th century English Bishop Richard of Chichester prayed, we will: know Jesus more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly... day by day.

QUESTION – MGCC... so are you good with this goal? OF:

• Knowing Jesus more clearly

• Loving Him more dearly, and

• Following Him more nearly

NOW – our text for this morning is Matthew 8:14-17...

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” - Matthew 8:14-17

Prayer

NOW – if you remember... when Jesus, on the mountains overlooking the Sea of Galilee, had finished unveiling His Kingdom Manifesto, the crowds were amazed, because He spoke as on who had.... authority. AND THEN – after preaching the greatest sermon ever preached, Jesus came down from the mountain

UNDERSTAND B/S – (and yeah I know I said it last week, but it baes repeating...) MGCC we do not worship and serve a God who is far off and distant but who is up close and personal... A God who is near, who comes down from the mountain... A God who comes to where we are! A God who is... ‘Our Father who art in the heavens.’

AND LISTEN – when Jesus comes down from the mountain after the S.M. He begins demonstrating His authority. AND MGCC – that is the point that Matthew is making in chapters 8 and 9...

IN FACT – he structures these 2 chapters to underscore that very truth. (outline)

The Authority of The King Demonstrated

• 3 miracle stories (Matthew 8:1-17)

• 2 descriptions of discipleship (Matthew 8:18-22)

• 3 miracle stories (Matthew 8:23-9:8)

• 2 descriptions of discipleship (Matthew 9:9-17)

• 3 miracle stories (Matthew 9:18-34)

UNDERSTAND – in these 2 chapters Matthew is boldly declaring that Jesus He has authority over all things: over nature, over sickness, over demons, over sin death, over the grave and over how we are to live out our lives if we choose to follow after Him.

AND AGAIN... Here’s the deal, Here’s the point Matthew is making in these two chapters...

Since Jesus possess absolute authority in the world, He warrants absolute allegiance from the world.

From: you/me/right and left

Get It?

AND – so far...

WE HAVE - seen Jesus demonstrating this absolute authority, By cleansing a man who was covered in leprosy, and by healing a centurion’s servant (from a distance) by simply speaking a word.

NOW BEFORE – we dive deeper into our text I wanted to say a few words about miracles in the NT.

UNDERSTAND - performing miraculous signs was one of the keyways that Jesus demonstrated the truth of His claims

• Because talk is cheap, but miracles are currency

• Now, miracles are by definition, extraordinary happenings that can’t be explained by natural means

• Therefore, when a person performs a miracle, it means that God is with him

AND LISTEN...

IF - God is willing to bestow His power on a person,

THEN – it also means that God is endorsing the person’s claims

B/L – in these miracles, God is validating every claim that Jesus was making about Himself, and about what is true/false... right/wrong...

We read in John chapter 2...

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which He revealed his glory; and His disciples believed in Him. – John 2:11

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with Him.” – John 3:2

Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. – Acts 2:22

‘approved’... proved, shown to be

UNDERSTND - Jesus’ miracles were such a powerful testimony, a sign, that His critics were forced to try and explain away.