Category Archives: Miracles

Our Lord’s first two miracles recorded by John were somewhat private in nature. The servants and the disciples knew that He transformed the water into wine, and the servants and the nobleman’s family knew that He had healed the sick son. The miracle recorded in John 5 was not only public, but it was performed on the Sabbath Day and incited the opposition of the religious leaders. We see here the beginning of “official persecution” against the Savior.

This is the second paralytic that Jesus heals (cf. § 53; Mt 9:1-8; Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26). Edersheim observes four points of similarity between the two incidents: (1) Jesus uses identical wording: “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (Mk 2:9; Jn 5:8). (2) Jesus is, without words, accused of blasphemy for forgiving sins (Jn 5:18). As a result, the religious hierarchy wants to kill him. (3) In both instances the real issue is Jesus’ authority (Jn 5:27). And (4) in both cases, Jesus appeals to his works as evidence of his authority (Mk 2:10; Jn 5:36).

Jesus’ Galilean ministry is punctuated with a visit to Jerusalem during one of the feasts. We really can’t know which one it was, but Hendricksen builds a strong case for Passover (pp. 188-189). If that is true, then this marks the beginning of Jesus’ second year of ministry.

When you visit St. Anne’s Church in Jerusalem, they will show you the deep excavation that has revealed the ancient Pool of Bethesda. The Hebrew name Bethesda has been spelled various ways and given differing meanings. Some say it means “house of mercy” or “house of grace,” but others say it means “place of the two outpourings.” There is historical and archeological evidence that two adjacent pools of water served this area in ancient times.

The pool is situated near the northeast corner of the Old City, close to the Sheep Gate (Neh. 3:1; 12:39). Perhaps John saw some spiritual significance to this location, for he had already told his readers that Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29).

We do not know which feast Jesus was observing when He went to Jerusalem, and it is not important that we know. His main purpose for going was not to maintain a religious tradition but to heal a man and use the miracle as the basis for a message to the people. The miracle illustrated what He said in John 5:24—the power of His Word and the gift of life.

While it is true that some manuscripts omit the end of John 5:3 and all of verse 4, it is also true that the event (and the man’s words in John 5:7) would make little sense if these words are eliminated. Why would anybody, especially a man sick for so many years, remain in one place if nothing special were occurring? You would think that after thirty-eight years of nothing happening to anybody, the man would go elsewhere and stop hoping! It seems wisest for us to accept the fact that something extraordinary kept all these handicapped people at this pool, hoping for a cure.

John described these people as “impotent, blind, lame, paralyzed.” What havoc sin has wrought in this world! But the healing of these infirmities was one of the prophesied ministries of the Messiah (Isa. 35:3-6). Had the religious leaders known their own Scriptures, they would have recognized their Redeemer; but they were spiritually blind.

Jesus went to this public water hole, which was surrounded by five covered porches. The pool was called Bethesda, “house of mercy.” It was near the Sheep Gate, probably named after the sacrificial lambs which were led through it into the temple.^6-28 It looked like some kind of a sick ward. For some reason, people gathered there hoping for a healing.

Verses 3b-4 explain why, “They waited for the moving of the waters. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.” But these words are not included in the niv main text because they are not found in any manuscript before the fourth century.^6-29 How then did they become part of the kjv text? This is only guesswork, but it seems reasonable to assume that early in the second century,^6-30 some scribe wrote a note in the margin explaining verse 7, which later was adopted as part of the text itself.

This addition likely represents the popular perception at the time of Jesus. We do not need to assume, however, that John (or even the scribe who inserted this note), accepted the truth of the statement; only that the populace did. In fact, it is unreasonable to assume that God would act in such a whimsical manner. Furthermore, it seems a bit unfair that those who needed healing the least would have the greatest chance of obtaining it by beating everyone else to the pool. We have no other example of God healing in such a manner. Thus we (1) reject vv. 3b and 4 as part of the original text,^6-31 (2) reject the truth of the statement, but (3) accept that it accurately describes the popular belief of Jesus’ day.

One of the invalids at the pool had suffered some sort of paralysis for thirty-eight years. There is no need to assume that he was at the pool for thirty-eight years, just sick for that long. Here we have a room full of sick people; Jesus selects only one and heals him. He could just as easily have waved his hand and healed them all. But he chooses only one. Why? Jesus is obviously not performing this miracle out of compassion (alone). In fact, it would appear that Jesus wants to start a fight with the religious leaders over this Sabbath controversy. It was a dandy!

John 5 reveals Jesus to be the Authority over all of life. He is due the same worship, obedience, and service as God; for He is equal with God (John 5:17-18). As God possesses life within Himself, so Jesus possesses life within Himself (John 5:26). As God has authority over all of life, so Jesus has authority over all of life.

In revealing His authority, Jesus first demonstrated the truth of His authority. He healed a man who had been ill for 38 years—and He healed him on the Sabbath. Both acts pictured the truth of His authority. The healing of the man showed His authority over the physical world, and the breaking of the Jewish Sabbath law showed His authority to determine the rules of worship.

After demonstrating the truth of His equality with God, He then began to teach the truth. This procedure, first demonstrating some truth and then teaching it, was to be followed time and again as Jesus revealed who He was throughout the Gospel of John.

No matter how you look at this miracle, it is an illustration of the grace of God. It was grace that brought Jesus to the Pool of Bethesda, for who would want to mingle with a crowd of helpless people! Jesus did not heal all of them; He singled out one man and healed him. The fact that Jesus came to the man, spoke to him, healed him, and then met him later in the temple is proof of His wonderful grace and mercy.

John noted that the man had been ill for thirty-eight years. Perhaps he saw in this a picture of his own Jewish nation that had wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years (Deut. 2:14). Spiritually speaking, Israel was a nation of impotent people, waiting hopelessly for something to happen.

Jesus knew about the man (see John 2:23-24) and asked him if he wanted to be healed. You would think that the man would have responded with an enthusiastic, “Yes! I want to be healed!” But, instead, he began to give excuses! He had been in that sad condition for so long that his will was as paralyzed as his body. But if you compare John 5:6 with verse 40, you will see that Jesus had a spiritual lesson in mind as well. Indeed, this man did illustrate the tragic spiritual state of the nation.

The Lord healed him through the power of His spoken word. He commanded the man to do the very thing he was unable to do, but in His command was the power of fulfillment (see Mark 3:5; Heb. 4:12). The cure was immediate and certainly some of the many people at the pool must have witnessed it. Jesus did not pause to heal anyone else; instead, He “moved away” (John 5:13) so as not to create a problem. (The Greek word means “to dodge.”)

The miracle would have caused no problem except that it occurred on the Sabbath Day. Our Lord certainly could have come a day earlier, or even waited a day; but He wanted to get the attention of the religious leaders. Later, He would deliberately heal a blind man on the Sabbath (John 9:1-14). The scribes had listed thirty-nine tasks that were prohibited on the Sabbath, and carrying a burden was one of them. Instead of rejoicing at the wonderful deliverance of the man, the religious leaders condemned him for carrying his bed and thereby breaking the law.

It is not easy to understand the relationship between this man and Jesus. There is no evidence that he believed on Christ and was converted, yet we cannot say that he was opposed to the Saviour. In fact, he did not even know who it was that healed him until Jesus met him in the temple. No doubt the man went there to give thanks to God and to offer the appropriate sacrifices. It seems strange that the man did not actively seek a closer relationship with the One who healed him, but more than one person has gratefully accepted the gift and ignored the Giver.

Did the man “inform” on Jesus because of fear? We do not know. The Jewish leaders at least turned from him and aimed their accusations at Jesus Christ; and, unlike the healed blind man in John 9, this man was not excommunicated. The Lord’s words (John 5:14) suggest that the man’s physical plight had been the result of sin; but Jesus did not say that the man’s sins had been forgiven as He did in dealing with the sick man lowered through the roof (see Mark 2:1-12). It is possible to experience an exciting miracle and still not be saved and go to heaven!

Verse-by-verse

Through this healing miracle, Jesus was claiming to have supreme authority over the Sabbath. However, there are also other striking lessons: the Lord’s compassion (John 5:6-9), the problem of formal religion (John 5:10-12), and the charge to a converted man (John 5:13-14).

1. Jesus attended a Jewish feast in Jerusalem (v.1).
2. Scene 1: the diseased and the ill—a picture of the world’s desperate need (v.2-4).
3. Scene 2: Jesus and the man—a picture of Jesus’ power to meet the world’s need (v.5-9).

 

(5:1) Feasts—Jesus Christ, Worship of God: Jesus attended a Jewish feast in Jerusalem. The feast is not named, but it was probably one of the three Feasts of Obligation: the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Pentecost. These were called Feasts of Obligations because every male Jew who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem was required by law to attend them. It is significant that Jesus was seen attending the feast.

1. It gave Him an opportunity to reach a large number of people. Most of the people who attended the feast would be God-fearing people and have their minds upon God; therefore, they would be more prepared for the gospel.
2. It gave Him an opportunity to teach people to be faithful to the worship of God. He, the Son of God Himself, was faithful.

(5:2-4) Needy, The: the first scene was that of the diseased and the ill. These—the diseased and the ill—picture those in the world who are gripped by desperate need. The setting is a pool by a sheep market. The word market is supplied by the translator; it is not in the Greek text. It may have been a sheep market or sheep gate or sheep stall where the animals were kept. Whatever it was, there was a pool to provide water for the animals to drink and five porches to provide a resting area for the comfort of the people. The pool and a “great multitude of impotent folk” lying around the pool were the focus of attention. Note two points.

1. Their need—which is a picture of all in the world who live in desperate need.

• There were the blind who could not see.
• There were the lame who could not walk.
• There were the withered who were deformed and paralyzed.
• There were so many who were poor and beggarly.

2. Their desperate hope and faith. Either the description given in Scripture is to be taken literally, or else men of that day gave their explanation as to what caused the pool to be troubled. If this account is man’s description of what happened at the pool, then there was apparently a subterranean pocket of energy, either air or a stream underneath the pool that caused the pool to occasionally bubble up. The people of that day, grasping for something to help them in their daily lives, said that a supernatural occurrence was happening when the water bubbled. An angel was thought to be swimming around in the water. The first person to move into the water after the bubbling was believed to be healed.

Men are always grasping for something to help them in their daily lives. It may be some supernatural or destined power in a pool of water or in the astrology of stars above or in some magical person on earth. Men never change, regardless of the generation. In their grasp for help in life, they continue to seek everywhere except in Christ, the Son of God Himself. They hope and put their faith in everything except Him.

(5:5-9) Jesus Christ, Compassion—Power—Healing—Faith—Obedience: the second scene was that of Jesus and the man. This is a picture of Jesus, who has the power to meet the needs of the desperate in the world. The outline of this point is adequate to see what happened.

1. The man’s plight. He was either paralyzed or lame; he had been that way for thirty-eight long years.
2. Jesus’ compassion: it was heart-warming, touching, and revealing—demonstrating how He wants to reach out to every person. He saw the man lying there, and knew all about his desperate condition. Note the striking point: it was Jesus who initiated the relationship, approaching the man and reaching out to help Him.
3. The man’s helplessness. He was all alone in this world, having no family or friend who could help him.
4. The Lord’s power. This is a significant point: the man did not know he was healed until he obeyed the command of the Lord. Jesus did not pronounce a “word of healing”; He merely commanded the man to act. In the act the man was to show his faith. If he believed, he would arise and walk; if he did not believe, he would simply continue to lie there and continue on just as he had always done.

No man has to continue on and on through life just as he has always been, enslaved to the sin and corruption and desperate needs of the world. He can experience the healing power of Jesus Christ, the power to change his life and make him into a new man. All he has to do is one simple thing: believe the Word of Jesus Christ enough to obey, doing exactly what Jesus says. It is a clear fact: if we believe Him, we obey Him; if we do not believe Him, we do not obey Him. To be made whole and changed into a new man—a new man who is freed from the sin and desperate needs of this corruptible world—we have to believe Him enough to obey Him.

5. The sinister problem: Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. By healing the man on the Sabbath, Jesus was breaking the Jewish ceremonial law; He was committing a serious sin, violating a ritual and rule of religion. The rest of the man’s story centers upon this fact.

In verse 6 Jesus asks an odd, almost silly, question, “Do you wish to get well?” His presence at the pool should make that obvious enough. Who would NOT want to get well after thirty-eight years of sickness? Paradoxically, there are people who would rather be sick than well, for a number of reasons. Others, especially after years of sickness, lose the will to be well.

The man’s problem is obvious; he has no help getting into the pool. The other not-so-sick people beat him to the punch, so Jesus helps him out. He deliberately heals this fellow on the Sabbath. To make matters worse, Jesus orders him to pick up his mat and leave. The man slips out in silence, but the fireworks are about to begin.

The Sabbath, along with circumcision and dietary regulations, set the Jews apart from the other cultures that surrounded them. This was a critical part of their heritage and they took it seriously. Rabbinic Judaism had surrounded the Sabbath with literally hundreds of peripheral rules to insure that their disciples did not break God’s simple command to rest on the Sabbath. Within this vast body of oral traditions were precise regulations about healing. You could save a person’s life on the Sabbath, but healing merely to help someone would have to wait until the next day. Jesus knew precisely what he was doing by healing this man and ordering him to carry his cot. He was confronting the institutional authorities of Judaism over this very serious matter of Sabbath keeping.

(5:10-12) Religion: the third scene was that of the religionists and the man. This is a picture of dead religion trying to meet the world’s desperate need. Note three things.

1. Dead religion is a religion of legalism. The religionists were trying to meet the needs of people through rules and regulations, ceremony and rituals. They were more concerned with the man who was violating the ritual of the Sabbath than with the man who was suffering in a pitiful condition.
2. Dead religion is a religion ignorant of true authority. They should have known that the power of God had healed the man, and should have been eager to share with the man Jesus, the man upon whom such power rested. But note: they cared little about the power of God and His messenger. They cared only that the status quo be maintained, that their religious practices continue as they were and not be violated. Their thoughts were upon their own religious position and security.
3. Dead religion is a religion blind to love and good. Note the question of the religionists. It was not, “Who is the man who has healed and helped you so much?” but, “Who is the man that broke the religious law?” They did not see the good that had been done. They saw only that their position and security was threatened and that someone had more power and influence and was doing more good than they were.

How many true messengers of God are criticized by powerless religionists, criticized because they do things differently or do more good than others? Men fear the loss of their position and security, fear that people may begin to wonder about their lack of true power—power that honestly helps men.

(5:13-14) Follow-up—Maturity—Growth: the fourth scene was that of Jesus and the man after healing. This is a picture of the believer’s responsibility. Note that Jesus had left the man right after healing him because of the large crowd on the porches. For some unstated reason, Jesus did not want to attract a crowd at this time. The point is striking: Jesus sought the man out again! Remember, Jesus had reached out to save the man; now He was reaching out for another purpose. When He found the man, a picture of the believer’s responsibility was painted.

1. There was the duty to worship. The man was found in the temple worshipping and giving thanks to God.
2. There was the duty to remember his healing, his salvation. The moment should never be forgotten or lost (cp. 2 Peter 1:9).
3. There was the duty to sin no more. Apparently the man had been lame or paralyzed because of some accident caused by sin. Jesus cautioned the man: “Sin no more.”
4. There was the duty to fear the judgment. Jesus warned the man that if he did not repent and turn from his sin, he would face a more terrible judgment than his crippling paralysis.

(5:15-16) Jesus Christ, Rejection: the fifth scene was that of the religionists and Jesus. This is a picture of the world rejecting God’s Savior.

Note two things.

1. The man told the religionists who had healed him. He did not do this to bring harm to Jesus. He thought the religionists should know and would want to benefit from knowing Jesus personally.
2. The reason the religionists opposed Jesus needs to be studied closely.

 

A quick overview from the gospel accounts

This is obviously a significant event for the disciples, but it was also a significant event for the early church. Their experience of following Jesus is mirrored in these four fishermen. For many Christians, Jesus’ call to become “fishers of men,” mixed with fear and worship, is all very familiar.

Furthermore, this incident shows that Jesus not only fraternized with the working class, but used them significantly in the propagation of the kingdom. While their “doctrinal faith” leaves much to be desired, their “practical faith” is exemplary. In other words, what they believe about Jesus turns out to be wrong; but their trust in Jesus is right on!

From this event comes the Christian acrostic of the fish. . Each of the five Greek letters stand for the beginning of the following words: Jesus, Christ, God, Son, Savior. It was the secret password for the catacomb worship services. Christian theology is summarized in this symbol.

Mt 4:18 with Lk 5:1a [One day^LK] ¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Lk 5:1b-3 ¹… as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^NIV-6-4 with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ²he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Jesus calls these four men—two pairs of brothers, all aligned with their fishing business—Peter, Andrew, James and John. They worked on what is generally called the Sea of Galilee (also called Gennesaret, Chinneroth, or the Sea of Tiberias). But it is actually a lake, not a sea. It is shaped like a pear, twelve miles from north to south and seven miles across at its widest. Oddly, it sits in a basin six hundred and eighty-two feet below sea level, surrounded by a perimeter of one-thousand-foot hills, and it is teeming with fish.

Fishing was one of the three great industries of Palestine along with agriculture and shepherding. It was a lucrative business on this lake. A typically rabbinic exaggeration states that there were three hundred different kinds of fish in the Sea of Galilee. Edersheim describes several such rabbinic teachings about fish, including how to prepare them (I:473). Certainly, fishing was big business in Palestine. Even one of the gates of Jerusalem was called the “Fish Gate” (Neh 3:3).

As Jesus walks along the shore, the fishermen are cleaning their nets after working unproductively all night (Lk 5:5). This was the bane of their work—meticulously cleaning out the pebbles, grasses and sand which had tangled themselves in their nets and repairing the torn strands after heavy use all night.

Simon and Andrew are the first Jesus encounters. They are casting their nets into the lake. This is the only time this kind of net, is mentioned in the Bible. This was a relatively small net which was cast into the water and sunk whatever was below it. It would then be drawn up and whatever was in its “bell” would be taken in. The second kind of net mentioned in the Bible was a drag net that was pulled behind the boat (only used in Mt 13:47). The most common net was the normal casting net. These larger nets are being cleaned while one of these guys is fooling around in the shallows trying to redeem their night of catching nothing.

The crowds press in on Jesus. He is already so popular that he cannot move about freely. Mobbed like a movie star, Jesus employs Peter’s empty fishing boat as a pulpit and uses the shore as an amphitheater.

Lk 5:4-7 ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down^NIV-6-5 the nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” ⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Jesus asks Peter to push off a short distance from the shore in order to teach. But when he is finished he directs Peter to “cast off” into the deep and let down his net. This is a passionate scene. Peter is tired and frustrated. They have worked all night dropping and hoisting their nets and caught nothing. We must remember, this was not a fishing vacation with a little rod and reel. These are heavy boats, large nets, and their major means of support. Furthermore, Peter has just finished cleaning the nets. Now Jesus is asking him to dirty them up again. This landlubber does not even know that it is the wrong time to fish. In addition, the best fishing is usually near the shore, not in the deep of the lake.

Peter says, “But Master, because you say so, I’ll do it.” This unusual word “master” is used only by Luke and always in reference to Jesus. This is a momentous phrase. Peter is a professional fisherman. He knows the sea and he knows the odds of going out there and catching a fish. Nevertheless, he has seen Jesus in action before. More than a year ago, as he followed John the Baptist, he saw Jesus baptized. He watched Jesus cleanse the temple, he was there in Samaria after Jesus talked to the woman at the well. He witnessed the healings in Judea and the miraculous transformation of water into wine in Cana. After nearly nine months of following Jesus, Peter went back to his family fishing business at the lake, while Jesus preached in his own hometown. Now they are reunited. Jesus makes this simple, although absurd, request. But because of Peter’s respect and trust in Jesus, he obeys.

As Peter pulls up the nets, his muscles flex, his eyes bug out, and an involuntary smile breaks out all over his face. It is such a large number of fish, in fact, that their nets begin to tear and their boat begins to sink. The smile turns to a grimace. He knows that he needs some help. Luke uses a word that means “to beckon with a nod.” That makes sense. His hands are full of net, he could hardly wave to his partners, and he certainly can’t let go. Besides that, he is too far out to shout effectively and too busy to have a friendly chat with his partners.

The second boat of their family business comes out to help, manned by James and John. They pass on the other side of the net and begin to pull up so that the net is between the two boats. As they pull up, fish begin to spill over into the boat. So many, in fact, that both boats sink deeper and deeper into the water in threat of going under. This was about all the blessing they could handle! They were shut out the night before with nearly nine months of bills to catch up on since following Jesus. But today, in one beautiful moment, the Lord takes care of their electricity bill and even provides enough extra for a new dress for Peter’s wife.

Lk 5:8-10a  ⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

You would think that Peter would kind of like having Jesus around. After all, he is good for business. After they got their boats steadied and their hearts stopped pounding, Peter falls to his knees on a slimy pile of fish. He had just seen Jesus, really seen him, for who he is. He says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” A couple things ought to be observed. (1) Peter is thinking correctly. He, unlike the crowds, is not selfishly seeking a miracle. He is thinking about what it really meant to be in the presence of perfect purity. Jesus’ purity demands obedience and ushers in judgment. (2) Peter is responding out of fear of the presence of God himself. It was a fearful miracle to him.

The people on the banks are no doubt laughing and cheering and selling souvenir T-shirts, but they were not in the boats that almost sank. They were not so personally touched by this miracle as Peter and Co. Besides, this is one professional fisherman who understands the power of the lake and majesty of this miracle. As Jesus saw through the waters to the fish, so he saw through Peter into the depths of his heart.

Lk 5:10b-11 with Mt 4:19-20, Mk 1:17-18 Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; [follow me^MT,MK] from now on you will catch men.” ¹¹So [at once^MT,MK] they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Mt 4:21-22 with Mk 1:20 ²¹Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. [Without delay^MK] Jesus called them, ²²and immediately they left the boat and their father [in the boat with the hired men^MK] and followed him.

Once the disciples are back on the shore the crowds would gather and start to count the fish as they were sorted. Peter’s employees (Mk 1:20), would no doubt start cleaning their nets (again). It is at this time that Jesus uses their present occupation to call them in a way that they can visualize—Fishers of Men. Like other analogies, not all points of comparison are applicable. Jesus is not asking them to trap or capture men, but simply to collect them into the kingdom of God. Peter and Andrew respond to Jesus’ call.

Luke departs here from the other synoptic writers. Matthew and Mark both say, “I will make you fishers of men.” The word Luke uses does not mean to fish but to take live captives. It is used only one other time (2 Tim 2:26). There it describes how we rescue from Satan those whom he has caught alive. This call is one of battle. We tread behind enemy lines to free the captives whom Satan has seized.

The three men walk a short distance farther and encounter their partners, James and John. They are sitting with their father, Zebedee, in their stout fishing boat, also cleaning their nets and repairing the torn spots from this massive catch. Jesus also calls them and they likewise respond, leaving their father in the boat with the hired servants (Mk 1:20).^6-8 Of these latter two, we observe that James was the first Apostolic martyr whose death is recorded in Acts 12. And John was the last surviving Apostle as he writes Revelation about a.d. 95, and according to tradition, the only Apostle who died a natural death.

I don’t suppose that Zebedee was any too happy to be left to clean up by himself. Of course, their business was big enough to have hired servants to do most of the dirty work. It may seem unkind for these two sons to leave their father with the family business, but such is the nature of discipleship (cf. Mt 10:37).

This call may seem too sudden to merit such a response. But we must remember that these four have already traveled with Jesus for about a year now (cf. Jn 1:35-51), and have just witnessed a miraculous catch of fish. Jesus enters into their domain and proves his power. He now calls them into his domain to be empowered to fish for men. What else is there to do when such a one as Jesus calls you to his vocation?

Jesus’ call of these men is unique: (1) There is already antagonism against Jesus in Jerusalem. They know there will be danger in following this man. (2) He calls them to abandon their occupations, which are lucrative, popular, and steady. This is a tremendous step of faith for them. (3) Jesus calls them, not to a new doctrine but to a new direction. The contemporary rabbis considered it a sacred duty to gather students about them. Jesus, however, doesn’t ask them to come and learn, but to come and do, or rather to come and be. The flicker of the kingdom begins to flair.

A verse-by-verse study

(5:1-11) Introduction: Jesus Christ set out to catch men, that is, to catch them for God. He desires to catch all men, but He is unable to catch everyone by Himself. He needs help, the help of all who will follow Him. The present passage is a descriptive picture of how Jesus goes about calling men to help Him in the enormous task of reaching the world.

1. Lake Gennesaret (v.1).
2. Step 1: seeing a vision of people who need to hear the Word of God (v.1).
3. Step 2: seizing resources (v.2-3).
4. Step 3: removing reluctant obedience (v.4-5).
5. Step 4: demonstrating godly power (v.6-7).
6. Step 5: stirring a deep confession (v.8-9).
7. Step 6: challenging men to discipleship, that is, to catch other men (v.10).
8. Step 7: watching for the decision to forsake all (v.11).

(5:1) Lake Gennesaret: the scene of this experience took place on Lake Gennesaret which was the same as the Sea of Galilee.

Sea of Galilee—Lake Gennesaret—Sea of Tiberias: a fresh water lake in northern Palestine. At its widest points it was only about 13 miles north to south, and 8 miles east to west. It would not be called a sea today because of its small size. There are several important facts to note about the Lake.

1. The Lake was known by several names: the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18; Matthew 15:29; Mark 1:16; Mark 7:31); the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; John 21:1); the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1); and simply the “Sea” (John 6:16-25) or the “Lake” (Luke 5:2; Luke 8:22). In the Old Testament it was called the Sea of Chinnereth (meaning heart shaped, Numbers 34:11; Deut. 3:17; Joshua 13:27) or Chinneroth (Joshua 12:3; 1 Kings 15:20).
2. The Lake was surrounded by some of the richest and most heavily populated areas of Palestine. Large towns flourished along its shores, towns which play a prominent role in Scripture: Capernaum, Bethsaida (Mark 6:45), Chorazin (Luke 10:13), Magdala (Matthew 15:39), Gadara (Mark 5:1).
3. The Lake was subject to violent storms. It sat 680 feet below sea level which gave the Lake a warm climate, but it was in a pocket-like basin surrounded by steep, fast-rising hills (2000 feet high) and funnel-like mountains. The funnels or deep ravines running down through the mountains have resulted from eons of erosion. When cold-fronts move in with their fierce winds, the cold whips through the funnel-like gorges and mixes with the warm temperatures of the Lake. Unpredictable and terrifying storms result (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25).

(5:1) Word of God, Hunger for—Righteousness—Vision: the first step to calling men is seeing a vision of people—people who need the Word of God. The people were actually “pressing” (epikeisthai) in upon Jesus. They gathered and crowded around Him. Note why: to hear the Word of God. They pressed to hear the Word of God. They had a craving, a hunger and thirst after righteousness.

There is in this story what we might call a list of the conditions of a miracle.

(i)  There is the eye that sees.  There is no need to think that Jesus created a shoal of fishes for the occasion.  In the Sea of Galilee there were phenomenal shoals which covered the sea as if it was solid for as much as an acre.  Most likely Jesus’ keen eye saw just such a shoal and his keen sight made it look like a miracle.  We need the eye that really sees.  Many people saw steam raise the lid of a kettle; only James Watt went on to think of a steam engine.  Many people saw an apple fall; only Isaac Newton went on to think out the law of gravity.  The earth is full of miracles for the eye that sees.

(ii)  There is the spirit that will make an effort.  If Jesus said it, tired as he was Peter was prepared to try again.  For most people the disaster of life is that they give up just one effort too soon.

(iii)  There is the spirit which will attempt what seems hopeless.  The night was past and that was the time for fishing.  All the circumstances were unfavourable, but Peter said, “Let circumstances be what they may, if you say so, we will try again.”  Too often we wait because the time is not opportune.  If we wait for a perfect set of circumstances, we will never begin at all.  If we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible.

Note two things.

1. Jesus met the hunger and thirst of people.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

“Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh” (Luke 6:21).

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

2. Jesus saw that He could never meet the needs of all the people, not by Himself. He needed others to help.

“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

In that day, three methods of fishing were used. One was by hook and line, the second was by a throw net cast from the shallow water along the shore, and the third was by a large dragnet strung between two or more boats in the deep water. Peter and Andrew were here obviously using the second method. That  net was probably about nine feet in diameter, and the two brothers were skilled in its use, for they were fishermen by trade. The Greek term for that particular net was related to our amphibious, an adjective describing something related to both land and water) —so named because the person using the net would stand on or near shore and throw the net into the deeper water where the fish were.

When Jesus called those first disciples, He gathered together the first fish-catching crew of His church. They were the first of the original band of evangelists He called to fulfill the Great Commission. They were Jesus’ first partners in ministry. He had the power and the right to accomplish the work of  proclaiming the gospel by Himself. But that was not His plan. He could have done it alone, but He never intended to do it alone. From the beginning of His ministry, His plan was to use disciples to win disciples. He would command His disciples to do other things, but His first call to them was, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

We are given specific details of the callings of only seven of the original twelve. But Jesus individually selected those who would become part of the first marvelous ministry of winning people to Himself. “He called His disciples to Him; and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles” (Luke 6:13). God always chooses His partners. He chose Noah and Abraham, Moses and David. He chose the prophets. He chose Israel herself to be a whole nation of partners, “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16; cf. 6:70; 13:18). Paul called Epaenetus  “the first convert [lit., “firstfruit,] to Christ from Asia” (Rom. 16:5).

It is possible that at least seven of the disciples were fishermen (John 21:1-3). Consider the fact that fishermen generally have the qualities that make for success in serving the Lord. It takes courage and daring, patience and determination to work on the seas; and it also takes a great deal of faith. Fishermen must be willing to work together (they used nets, not hooks) and help one another. They must develop the skills necessary to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

If I had fished all night and caught nothing, I would probably be selling my nets, not washing them to get ready to go out again! But true fishermen don’t quit. Peter kept on working while Jesus used his ship as a platform from which to address the huge crowd on the shore. “Every pulpit is a fishing boat,” said Dr. J. Vernon McGee, “a place to give out the Word of God and attempt to catch fish.”

(5:2-3) Resource—Opportunity, Serving: the second step to calling men is seizing resources. Jesus had to find some way to handle the throng of people both then and later. The crowds were so large and their needs so many that He just could not handle their disorder. He could not meet the needs of everyone. Standing there and being confronted with the present problem, He scanned the horizon for some way to handle the matter.

As He looked around, He saw an opportunity and laid His plans. He saw a boat and a fisherman in the boat, and He needed both. The boat could be used as a pulpit, and the man could become a disciple. He asked the man to let Him use the boat as a pulpit and to steer the boat out from land a short distance. The point is this: Jesus seized and used the resources available. He had the vision of people needing the Word of God, but He needed a pulpit and others to help, so He scanned the horizon and found both.

(5:4-5) Obedience—Reluctance: the third step to calling men is the removal of reluctant obedience. As soon as Jesus finished His preaching, He decided to win Peter’s loyalty and discipleship. But first, He had to humble Peter. He had to show Peter that He, the Messiah, could look after and take care of him. He told Peter to put out to sea and fish. Peter objected because he had fished all night and had caught nothing. However, he stopped right in the middle of his objection and obeyed Jesus. Note what had happened.

1. Peter was reluctant to obey Jesus. He objected to what Jesus asked. He was thoroughly exhausted, for he had “toiled all night.” He was disappointed, for he had caught nothing, and he had worked enough hours already. Despite needing to be home in bed, he had stayed and helped the Lord in His preaching by loaning his boat to Him.
2. Peter caught himself in the middle of his objection and obeyed. What caused the switch, the change from reluctance to willing obedience? Probably two things.
3. Peter was pretty well convinced that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Messiah.
4. Peter was drawn somewhat to follow Jesus. Therefore, when he began to object to Jesus’ will, there was a prick of conscience, and he obeyed his conscience. He followed his heart…

•       not his mind, thinking there were no fish.
•       not his experience, having already tried and failed to catch fish.
•       not his body, being too tired and exhausted, just incapable of going on.

Reluctance should always give in to obedience. We need the spirit that will try for God, no matter what the obstacles or how hopeless a situation may seem. When a man is drawn to Christ, he desperately needs to obey his heart and to obey it immediately.

The word translated “Master” (Luke 5:5) is used only by Luke and it has a variety of meanings, all of which speak of authority: chief commander, magistrate, governor of a city, and president of a college. Peter was willing to submit to the authority of Jesus, even though he did not understand all that the Lord was doing. And remember, a great crowd was watching from the shore.

How people respond to success is one indication of their true character. Instead of claiming the valuable catch for themselves, Peter and Andrew called their partners to share it. We are not reservoirs, but channels of blessing, to share with others what God has graciously given to us.

(5:6-7) Jesus Christ, Power—Obedience, Results—Humility: the fourth step to calling men is demonstrating godly power. Peter’s obedience produced results; his obedience caught fish, and the catch was no ordinary catch. It was much more, so much more that there could be no question about Jesus. Jesus was behind the miracle; Jesus was demonstrating the power of God. (Remember this was the very purpose of Jesus, to win Peter’s loyalty and willingness to become a disciple on a full-time basis.)

What happened is a little humorous when we remember what Jesus was doing with Peter, and Peter’s reluctance and objection, weariness and exhaustion. There was a sense in which the Lord was really laying it on Peter, really letting him have it. Peter thought he was tired, but he didn’t know what exhaustion was yet. The Lord must have stood to the side smiling to Himself. How our Lord loved this man Peter, even now! He was after Peter’s loyalty, and He was going to get it even if He had to make Peter drop in his tracks (which was exactly what was to happen, Luke 5:8).

At any rate, there was some humor in what began to happen to this man who was so reluctant, moaning and groaning about his tiredness. Just imagine Peter already bone weary, grumbling in his mind at this carpenter telling him, the skilled fisherman, how to fish. Imagine Peter’s exhaustion and weariness, reluctance and objection, moaning and groaning; and then all of a sudden a catch is made, a catch so great that he was going to have to work wearily along for hour upon hour.

•  Peter’s net broke.
•  Peter had to call for another whole crew and boat to help.
•  Both boats were filled as full as they could be.
•  Then to top it off, both boats began to sink.

Jesus had His man! What else was Peter to do other than what followed? In all the humor of the situation, our Lord’s heart was bound to be full of rejoicing because this big hunk of a fisherman, man though he was, was like a little child before the Lord. He was broken in humility before the Lord, and the experience was but the first of many experiences of brokenness yet to come.

(5:8-9) Confession: the fifth step to calling men is stirring a deep confession. Peter knew exactly what had happened. He had been reluctant and objected to the Lord’s request, and he had not been too happy that the great catch had caused so much trouble. But he was a skilled fisherman, and he knew that the great catch was no ordinary catch; it was a miracle of the Lord, a miracle which the Lord was using to teach him that he was to obey without reluctance and objection.

Note exactly what happened. When Peter saw the boat beginning to sink, he raced over to Jesus, fell upon his knees, and in a sense (continuing the humor) said, “Lord, I’ve had enough. Let me alone. I’ll do anything.” His confession was threefold.

1. He confessed his sin of disobedience and unbelief: of being reluctant to obey the Lord, of questioning the Lord’s will and knowledge and power.
2. He confessed Jesus to be the Lord. Note that Peter had previously called Jesus “Master” (epistate, Luke 5:5), which is a word used to address anyone in authority. But Peter had learned better. He now called Jesus “Lord” (kurie). He is the Lord who is holy and convicting, who must be obeyed and followed.
3. He confessed a fear, a reverence, an awe for the Lord (cp. Luke 5:9-10).

                 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).

                 “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee: wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).

                 “And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).

                 “And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength” (Daniel 10:16).

                 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

                 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

                 “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:13).

                 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

                 “Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives” (Ezra 10:11).

(5:10) Call—Discipleship—Mission: the sixth step to calling men is challenging men to discipleship, that is, to catch other men. Note two significant facts.

1. The words “fear not” (me phobon) indicate that Peter was actually scared and frightened. Jesus was calming him, telling him to trust and stop fearing. He, the Lord, was in charge and looking after everything.
2. The call to Peter was to “catch men.” The word “catch” (zogreo) means to catch alive or to catch for life. The idea is that Peter was no longer to catch (fish) for death, but he was to catch (men) for life.

(5:11) Decision—Dedication—Forsaking All: the seventh step to calling men is watching for the decision to forsake all. Note three things.

1. The men responded immediately.
2. The men left all: their businesses, their professions, and the biggest catch they had ever seen.
3. The men followed Jesus. He was the Lord who had spoken, and they were to be His disciples who obeyed and followed.

                 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

                 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

                 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).

                 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26).

That calling to bear fruit in evangelism is extended to everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ. The called ones are themselves to become callers. Speaking of all Christians, Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the  excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Christ mandates that all of His followers be fishermen. The command, Follow Me (in the Greek an adverb of place expressing a command), literally means “come here.” The term after is used in the original to show the place they are to come:

“Your place is following after Me!”

The disciples’ obedience was instant: And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him. The sovereign authority of the Lord had spoken. Followed is from  ; which conveys the idea of following as a disciple who is committed to imitating the one he follows.

Many years ago an Italian recluse was found dead in his house. He had lived frugally all his life, but when friends were going through his house to sort out the few possessions he had accumulated they discovered 246 expensive violins crammed into his attic. Some even more valuable ones were in a bureau drawer in his bedroom. Virtually all of his money had been spent buying violins. Yet his  misdirected devotion to the instruments had robbed the world of their beautiful sounds. Because he selfishly treasured those violins, the world never heard the music they were meant to play. It is even reported that the first violin the great Stradivarius ever made was not played until it was 147 years old!

Many Christians treat their faith like that man treated his violins. They hide their light; they squirrel away their great treasure. By not sharing their light and their treasure, many to whom they could have witnessed are left in spiritual darkness and poverty.

Some researchers estimate that as many as ninety-five percent of all Christians have never led another person to Jesus Christ. If that is true, ninety-five percent of the world’s spiritual violins have never been played! True love of our riches in Christ leads us to shine and share, not to hide and hoard.

Luke alone (6:6) tells us that these events did not occur on the same Sabbath. In the previous narrative the Pharisees harass Jesus because of the actions of his disciples. On the second occasion, Jesus initiates the controversy by placing the man with the withered hand center stage (Lk 6:8). This event takes the Sabbath controversy to a new level. Not only was the Sabbath for man’s benefit; it was an opportunity to do good for other people.

Lk 6:6-8 with Mt 12:10  ⁶On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, [they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”^MT] so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. ⁸But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

The Oral Law was clear in its regulations for Sabbath healing. You could provide medical attention which would save a life, but that was all. If a man fell off a cliff and cracked his head, you could stop the bleeding, but you could not set a broken leg. Since a withered hand was not life-threatening, it would be illegal to heal this fellow on the Sabbath. Jesus, perceiving their scheme, picks up the gauntlet they have thrown down and deals with their machination head-on. Jerome, commenting on this passage, says that this man was a mason. Thus, he would have been severely impaired from earning a living. Even after he’s healed, he can’t work until the next day. According to the Pharisees, Jesus is clearly out of bounds.

This incident is a crucial moment in the life of Jesus.  He deliberately and publicly broke the Sabbath Law; and the result was a conference of the orthodox leaders to search out a way to eliminate him.

We will not understand the attitude of the orthodox unless we understand the amazing seriousness with which they took the Sabbath Law.  That Law forbade all work on the Sabbath day, and so the orthodox Jews would literally die rather than break it.

In the time of the rising under Judas Maccabaeus certain Jews sought refuge in the caves in the wilderness.  Antiochus sent a detachment of men to attack them; the attack was made on the Sabbath day; and these insurgent Jews died without even a gesture of defiance or defence, because to fight would have been to break the Sabbath.  1 Maccabees tells how the forces of Antiochus “gave them battle with all speed.  Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid; but said:  ‘Let us die in our innocency:  heaven and earth shall testify for us, that ye put us to death wrongfully.’  So they rose up against them in battle on the Sabbath, and they slew them with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of a thousand people” (1 Maccabees 2:31-38).  Even in a national crisis, even to save their lives, even to protect their nearest and their dearest, the Jews would not fight on the Sabbath.

It was because the Jews insisted on keeping the Sabbath Law that Pompey was able to take Jerusalem.  In ancient warfare it was the custom for the attacker to erect a huge mound which overlooked the battlements of the besieged city and from the height of the mound to bombard the defences.  Pompey built his mound on the Sabbath days when the Jews simply looked on and refused to lift a hand to stop him.  Josephus says, “And had it not been for the practice, from the days of our forefathers, to rest on the seventh day, this bank could never have been perfected, by reason of the opposition the Jews would have made; for though our Law gave us leave then to defend ourselves against those that begin to fight with us and assault us (this was a concession), yet it does not permit us to meddle with our enemies while they do anything else” (Josephus:  Antiquities, 14.4.2.).

Josephus recalls the amazement of the Greek historian Agatharchides at the way in which Ptolemy Lagos was allowed to capture Jerusalem.  Agatharchides wrote:  “There are a people called Jews, who dwell in a city the strongest of all cities, which the inhabitants call Jerusalem, and are accustomed to rest on every seventh day; at which time they make no use of their arms, nor meddle with husbandry, nor take care of any of the affairs of life, but spread out their hands in their holy places, and pray till evening time.

Now it came to pass that when Ptolemy the son of Lagos came into this city with his army, these men, in observing this mad custom of theirs, instead of guarding the city, suffered their country to submit itself to a bitter lord; and their Law was openly proved to have commanded a foolish practice.  This accident taught all other men but the Jews to disregard such dreams as these were, and not to follow the like idle suggestions delivered as a Law, when in such uncertainty of human reasonings they are at a loss what they should do” (Josephus:  Against Apion, 1:22).  The rigorous Jewish observance of the Sabbath seemed to other nations nothing short of insanity, since it could lead to such amazing national defeats and disasters.

It was that absolutely immovable frame of mind that Jesus was up against.  The Law quite definitely forbade healing on the Sabbath.  It was true that the Law clearly laid it down that “every case when life is in danger supersedes the Sabbath Law.”  This was particularly the case in diseases of the ear, the nose, the throat and the eyes.  But even then it was equally clearly laid down that steps could be taken to keep a man from getting worse, but not to make him better.  So a plain bandage might be put on a wound, but not a medicated bandage, and so on.

In this case there was no question of the paralyzed man’s life being in danger; as far as danger went, he would be in no worse condition the next day.  Jesus knew the Law; he knew what he was doing; he knew that the Pharisees were waiting and watching; and yet he healed the man.  Jesus would accept no law which insisted that a man should suffer, even without danger to life, one moment longer than necessary.  His love for humanity far surpassed his respect for ritual Law.

Mk 3:4-5a “Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. ⁵He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…

Mt 12:11-12  ¹¹He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹²How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

The answer to Jesus’ question is so obvious! But religious fervor and protection of pet theologies can be blinding. Jesus gets mad. That didn’t happen very often. But when people place tradition and regulation over human need his anger is predictable. How their gaze must have dropped when Jesus’ angry eyes pierced deeply into their souls.

Since they won’t answer his question, he will. The Oral Law made provision for rescuing animals that fell into a pit on the Sabbath (b Sabb. 128b). Again Jesus used typical Jewish logic—from lesser to greater. A man is more valuable than an animal. Therefore it must be lawful to do good things for people on the Sabbath beyond just saving their lives. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Not only is the Sabbath an opportunity to work for another’s good; to do nothing in the face of human need is evil, paramount to murder (Mk 3:4).

Mt 12:13 ¹³Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.

Mk 3:6 with Lk 6:11 ⁶Then the Pharisees went out [furious^LK] and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

It appears that as the man put forth his hand, it was healed. Even the muscle atrophy from lying dormant was healed. It was as healthy as his other hand. The Pharisees start their work immediately; they were furious. In fact, the word Luke uses means “mindless anger.” They plot here for the first time how they might kill Jesus. Oddly enough they pair up with the Herodians.

There is no conclusive evidence to identify this group, but their political affiliation with Herod is beyond question. That would make them odd bedfellows for the Pharisees. As near as we can tell, this was the only thing these two groups ever agreed upon.

A Verse-by-verse Study

(12:9-13) Introduction: Jesus went into the synagogue, and in it was a man with a paralysed hand.  Our gospels tell us nothing more about this man, but the Gospel according to the Hebrews, which was one of the early gospels which did not succeed in gaining an entry to the New Testament, tells us that he came to Jesus with the appeal:  “I was a stone mason, seeking my living with my hands.  I pray you, Jesus, to give me back my health, so that I shall not need to beg for food in shame.”

Christ used this event to prove His Messiahship and to show that man is greater than religion.

1. Jesus departed (v.9-10).
2. The truth questioned: Is a man more important than religion—than Sabbath rules (v.10)?
3. The truth illustrated (v.11).
4. The truth stated: doing good for man supersedes religious rules (v.12).
5. The truth demonstrated: man and his needs are put before religious rules—man is greater (v.13).

(12:9-10) Jesus Christ, Compassion: Jesus departed. This is not referring to Jesus leaving the cornfield where He had just been debating with the religionists (Matthew 12:1-8). It means that He left the town He was in for another town. It was “on another Sabbath” that He entered their synagogue (cp. Luke 6:6).

1. Christ entered their synagogue. Note that discord, disputes, and opposition did not cause Christ to withdraw from worship nor prevent Him from doing what He should (cp. Matthew 12:1-8).

Note two striking lessons.

• Jesus was worshipping on the Sabbath. He was where He belonged on the Lord’s Day.
• Conflict and discord should not cause us to forsake the Lord’s house. Our first obligation is to love and worship the Lord with our whole being.

2. Christ confronted a man with a withered hand. Note that Jesus had not begun to heal the man. The religionists apparently noticed Jesus eyeing the man or else sensed Jesus’ compassion and movement to heal the man. The religionists were disturbed, deeply so, for Jesus was about to disregard their beliefs and Sabbath rules again.

This man was in the synagogue. He was a man who sensed his dependency upon God. Note two things.

1. A physical handicap does not keep a person from being strong. A person can be handicapped and still be wonderfully strong. He can be strong spiritually and strong mentally, strong in confidence and strong in assurance, strong in a sense of God’s presence and strong in a sense of purpose and meaning. God can give this kind of strength. In fact, physical health is useless and sometimes destructive without the spiritual strength of God. This man with the withered hand evidently knew God’s strength, yet he had a need. These two facts touched Jesus’ heart.
2. A physical handicap can be used by God—greatly so. God uses handicaps…

• to demonstrate great faith.
• to set a vibrant example of trust before loved ones, neighbors, and acquaintances.
• to be a dynamic testimony of God’s saving grace.
• to cause a person’s own salvation.
• to draw a person ever so close to God in a very, very special way.
• to cause a person to become a prayer warrior, an intercessor for both God’s people and for a world reeling from a restless and warring spirit, lost and trying to find its way.

(12:10) Religionists: the truth was questioned. Is a man more important than religion, than Sabbath rules? The law said that persons could not be healed or helped on the Sabbath unless life itself was threatened. However there sat the man and he desperately needed help. Jesus had the power to help him, but should He? If He healed the man, He would be breaking the religious rule. Should Jesus put the man or the ritual first?

The Scribes and Pharisees were not concerned with the man with the paralysed hand; they were concerned only with the minutiae of their rules and regulations.  So they asked Jesus:  “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath day?”  Jesus knew the answer to that question perfectly well; he knew that, as we have seen, unless there was actual danger to life, healing was forbidden, because it was regarded as an act of work.

But Jesus was wise.  If they wished to argue about the Law, he had the skill to meet them on their own ground.  “Tell me,” he said, “suppose a man has a sheep, and that sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not go and haul the sheep out of the pit?”  That was, in fact, a case for which the Law provided.  If an animal fell into a pit on the Sabbath, then it was within the Law to carry food to it, which in any other case would have been a burden, and to render it all assistance.  “So,” said Jesus, “it is permitted to do a good thing on the Sabbath; and, if it is permitted to do a good thing to a sheep, how much more must it be lawful to do it for a man, who is of so much more value than any animal.”

Jesus reversed the argument.  “If,” he argued, “it is right to do good on the Sabbath, then to refuse to do good is evil.”  It was Jesus’ basic principle that there is no time so sacred that it cannot be used for helping a fellow-man who is in need.  We will not be judged by the number of church services we have attended, or by the number of chapters of the Bible we have read, or even by the number of the hours we have spent in prayer, but by the number of people we have helped, when their need came crying to us.  To this, at the moment, the Scribes and Pharisees had nothing to answer, for their argument had recoiled on their own head.

Sabbath—Sunday: the word means rest, cessation of labor. The Sabbath is the seventh day of each week (Saturday). It was the day Israel celebrated by resting and doing absolutely no work. It was based upon the seventh day when God rested following His six days of creation (Genesis 2:2-3).

So far as is known, there was no Sabbath from creation until Moses. The Sabbath was first instituted under Moses’ leadership (Exodus 16:23; Neh. 9:13-14), thereafter it became a part of Israel’s law (Exodus 20:8-11).

The Sabbath was kept as a sign to distinguish Israel as God’s peculiar people. It was never a day of worship or religious service. It was simply a day of complete rest for man and beast. Christ is accused of violating man-made rules encrusted around the Sabbath.

There is a difference between the Sabbath as observed by the Jews and others and Sunday as observed by Christian believers. The Sabbath is the last day of the week. It was a day when Jesus the Messiah was in the tomb, a day of great sadness for the Christian. However, Sunday is the first day of the week. It is a day of great joy, for it was the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the day that He triumphed over death. It is called the Lord’s Day and is celebrated as a day of rest and joy, a glorious day for searching the soul and meditating upon God. It is the day of worship and of Christian fellowship celebrated by believers worldwide (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).

• It was Jesus’ custom to worship on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16).
• It was Paul’s custom to worship on Sunday (Acts 17:2).
• God’s people are not to neglect worship (Hebrews 10:25; cp. Acts 16:13).
• God’s people are to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:14; Exodus 34:21).
• God’s people are promised a special blessing for keeping the Sabbath day holy (Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 58:13-14).
• Polluting the Sabbath will bring the judgment of God upon a people (Ezekiel 20:13; Ezekiel 22:8, 15; cp. Numbers 15:32-35; Jeremiah 17:27; Ezekiel 22).
• Buying and selling are not to take place on the Sabbath (Neh. 10:31; Neh. 13:15).
• Helping the needy is lawful on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12; cp. John 7:23; John 9:14).
• Early believers worshipped on the day that Christ arose from the dead, that is, on Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).

Note several lessons.

1. There are reasons why we put religious custom and the present order of things before man and the meeting of his real needs.
2. a) We slip into a routine, a way of doing things, and we just continue in it because it is comfortable.
3. b) We fear change lest we lose some people and their support.
4. c) We fear the loss of position and security.
5. d) We fear failure, the weakening of what we already have, of losing the loyalty of others to our religious position and practices.

2) Every man has need. He needs salvation, a true worship experience, a personal relationship with God day by day, a sense of the Spirit’s presence and direction moment by moment. He needs to know how to live in a world that pulls him away from God, a world that pulls him toward every worldly thing imaginable. Yet, everything is too often put before man: maintaining the religious organization, form, ritual, ceremony, custom, service, order, liturgy, rules, and regulations—all seem to be more important than meeting man’s needs.

3) Nothing should keep us from meeting man’s needs, from putting him and his needs first before all religious ritual and form.

1. a) It is the only way the heart of man can be reached and satisfied (Col. 2:9-10; John 10:10).
2. b) It is the only way the church can stop the loss of people who are being lost by the droves. As we have so often heard: they come in the front door and slip out the back door. Why? Their needs are not being met.

We need to be courageous and come before the Lord searching our hearts and asking several questions. Are we really reaching that many for Christ? Are people really accepting Christ through our ministry? Why not, when the Lord said the fields are white unto harvest? Could it be we are steeped in religion so much that we are putting religion before meeting the needs of people?

4) Man’s basic need is to know and worship God in a personal way. Yet, too often we fail to reach out to man by putting worship, form, order, ritual, and rules before meeting his need. Too often, we act as though…

• man exists for religion, instead of religion existing for man.
• man exists for worship services, instead of worship services existing for man.
• man exists for maintaining the organizations, instead of the organization existing for man.
• man exists for the rules and rituals, instead of the rules and rituals existing for man.

(12:11) Man: the truth was illustrated to prove that man is greater than religion. Jesus asked: If a man had only one sheep, and it fell into a pit on the Sabbath day, would the man not rescue it? Imagine the force of the Lord’s question. It showed just how unreasonable and illogical the religionists were in their thinking. It exposed them as ignorant and blind to real spiritual truth.

The Lord’s question had two points…

• Is an animal’s welfare not put before religious rules?
• Is a man not of more value than an animal?

 Two questions need to be asked, questions that should search our hearts.

1) Is an animal of more value than a man and his needs?

2) Can things (ritual and order) ever be said to be of more value than compassion for man?

How deceived and irresponsible we so often live and act! How often we oppose Jesus Christ and His true mission just as the religionists of His day opposed Him! And we do it for the same reasons.

We have animals today that are put before reaching man and meeting his needs: the animals of religious rituals and rules and of personal position and security. The truth needs to be known and lived. Priorities need to be established.

Man is not only more rational than animals, he is spirit, capable of worshipping and living forever with God. Animals are not spiritual beings; therefore, man and his needs should be placed before animals. If a person has a problem with this fact, it reveals a deceived heart and blinded mind. How many of us follow religious form before reaching out to man and meeting his real needs? How many of us have deceived hearts and blinded minds in our practice of religion?

(12:12) Man: the truth was stated. Christ said that doing good for man supersedes religious and Sabbath rules. We are to help a person who has needs before we worry about keeping the rituals and rules of religion.

(12:13) Man: the truth was demonstrated. Man and his needs are put before the Sabbath and religious rules. Man is greater; he is much more important. Jesus healed the man. Jesus demonstrated in no uncertain terms that there is nothing more sacred to God than man. Man is to be reached and brought into a personal relationship with Him (Luke 19:10), and he is to be helped and brought into a state of abundant living—as much as possible (John 10:10).

 What a lesson for us as we reach out to lead men to God week by week and day by day! How much we need to correct our deceived hearts and blinded minds! How much we need to be freed from being enslaved to our religious order and forms and our own personal position and security!

1) We live only a short time and then we shall give an account to God.

2) We have only a few short years to be about the task of the Lord.

Christ gives us an important lesson: we are to put man and his needs before our religious practices and our personal security. We are not to let our fears stop us

DEEPER STUDY

(12:10) Religionists: the religionists’ conflict with Jesus over religious beliefs and rules is sometimes thought by modern man to be petty and harsh, or else such conflicts are just not understood. Three facts will help a person in understanding why the conflicts happened and were life-threatening, ending in the murder of Jesus Christ.

1. The Jewish nation had been held together by their religious beliefs. Through the centuries the Jewish people had been conquered by army after army, and by the millions they had been deported and scattered over the world. Even in the day of Jesus they were enslaved by Rome. Their religion was the binding force that kept Jews together, in particular…

• their belief that God had called them to be a distinctive people (who worshipped the only true and living God).
• their rules governing the Sabbath and the temple, intermarriage, worship and cleansing, and what foods they could and could not eat.

This belief and these rules protected them from alien beliefs and from being swallowed up by other peoples through intermarriage. Their religion was what maintained their distinctiveness as a people and as a nation.

Jewish leaders knew this. They knew that their religion was the binding force that held their nation together. Therefore, they opposed anyone or anything that threatened to break or weaken the laws of their religion and nation.

3. The religionists were men of deep, deep conviction. They were strong in their beliefs; therefore, they became steeped in religious belief and practice. To break any law or rule governing belief or practice was a serious offense, for it taught loose behavior. And loose behavior, once it had spread enough, would weaken their religion. This is the reason Jesus was committing a great offense by breaking their law. In their minds, He was weakening their religion and threatening their nation.
4. The religionists were men who had profession, position, recognition, esteem, livelihood, and security. Anyone who went contrary to what they believed and taught was a threat to all they had. Some religionists undoubtedly felt that Jesus was a threat to them. Everytime Jesus broke their law, He was undermining their very position and security.

The errors of the religionists were fourfold.

1. They misinterpreted and corrupted God’s Word.
2. They committed serious sin after serious sin in God’s eyes.
3. They rejected God’s way of righteousness, God’s Messiah, which is Jesus Christ.
4. They allowed religion in its tradition and ritual to become more important than meeting the basic needs of human life: the need for God and the need for spiritual, mental, and physical health. Christ, being the true Messiah, was bound to expose such error. Thus the battle lines were drawn.

• The Messiah knew that He had to liberate people from such enslaving behavior. He had to save them so they could worship God in freedom of spirit.
• The religionists felt that they had to oppose Christ because He was a threat to their nation and to their own personal position and security.

The religionists’ attack took two forms.

1. First, they tried to discredit Christ so the multitudes would stop following Him (cp. Matthew 21:46).
2. Second, failing to discredit Him, they sought some way to kill Him

So Jesus healed this man, and in healing him gave him three things.

(i)  He gave him back his health.  Jesus is vitally interested in the bodies of men.  Paul Tournier, in his book A Doctor’s Case Book, has some great things to pass on about healing and God.  Professor Courvoisier writes that the vocation of medicine is “a service to which those are called, who, through their studies and the natural gifts with which the Creator has endowed them . . . are specially fitted to tend the sick and to heal them.  Whether or not they are aware of it, whether or not they are believers, this is from the Christian point of view fundamental, that doctors are, by their profession, fellow-workers with God.” “Sickness and healing,” said Dr. Pouyanne, “are acts of grace.”  “The doctor is an instrument of God’s patience,” writes Pastor Alain Perrot.  “Medicine is a dispensation of the grace of God, who in his goodness takes pity on men and provides remedies for the evil consequences of their sin.”  Calvin described medicine as a gift from God.  He who heals men is helping God.  The cure of men’s bodies is just as much a God-given task as the cure of men’s souls; and the doctor in his practice is just as much a servant of God as the minister in his parish.

(ii)  Because Jesus gave this man back his health, he also gave him back his work.  Without work to do a man is half a man; it is in his work that he finds himself and his satisfaction.  Over the years idleness can be harder than pain to bear; and, if there is work to do, even sorrow loses at least something of its bitterness.  One of the greatest things that any human being can do for any other is to give him work to do.

(iii)  Because Jesus gave this man back his health and his work, he gave him back his self-respect.  We might well add a new beatitude:  Blessed are those who give us back our self respect.  A man becomes a man again when, on his two feet and with his own two hands, he can face life and with independence provide for his own needs and for the needs of those dependent on him.

We have already said that this incident was crisis.  At the end of it the Scribes and Pharisees began to plot the death of Jesus.  In a sense the highest compliment you can pay a man is to persecute him.  It shows that he is regarded not only as dangerous but as effective.  The action of the Scribes and Pharisees is the measure of the power of Jesus Christ.  True Christianity may be hated, but it can never be disregarded.

As Jesus draws his first Galilean tour to a close we find him again in Capernaum, most likely in Simon Peter’s house (Mk 1:29). The healing of the leper (the only incident we are given from his first tour), and the healing of this paralytic, are representative of Jesus’ work and have several things in common: (1) Jesus shows concern for more than their physical well-being. (2) These healings are unprecedented. Nothing like it had ever been done (cf. Mk 2:12). (3) The healing demonstrates divine power. (4) Jesus acts in ways quite contrary to contemporary rabbis.

In our present narrative, we will see, for the first time, official opposition to Jesus from the religious hierarchy. Soon they will object to Jesus at four levels (McGarvey, p. 183): (1) Blasphemy, (2) interaction with tax collectors and sinners, (3) neglect of ascetic duties (washings, fasting, etc.), and (4) Sabbath violations.

Mt 9:1-2 ¹A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ²So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

Lk 5:17-21 with Mk 2:3-4, Mt 9:2 ¹⁷Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. ¹⁸Some [four^MK] men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and [made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it^MK] lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend [take heart, son^MT], your sins are forgiven.”

²¹The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus somehow manages to enter the city unnoticed and takes the opportunity to lay low for a few days. As soon as the rumor spread that Jesus is back, the crowds again assemble at Peter’s front door. Jesus begins to teach the crowds day after day. The Pharisees and teachers of the law hear that his classes are in session and stream to him from the villages scattered across Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem. The house is soon packed.^6-24

As near as we can tell, Peter lived in an upper-middle-class home. It would have consisted of a square courtyard with rooms all around it. At one corner of the court would be a door leading to the street. It likely could have been two story with an open rooftop surrounded by a parapet for safety. All around the courtyard would have been an awning which allowed the occupants of the house to move from room to room outside, but still sheltered from the sun and rain. We picture Jesus standing outside his quarters teaching the thronging crowd that pressed into the courtyard. There is a line outside the front gate trying to press their way in.

Luke (5:17) notices what will soon be evident to the entire crowd, that “the power of the Lord was present for him to perform healing.” Four men carry in this paralytic on a “bed” which we would call a “cot” or a “stretcher.” It was probably nothing more than some animal skin and some supporting boards. This poor fellow is used to being carried around. We would like to know a bit more about his condition. Is he paralyzed from birth? Is it a neck injury later in life? Is he married with a family to support? We are simply not told. But this much we can ascertain from Jewish culture—the only job he could hold was to get some friends to lay him by a busy gate where he might beg for alms. It is likely that these same four men carried him everyday to a public place so that he could lay there, looking pathetic, and be gawked at all day, hoping that someone would throw a few pennies at him.

We don’t know whose idea it is to carry the paralytic to Jesus. But it is a cumbersome process. The crowd outside the door won’t budge. A child, perhaps, could squeeze between their legs, but not four grown men with a stretcher. Thus, they climb up on the roof. It is possible that there was an outdoor staircase to the roof, but this is unlikely since it would only invite robbers. It is more likely that they get in the neighbor’s house, go up on their roof and then hop over to Peter’s. The houses were often close enough together to make this possible, but it could not have been done without attracting attention. But then, they have only begun to do that! Why are they so intense about getting this fellow to Jesus TODAY? Answer: Jesus is unpredictable—here today, gone tomorrow. This may, in fact, be their only chance.

They climb down onto the awning above where Jesus stood. They cannot see him, but they can tell where he is by the direction the crowd faces. These awnings were made out of thatched tile pieces. Thus, Mark (2:4) says that these four “dug” through the roof. They pull out some of the grass, mud and sticks until they could finally dismantle a large tile section and lower their friend down.^6-25 The people standing in front of Jesus in the open courtyard can see what was going on. Jesus, no doubt, notices that the crowd is somewhat distracted. Soon bits of grass and dirt and twigs begin to fall around him as he preaches. Suddenly the sunlight streams through the awning and a shadowy figure on a pallet is lowered down. Now don’t you wonder if the fellow on the pallet had an impish little grin on his face as he lay there in front of Jesus? Surely he is just a little embarrassed about breaking up the sermon?

Jesus, respecting the faith of the four men, declares this paralytic forgiven of his sins (cf. Lk 7:48; 23:43). They come to Jesus for a healing (perhaps so that they won’t have to carry their friend around anymore). But what they get is an absolution. That has to be mildly disappointing for the four. But it was extremely infuriating to the Pharisees. You see, Jesus is acting like God!

The Pharisees sit piously in their seats of honor listening to Jesus’ sermon. But when they hear this, they come unglued. They huddle together in a brief conference and unanimously conclude that Jesus had just blasphemed. “Who can forgive sins,” they asked, “but God alone?” Their basic logic is correct: Only God has the moral authority to forgive sins (cf. Isa 43:25). Their theology is correct, but they are badly mistaken in their evaluation of Jesus.

Blasphemy is essentially “reviling” or “insulting” (cf. Titus 3:2; 2 Pet 2:2; Jude 8). One could blaspheme God by (1) insulting him, (2) by refusing to give him due praise, or (3) by raising yourself to the level of God with the result that you bring God down to your level. It was this third form of “blasphemy” that caused the Pharisees to balk at Jesus’ claim. The fact that blasphemy was punishable by death in Jewish law explains their ferocity against Jesus.

Mk 2:8-12 with Mt 9:4 ⁸Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these [evil^MT] things? ⁹Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralytic, ¹¹”I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

Lk 5:25-26 with Mt 9:8  ²⁵Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God [who had given such authority to men^MT]. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Jesus again perceives their thoughts “in his spirit” and even evaluates them as “evil.” Jesus responds, not with mere argumentation, but with undeniable evidence. He asks, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk?’” The fact is, they are both easy to say but quite impossible to do. Furthermore, anyone could say your sins are forgiven and there is no way to prove whether they are or not. But if someone should say, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” that is immediately verifiable.

And so we come to the center of the text: “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….”^6-26 Jesus breaks off his sentence midstream (Mk 2:10), turns to the paralytic and says, “Take up your bed and go home.” It is as if Jesus says, “Just watch this!”

By proving he could heal the paralytic, he also proves that he has forgiven the man’s sin. The Jews, of course, would believe the physical problem is caused by the spiritual problem (cf. Jn 9:2). Thus, Jesus not only releases the man from paralysis but also the social stigma of being a sinner.

Immediately the man obeys Jesus, taking up his stretcher and going home. The crowd that would not let him in, now easily parts to let him through. Wouldn’t you? The paralytic exits, praising God. The crowd is flabbergasted. The Pharisees are silent. What could they say in the face of the people’s assessment? “We have seen remarkable things today. We have never seen anything like this.” The crowd is not responding primarily to the healing. They have seen this kind of thing before in this very house. What they have never seen before is a man with divine authority to forgive sins. Thus, Jesus’ miracle has three parts: (1) Forgiveness of sins, (2) reading minds, (3) healing paralysis. All three are stunning.

VERSE-BY-VERSE STUDY

(9:1-8) Introduction—Jesus Christ—Compassion—Faith, Persistent: Jesus was deeply touched by men who diligently sought Him and persevered in that diligence. These men could not reach Jesus because of the throng of people, but the friends would not give up. They removed the roof and lowered the sick man down to Christ (Mark 2:1-12).

This persistent act gave Christ the opportunity to show His love and power to forgive sins, and to demonstrate that He was beyond question the Messiah.

1. Jesus left Gadara and entered His own city—Capernaum (v.1).
2. Jesus’ power to forgive sins was demonstrated (v.2).
3. Jesus’ power to forgive sins was questioned: He was silently accused of blasphemy (v.3).
4. Jesus’ power to forgive sins was proven (v.4-7).
5. Jesus’ power to forgive sins brought glory to God (v.8).

DEEPER STUDY

(9:1-8) Jesus Christ, Deity—Forgiveness: note several things about this experience.

1. The experience must have embarrassed the sick man. His friends had not waited their turn, and the sick man was unable to stop his friends. He was probably expecting a rebuke. The wording of Jesus’ response indicates embarrassment and fear: “Son, be of good cheer.”
2. The experience touched the heart of Jesus in a very special way. It revealed a persistent faith that would not be stopped until it had experienced its end. The friends had a faith that would not quit, no matter what.
3. The experience caused Jesus to reveal and speak the thoughts that are ever on His mind: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.” His words are words of compassion, affection, endearment, sympathy, encouragement, assurance, and forgiveness.
4. The experience gave Jesus the unique opportunity to prove His Messiahship: that He is the Son of Man. Note that Jesus did not say “I,” but “the Son of Man has power [authority] on earth to forgive sins.” The people were familiar with the title “the Son of Man” (cp. Daniel 7:13-14). Every phrase is important.
5. The Son of Man is given “authority,” that is, dominion and power over a kingdom, a kingdom that is open to all people.
6. The Son of Man is “given power [authority] over earth” now as well as in the future.
7. The Son of Man’s power includes the power to forgive as well as the power to rule and reign.

(9:1) Jesus Christ, Rejected: Jesus left Gadara and entered His own city, Capernaum. The Gadarenes had asked Him to leave (cp. Matthew 8:34). There is no record of his ever entering their coasts again. He obeyed their wish. Jesus’ experience with the Gadarenes is a warning to every man, city, and nation. He will not force Himself upon any person or society. What a contrast with the people of Capernaum and the paralyzed man of this story.

(9:2) Jesus Christ, Power—Forgiveness: Jesus’ power to forgive sins was demonstrated.

1. There was the friends’ deep care. They brought their disabled friend to Christ. Note four facts.
2. The man was disabled. He was helpless; therefore, he was without hope. But his friends cared and cared deeply for him.
3. The friends had a a very special care, a care that was deeper than the care of mere friendship (Mark and Luke show this). They were obsessed with the mission to get this disabled friend to Jesus. They not only went to him and made his bed as an act of ministry and service, but they went to him, made a pallet, and then brought him to Jesus.
4. The friends acknowledged Jesus’ power to help. They knew He could help and they did not question His power. It was not a spirit of maybe He could, but He could and would help.
5. The friends persisted even to the point of rudeness (Luke 11:5-10; Luke 18:1-8). They would not be stopped (cp. Mark and Luke).

All men are disabled and sick spiritually. Therefore, we must possess the same three qualities as the friends of the disabled did:

1)   We must be obsessed with the mission of getting the disabled to Christ. We must cling to the helpless and hopeless until we can get them to Christ.

2)   We must acknowledge Christ’s power to help—beyond any question.

3)   We must persist and persevere until we get the disabled to Christ.

We cannot save our friends. No man can forgive another man’s sins or heal a man, but we can bring a man to Christ for salvation and deliverance.

2. There was the friends’ great faith. Note the words, “Their faith”: it wastheir faith that saved this man, both the faith of the man and his friends. Their faith was great and persistent. What is a great faith?
3. A great faith is focusing one’s belief on Jesus Christ. It is centering one’s attention and conviction on Christ; that He alone is the answer to the needy and the helpless of the world, no matter who they are.
4. A great faith is acknowledging that a need does exist and must be met.
5. A great faith is doing all one can do to meet the need. These men did all they could do. They went to great effort. They went to the disabled friend’s house, made a pallet, and carried him to Jesus.
6. A great faith persists until the need is met.

Jesus will never fail to acknowledge persistent faith. He saw the faith of these men; He could not miss it. Their faith had caused them to persist—quitting was unthinkable. They persisted until they reached Him.

The faith of friends has a bearing and carries some weight upon the salvation of the hopeless and helpless. It was “their faith” that saved this man. We must go out of the walls of our churches and homes and bring the helpless and hopeless to Christ. Christ will honor our belief and trust in Him. He will save those whom we bring.

Note: the act of these men spoke much louder than words. These men said nothing as far as it is known. They just brought the man to Christ. When the act or behavior is present, there is no need for words. What a lesson in faith! Faith is not profession; it is possession. Faith is not words; it is action (James 2:20; cp. James 2:17-26).

3. There was Jesus’ compassion. The greatest need this crippled man had was to be forgiven his sins. This was the first thing Jesus did: He forgave the man’s sins. This was the most important thing. But note that these friends and the disabled man already had faith. Faith is necessary for one’s sins to be forgiven.

Jesus has compassion for all men—even the rude. Jesus has enormous compassion on a faith that genuinely seeks and believes in Him. What He looks for and sees in a man is faith, faith that causes a man to seek after Him with all his heart.

1) These men had been as rude as possible by breaking into line. They were probably thought selfish and self-centered by pushing ahead. But their heart was crying out in desperation for their friend.

2) The disabled man was probably as embarassed as he could be, but he was desperate, so he was willing to bear the embarrassment.

Jesus did not conduct His services by ceremony and ritual. These men interrupted whatever He was doing. Why? Because they had need and were desperately seeking His help. Ceremony and ritual can never replace compassion. The church needs to keep itself open to the message of compassion, and compassion should always supersede ceremony and ritual. Need should always be met before ceremony and ritual. This is a known fact but a revolutionary practice.

DEEPER STUDY

(26:28) Forgiveness (aphesin): to send off, to send away. The wrong is cut out, sent off, and sent away from the wrongdoer. The sin is separated from the sinner.

There are four main ideas in the Biblical concept of forgiveness.

1. There is the idea of why forgiveness is needed. Forgiveness is needed because of wrongdoing and guilt and the penalty arising from both (cp. Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1).
2. There is the idea of a once-for-all forgiveness, a total forgiveness. A man is once-for-all forgiven when he believes in Jesus Christ and is immersed for remission of sins. Belief in Jesus Christ is the only condition for being forgiven once-for-all (Acts 2:38; Ephes. 1:7; Romans 4:5-8).
3. There is the idea of forgiveness that maintains fellowship. Fellowship exists between God as Father and the believer as His child. When the child does wrong, the fellowship is disturbed and broken. The condition for restoring the fellowship is confessing and forsaking the sin (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:7).
4. There is the idea of a releasing from guilt. This is one of the differences between man forgiving a man and God forgiving a man. A man may forgive a person for wronging him, but he can never remove the guilt that his friend feels. And often he cannot remove the resentment he feels within his own heart. Only God can remove the guilt and assure the removal of resentment, and God does both. God forgives and erases the guilt and resentment (Psalm 51:2, 7-12; Psalm 103:12; 1 John 1:9).

(9:3) Jesus Christ, Power: Jesus’ power to forgive sins was questioned. He was silently accused of blasphemy. Note: it was the religionists who thought that Jesus could not forgive sins, and the thought was whispered among themselves. Many think this even today. In the inner recesses of their heart they do not think Jesus can really forgive sin. They have the thought and perhaps whisper to their spouses or close associates that He is not really the Son of God, the One who has the power to forgive sins.

The innermost belief of many today is a paradox.

1) Many do not believe that Jesus Christ is truly living, that He is the Son of God, God incarnate in human flesh, who arose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God.

2) Many who disbelieve, however, do accept Jesus Christ to be one of the greatest teachers who ever lived. The paradox with this position is that it makes Christ the biggest fraud in all history, for He did claim to be the Son of God and to possess the power of God to forgive sins.

DEEPER STUDY

(6:2) Scribes—Scribal Law—Pharisees: these Pharisees were probably Scribes. The Scribes were a profession of men sometimes called lawyers. They were some of the most devoted and committed men to religion in all of history, and were of the sect known as the Pharisees. However, every Pharisee was not a Scribe. A Scribe was more of a scholar, more highly trained than the average Pharisee. They had two primary functions.

1. The Scribes copied the written law, the Old Testament Scriptures. In their copying function they were strict copiers, meticulously keeping count of every letter in every word. This exactness was necessary, for God Himself had given the written law to the Jewish nation. Therefore, the law was not only the very Word of God, it was the greatest thing in the life of the Jewish nation. It was considered the most precious possession in all the world; consequently, the Jewish nation was committed to the preservation of the law (Neh. 8:1-8). A young Jew could enter no greater profession than the profession of Scribes.
2. The Scribes  studied, classified, and taught the moral law. This function brought about the Oral or Scribal Law that was so common in Jesus’ day. It was the law of rules and regulations. There were, in fact, so many regulations that over fifty large volumes were required when they were finally put into writing. The great tragedy was that through the centuries, the Jews began to place the Oral law over the written law.

The Scribes felt that the law was God’s final word. Everything God wanted man to do could be deduced from it; therefore, they drew out of the law every possible rule they could and insisted that life was to be lived in conformity to these rules. Rules were to be a way of life, the preoccupation of a man’s thoughts. At first these rules and regulations were taught by word of mouth; however, in the third century after Christ they were put into certain writings.

     The Halachoth: rules that were to govern the ritual of worship.

     The Talmud: made up of two parts.

Þ The Mishnah: sixty-three discussions of various subjects of the law.

Þ Germara: the sacred legends of the people.

     Midrashim: the commentaries on the writings.

     Hagada: thoughts on the commentaries.

DEEPER STUDY

(23:8) Pharisees: the word means the separated ones. The Pharisees were strict religionists. Their religious sect arose about B.C. 175. A Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, tried to stamp out the Jewish religion and replace it with Greek customs and practices. A number of Jewish men opposed this threat and determined among themselves to save the Jewish religion. They refused to practice Greek customs and dedicated themselves to practicing the Jewish law in the strictest sense. They felt that by carrying out every little detail of the Jewish law and by teaching others to do the same, they could save the Jewish religion and nation and keep it from dying out.

Several things should be noted.

1. They were the orthodox of their day—a sect or school of religious thought. They were organized solely for preserving the law and the Jewish religion. Thereby, they were to save the Jewish nation.
2. They were strict literalists. The Jewish law was expanded into thousands and thousands of little rules and regulations by the Scribes. These rules and regulations were known as the Scribal or Oral Law. More than fifty volumes or books were eventually needed to hold the regulations.
3. The Pharisees were a body of the most zealous religionists.
4. There were never many Pharisees—never more than 6,000. The strictness and demands of the sect were too hard for the common people.
5. They were in dead earnest—dedicated and zealous, self-denying, and moral. No man could give his life to so desperate and restrictive a task unless he was totally genuine.
6. They were self-righteous, heartless, and hypocritical (Luke 18:9). They lacked any sense of need or sin (Luke 7:39).
7. They were bitterly opposed to the Sadducees, hating and despising them, feeling that the Sadducees were traitors to the nation. However, the Pharisees were forced to quietly cooperate with the Sadducees because the Sadducees were the primary ruling party of the nation.
8. They were the main opponents of Jesus Christ and were unsparing in their denunciation of Him. Their savage attacks were primarily for two reasons. First, He was not a graduate of any of their rabbinical schools, nor a member of any of their religious sects. Second, He attacked their rules and regulations which had been added to God’s law.

(9:4-7) Jesus Christ, Power: Jesus’ power to forgive sins was proven. Note four steps.

1. Jesus revealed something: He knew the rejection of the religionists. The Scribes’evil was their thinking that Jesus, the Son of God, was not of God, and that He did not have the power to forgive sins (Matthew 9:4). The crowd at least recognized His power as being the power of God, but not the Scribes and religionists. In their pride and hardness of heart, they rejected Him and refused to ascribe any authority to Him. He knew exactly what they were thinking.

Christ knows all our thoughts. No thought and no imagination are hid from Him (cp. Matthew 12:25; Luke 6:8; Luke 9:47; John 2:25). Thoughts that deny Jesus’ deity are evil. Jesus has but one question for the unbeliever: “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4).

2. Jesus something: a test. It is much easier to say something than to do something. Therefore, Jesus suggested that He be put to the test, that He prove His deity by act and not just by word. Note two things.
3. Jesus was acknowledging that profession only was inadequate evidence for a claim. Action is also needed.
4. Jesus’ purpose was to demonstrate that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins. God has committed all judgment into the hands of Jesus, a judgment that either forgives or condemns a person.

It is much easier to say something than to do something. Jesus proved that He was not just speaking words, not just professing to have the power of God to forgive sins. He forcefully spoke and the man arose.

3. Christ did something: He healed the man. Christ proved His deity and Messiahship. This miracle and all others miracles prove two things.
4. His miracles prove exactly what He was claiming: that He is truly the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of the living God. He has the power to forgive sins.
5. His miracles prove that God does care: He cared enough to send His only Son into the world to heal and to save the needy and the hopeless.

Note that Christ did not argue. His purpose was to heal and save the needy, not to argue who He is and by whose authority He possesses the power of God.

1) He revealed His Divine knowledge, His omniscience: “Why think ye?”

2) He revealed His Divine power, His omnipotence: “Arise, take up thy bed, and go….”  How we need to cease arguing and begin carrying out the real mission God has called us to do.

4. Christ commanded something: go to thy house. Why did Christ send the man to his house? Our homes are to be the first recipients of our witness. But the very opposite is too often true; our homes are often overlooked and neglected. Note two facts about the saved man that can teach us a clear lesson.
5. He had been a burden to his loved ones.
6. He could now be a servant who could minister to his loved ones.

DEEPER STUDY

(8:20) The Son of Man: Jesus is not only what an ordinary man is, a son of man; Jesus is what every man ought to be, the Son of Man Himself. He is the Ideal Man, the Representative Man, the Perfect Man, the Pattern, the Embodiment of everything a man ought to be. Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of a man. Everything God wants a man to be is seen perfectly in Jesus Christ (cp. John 1:14; Col. 2:9-10; Hebrews 1:3.

The title also means the Ideal Servant of man. It stresses His sympathy for the poor, the broken-hearted, the captives, the blind, the bruised, the outcasts, the bereaved (cp. Luke 4:18). Jesus is the Pattern, the Model, the Perfect Example of concern and caring. He served and set a perfect example of how every man ought to serve other men.

Jesus calls Himself “the Son of Man” about eighty times. It is His favorite term. The title Son of Man is probably based upon the Son of Man in Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14). Scripture also gives a picture of Jesus as the heavenly Son of Man contrasted with Adam as the earthly Man (1 Cor. 15:45-47). Each serves as a Representative Man for the human race in God’s plan for world history.

(9:8) Jesus Christ, Power: Jesus’ power to forgive sins brought glory to God.

1) The fact that the Messiah has really come: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

2) The fact that unbelievers can be forgiven their sins, that is, saved: “He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Note several warnings.

1) A person can glorify God and still not be saved. The multitudes glorified God, yet they did not receive forgiveness of sins.

2) A person can marvel at Christ, but he may fail to believe that Christ is truly the Son of Man.

3) A person can believe that Jesus Christ was only a man who was given the power of God while on earth, but this person will never be saved as long as he denies that Jesus is the Son of God (John 3:16; cp. Matthew 10:33).

^{[MK 1:]29}As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a [high^LK] fever, and they told Jesus about her. ³¹So he went to her, [bent over her and rebuked the fever, and^LK] took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

A quick ‘harmony of the gospels’ overview

Jesus leaves the synagogue and goes immediately to the home of Peter and Andrew. Either the two have moved to Capernaum from Bethsaida (Jn 1:44, lit. “House of Fish”), or Bethsaida was actually a suburb of Capernaum.

Peter is caring for his wife’s mother (cf. 1 Cor 9:5). She is in bed with a “great fever.” The physicians of the day categorized fevers into “great” and “small.” A small fever was any minor ailment. The “great fever” might include malaria or some other serious sickness. Peter’s mother-in-law is seriously ill and may have been for some time.

All three accounts offer different details about this healing. Luke says he stood over her; Matthew adds that he touched her hand; and Mark says he took her by the hand and lifted her up. At the same time Jesus “rebuked the fever.” This is the same word used to describe how Jesus rebuked the demon in the synagogue (Lk 4:35). This has led some to speculate that Jesus saw demonic activity behind this and other illnesses. But verses 40 and 41 make a clear distinction between sicknesses and demons.

We cannot blame all sicknesses and mental ills on demons. They are a natural part of our fallen world. However, the fact that Jesus rebukes both demons and diseases shows that he came to destroy all the works of the Devil. The coming of the kingdom marks the beginning of the end for Satan’s dominion through demons as well as the curse of Eden through diseases and death.

Peter’s mother-in-law is so thoroughly healed that she gets up immediately and “began to wait on them.” This phrase is captured in one Greek word. It is the same word from which we get “deacon.” In its simplest form, it means to wait on tables, (not in the sense of a restaurant, but in the home). It is an amazing thing that she was able to do this. Even when a person is healed by natural means from a fever, they still have a loss of energy from which it takes a while to recover. When Jesus heals, he heals so completely that this woman is even released from the aftermath of the fever fatigue.

Lk 4:40-41 with Mk 1:32; Mt 8:16 ⁴⁰When [after^MK] the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹Moreover, [he drove out the spirits with a word, and^MT] demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.^NIV-6-7

Mt 8:17 ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities

and carried our diseases.”^NIV-6-8

The sun is setting. The whole city comes out to Jesus. Remembering that this is a Sabbath day, and that the holy day runs from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, these people are coming to Jesus at the first possible legal time. This is one of the most touching scenes of all the Bible. As dusk gives way to early evening, and as stars begin to appear one by one, cots and stretchers line the streets all around Peter’s house. Without opposition or antagonism, the master walks by each sick person, surrounded by their families, and touches them individually.

Each one is healed; each face has a smile, surely including our Lord’s. Tears of joy flow through the streets. Laughter is heard from corner to corner in Capernaum. We can’t imagine this crowd disassembling until the early morning hours. And up early the next morning they would be in search of the healer.

The demons, as is their custom, are confessing that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus, as is his custom, will not allow them to speak. It is not yet time for Jesus to be revealed as the Christ. The people are expectant for the Messiah, but in no way ready to receive him. They desperately want a Messiah, but only on their terms, to meet their expectations. Jesus is different than their dream … better, but different. Therefore, this announcement by the demons would do more damage than good. Let us not imagine for even a moment that a demon is going to do something to progress the work of the kingdom of God.

Both Mark and Luke use an interesting verb tense. When it says, “They knew he was the Christ,” it indicates that they “had known.” It was no new revelation to the demons. They had known it for quite some time.

At this point, Matthew introduces the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted.” This has obvious reference, especially considering the context, to the crucifixion. At the same time, Matthew attributes its fulfillment to this event. This has several important implications: (1) Prophecy may have two valid applications; in this case, one physical and one spiritual. (2) Jesus not only heals us spiritually (1 Pet. 2:24), but also physically. (3) Isaiah 53 is a description of Jesus that is as true today as when it was written. This being the case, Jesus must still be healing today. His method is obviously different, since he is not here physically to personally touch us. But he is still the Great Physician of both body and spirit.

Verse-by-verse detailed analysis

 (8:14-17) The first thing many male Jews did every morning was to pray, “Lord, I thank Thee that I was not born a slave, a Gentile, or a woman.” In the first two miracles of Matthew 8, Jesus showed mercy and compassion not only to an outcast leper but to an outcast Gentile and his slave. Now He shows mercy and compassion to a woman.

The proud, self-righteous Jewish men could not have missed Jesus’ point: physical health, race, social status, or gender made no difference to Him. None of those things in itself was an advantage or disadvantage as far as His ministry and message were concerned. That the disadvantaged more often received His blessing was due to their more often being humble and aware of their need. Likewise, that the advantaged more often failed to receive His blessing was due to their more often being proud and self-satisfied.

One of the purposes for which Jesus came to earth was to meet the needs of individuals and families. The experience in Peter’s home shows this.

Jesus was entering Peter’s home in order to rest. It was the Sabbath and He had just been ministering in the synagogue, teaching and healing (Mark 1:29; Mark 1:21-34). On the way to Peter’s home He encountered a desperate plea to heal the centurion’s servant. Now He was tired, very tired; He needed rest. Yet when He entered the home, there was another demand made upon Him. Another person needed help.

How often Jesus must have felt that He could not put one foot in front of the other! He desperately felt the need to collapse into bed, but He went on. Note several things.

1. This was an individual in a single home. There was no crowd, no publicity, no recognition. There was only a simple lady lying sick in bed.
2. This was the very purpose for which Jesus came: to minister. He loved and had the power to help, so He helped. He did what He could when He could, forgetting all about Himself.

Individuals and families were important to Jesus, just as important as the multitude. He often left the multitude in order to help individuals, and even while ministering to the multitude He often turned His attention to the individual (cp. Matthew 9:18-34; Matthew 12:9-13; Luke 7:11-17; Luke 8:41-56; Luke 13:10-17).

1. Purpose 1: to meet the needs of individuals and families (v.14-15).
2. Purpose 2: to meet the needs of the multitude (v.16).
3. Purpose 3: to prove His Messiahship (v.17).

(8:14-15) Jesus Christ, Purpose: the first purpose of Jesus’ power was to meet the needs of individuals and families. He demonstrated this purpose in two acts.

1. Jesus visited Peter’s home. Jesus visited the homes and families of those who ministered with Him. He had a very special care and love for families. Note the individuals involved in this home:
2. The husband, Peter.
3. The wife.
4. The mother-in-law.
5. The brother-in-law, Andrew.
6. The friends, James and John (Mark 1:29f).

Mark tells us that when Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, and John arrived at Peter’s home, some of the group discovered that Peter’s mother-in-law was ill, “and immediately they spoke to Him about her” (Mark 1:30). Luke adds the information that her fever was high and that the unidentified friends or relatives “made request of Him on her behalf” (Luke 4:38). In response to their request, Jesus then went to her room and saw her lying sick in bed with a fever.

We do not know the cause of the fever, but the facts that it was high and that the woman was too sick to get up suggest an extremely serious and probably life-threatening illness. The demands of everyday living did not allow most people in that day the luxury of going to bed whenever they felt bad. Physical pain and discomfort were a regular part of life, and, unless they were severe, did not normally interfere with a person’s responsibilities.

Also remember the attention Jesus gave to little children (Matthew 18:1-4; Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 9:46-48; Luke 18:15-17).

No individual or family is too poor or unimportant for Jesus to visit and help. He cares for all. Who were Peter’s wife and mother-in-law? This is the only time they are mentioned. They represent the quiet and unknown believers. Note that the individual person and family are most important to Jesus. He is not after the recognition of a crowd. He did not serve only when it would gain Him recognition. He willingly ministered quietly, unbeknown to others. He will meet our needs quietly, when we are all alone and unknown to the world.

2. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
3. Note what immediately grabbed the attention of Jesus when he entered Peter’s house: “He saw his [Peter’s] wife’s mother…sick of a fever.”Need grabbed Jesus’ attention. His very purpose on earth was to focus on the needs of individuals and families. He cared about their needs, including their sicknesses (cp. Matthew 9:18-34; Luke 7:11-17; John 4:46-54).
4. Note what Jesus did: He “touched her.” There is something special about a touch between individuals.

               1)   There is a communication of warmth, tenderness, and caring.

               2)   There is also a communication of power when we touch and pray. This power is an infusion of real assurance and confidence over whatever is being prayed. We are assured that “we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

1. Note what Peter’s mother-in-law did: she arose and began to serve the Lord immediately.

               1)   She had been sick with a fever and could have sat around for a while claiming weakness and the need to regain her strength.

               2)   She was not the head of the house. She could have waited to follow the head or wife of the house. But note: she did neither; she immediately arose and began serving her Lord.

Again Jesus’ response and healing were immediate. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and waited on Him. We know from both Mark and Luke that she also served the other people there (Mark 1:31; Luke 4:39), but Matthew emphasizes her special ministry to Jesus: she waited on Him. His healing touch had instantly removed her fever and pain, and most likely saved her life. We can be sure she served her gracious Lord with special attention and care.

Although Peter’s mother-in-law obviously was a woman, she was also a Jew. It may therefore be that, after His strong words of verses 11-12, Jesus did not want to leave the impression that God had forsaken His chosen people, even though most of them had forsaken Him. That the kingdom was open to faithful Gentiles certainly did not mean it was closed to faithful Jews. As Paul makes clear in his letter to the Romans, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew … There has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice … For if you [Gentiles] were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?” (Rom. 11:2, 5, 24).

What a lesson for us…

• When Jesus touches us, we need to get up immediately and begin serving.
• When Jesus touches us with power, it is not to make us feel important. His touch of power is for service, not for feelings of self-importance.
• When Jesus touches us with power we are not to wait until others begin serving. We are to get up ourselves and launch the ministry of reaching others for the Lord.

Peter’s mother-in-law had been favored with the wonderful power of the Lord. She could have felt important enough to be exempt from the menial duties. She could have joined the others waiting to be served.

“He touched her.” Jesus’ purpose on earth was to touch individuals and families. There is no question His touch affected Peter’s mother-in-law. She got up and ministered. But His touch was bound to have affected the others also. A touch intimately communicates what a person is trying to say to another person.

Jesus’ purpose is sumarized by Scripture: He is “touched with the feelings of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

 (8:14) Peter: note these facts about Peter’s home life and family tree.

1. Peter had a wife. He was to live some forty or more years, so he and his wife were probably newlyweds when Christ called him. Interestingly, tradition says that Peter’s wife served with him in the ministry. William Barclay quotes a touching picture by Clement of Alexandria who said that she was martyred with Peter: “On seeing his wife led to death, Peter rejoiced on account of her call and her conveyance home, and called very encouragingly and comfortingly, addressing her by name, ‘Remember thou the Lord’ ” (Stromateis 7:6. Quoted by Barclay.The Gospel of Matthew, Vol.1, p.313). There is strong evidence that Peter was martyred by crucifixion in Rome. Tradition says he felt so unworthy to be crucified like his Lord that he begged to be crucified upside down.
2. Peter had a house. He was formerly from Bethsaida (John 1:44). Here he is seen in Capernaum. After Jesus called him to be an apostle, he probably moved to Capernaum where the headquarters of Jesus was located.
3. Peter looked after his mother-in-law. Apparently she was old and widowed and needed to be cared for by her children. Peter demonstrated real compassion and a tenderness of heart in allowing her to live with his family.
4. Peter opened his home to guests. Mark says that the home was that of Peter and Andrew; however, it was probably owned by Peter, since his wife and mother-in-law are mentioned. Note that Jesus, James, and John were being entertained by Peter as guests (Mark 1:29f). It is possible that Jesus stayed at Peter’s home when inCapernaum and that Peter’s home was Jesus’ headquarters.
5. Peter’s father was Jona or Jonah (John 21:15-17). He had at least one brother, Andrew (John 1:41).

(8:16) Jesus Christ, Purpose: the second purpose of Jesus’ power was to meet the needs of the multitude. Note three things.

1. Jesus was tired; he was finally getting some rest. But the people heard He was in town and their needs were desperate. They began to gather at the door begging Him to help them.
2. He was faced with man’s unceasing cry for help.
3. He gave up His rest in order to help. He walked on earth for that very purpose.
4. He turned no one away. He “healed all.” As long as there was one person who needed Him, He helped.
5. This scene was a picture of how desperately the world needs Jesus. Not all the city came, just as all the world does not come today. But some did come. Who? Those who knew and confessed their need for His help.
6. It is for the ones who are “lost” that He has come.
7. It is for the ones who are “sick,” the ones who need the Physician, that He has come.
8. It is for all who would “come” that He has come.
9. Jesus had the power to help all. The word “all” is emphasized. There was no need—no matter how desperate—that His power could not reach.
10. His power could “cast out the spirits” of evil (demons). He proved His power over Satan. He had the power to overthrow and destroy Satan.
11. His power could meet all needs, no matter how desperate. Note the words, “He healed all.” The emphasis is upon all.

(8:17) Jesus Christ, Purpose: the third purpose of Jesus’ power was to prove His Messiahship. Jesus was the Messiah. His ministry was beyond question a fulfillment of the Scriptures that predicted the Messiah. This is clearly seen in that He is the “Ideal Servant of God”; that is, He did not just heal our sicknesses as any other minister, but He “Himself took [elaben] our infirmities, and bore [ebastasen] our sicknesses.” This means at least two things.

1. He bore our infirmities and sicknesses to the ultimate degree when He died on the cross for us. It was there that He bore them. (Cp. John 1:29.)
2. He bore each fresh illness in a way that will never be understood.
3. Each need that stood before Him wasa reminderthat He had to bear the sin of the world. He knew what it meant to bear the sin of the world and all that it was to include. So seeing the needs of men standing before Him reminded Him of the suffering He was to bear.
4. Each need that He met was a foretaste of the cross. The thought of what He had to bear was upon His mind day by day and hour by hour as He went about ministering. This was bound to weigh ever so heavily upon Him.

• Mark says that virtue, that is, power, went out of Him when He healed (Mark 5:30; cp. Luke 8:46).
• He sighed heavily at one miracle (Mark 7:34).
• He experienced deep emotion when raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:33).

The following is a simple yet descriptive way to picture how Jesus bore our sins for us.

1. He bore our sins for us: “in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24; cp. Isaiah 53:4-6).
2. He bore our sins off and from us: removed, lifted them off us. He has “carried away” our sins (Matthew 8:17). “He has cast our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19) and as far as “the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

3. He bares our sins with us. He can be “touched with the feelings of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

There is only one sure provision for the needs of the human soul: Jesus Christ. Our needs cannot be met…

• by philosophy and psychology.
• by mental and physical health.

Jesus Christ alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When we turn to Him, then we shall come to know the comfort and support needed to walk through life.

DEEPER STUDY

(8:17) Disease—Sickness—Corruption: the ultimate cause of corruption is sin and evil in the world (Genesis 2:15-3:7). An imperfect and corruptible world produces the seed of imperfection and incompleteness. It produces the seed of aging and deterioration until finally all waste away. Imperfection, sin, and disease are just the way of a world that is imperfect. The seed of corruption eats away until all become diseased and sick and ready for the grave. But this is the object of the glorious gospel, to proclaim.. .

• that Jesus bore the world’s corruption, its disease and sickness (Romans 8:19-23; cp. Isaiah 53:4).
• that Jesus bore the sins and evil of men (1 Peter 2:24).

Jesus also promises to intervene and recreate a new heaven and earth—a new heaven and earth that will be incorruptible and eternal (2 Peter 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1f). He furthermore promises that the man who believes in Him has everlasting life and shall be a citizen of the new heavens and earth. The believer will never be condemned to corruption and death, but he passes from death to life the very moment he trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior (John 5:24).

This seems like a “minor miracle,” but the results were major; for after sundown (when the Sabbath ended), the whole city gathered at the door that the Lord might meet their needs (Mark 1:32-34). Blessing in the home ought to lead to blessing in the community. The change in one woman’s life led to miracles in the lives of many people.

Matthew saw this as a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4. Please note that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in His life and not on the cross. He bore man’s sicknesses and infirmities during His ministry on earth. To say that there is “healing in the Atonement,” and that every believer has the “right” to claim it, is to misinterpret Scripture. First Peter 2:24 applies this same truth to the forgiving of our sins which He bore on the cross. Sin and sickness do go together (see Ps. 103:3), since sickness is a consequence of Adam’s sin and also an illustration of sin. But God is not obligated to heal all sicknesses. He is obligated to save all sinners who call on Him.

Jesus was now in the midst of launching His ministry in full force. It might be said that this was the beginning, the opening of His ministry. As He launched forth, just what He did is important for the believer as he goes forth serving his Lord.

1. Jesus began with worship: immediately—in the synagogue (v.21).
2. Jesus seized the opportunity to teach (v.21).
3. Jesus astonished the crowd (v.22).

These next two events take place on a single Sabbath. Here, we get a glimpse of Jesus’ ministry in its pristine state. There are no meddling Pharisees from Jerusalem. Jesus, the great physician, meets the needs of the people who yet adore him. In humility and divinity he touches the crowds. The prophecy Jesus quoted in the synagogue at Nazareth begins to be fulfilled (Lk 4:18-19; Isa 61:1-2). There is no conflict, no complication … yet. We would prefer this simple purity if it were not for the fact that Jesus’ self-revelation cannot exist in such a state. By the nature of Jesus’ miracles and identity, he is going to attract attention, devotion, and controversy.

Mk 1:21-22 — ²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Some say this miracle is the same as the healing of the centurion’s son in the synoptics Luke 7:1-10 and Matt 8:5-13. But these are different for the following reasons:

Nobleman’s Son	Centurion’s Servant
Nobleman – royal connections – maybe Jewish or Roman.	Entrusted with 100 men
Son	Servant
Negative rebuke	Positive reinforcement
begging to come touch son	don’t come – just speak
No positive comment on faith	Commendation on faith contrasted with Israel
In Cana	Approaches the man at Capernaum

Luke says that Jesus taught on the Sabbaths (plural), potentially leaving room for several weeks of teaching as well as the call of the four fishermen (Lk 5:1-11). Jesus taught with authority. There was a marked difference between him and the scribes. The common mode of teaching for the scribes was to quote a long list of other scribal authorities. This supposedly gave credibility to their teaching. Jesus, in contrast, simply said, “But I say.” Furthermore, the truth of his words were their own authority. The people needed no “professional stamp of approval” for them to recognize truth as truth. As usual, the crowd was amazed (cf. Mt 7:28; 13:54; 19:25; 22:33; Mk 1:22; 6:2; 7:37; 10:26; 11:18; Lk 2:48; 4:32; 9:43; Acts 13:12).

(1:21) Worship: Jesus began His ministry with worship—immediately. Note the words “straightway [immediately] on the sabbath day He entered into the synagogue.”

     This says several significant things.

1. Jesus launched His ministry in worship. A new ministry should always begin in worship. It should be bathed in worship.
2. Jesus was faithful to weekly worship in the synagogue. The synagogue, with its leaders and its worshippers, was far from perfect, yet on the Sabbath day, Jesus entered and worshipped faithfully. Such an example leaves all without excuse.

 (1:21) Teaching—Time—Initiative: Jesus seized the opportunity to teach. Note the words “straightway [immediately], He entered into the synagogue, and taught.” The idea is that He excitedly entered and immediately began to teach. This was the very day He was to launch His ministry; this was the first chance He had to take the podium and teach. He immediately rushed forth and seized the opportunity.

Opportunities must be seized when they present themselves. We must not let them pass. Several things can make us miss opportunities.

1)   Not looking for opportunities.

2)   Not grasping for the opportunities at the right time.

3)   Not having the initiative to grab an opportunity when it arises.

4)   Not handling the opportunity properly.

Jesus utilized the moment. His time was short, so He seized the opportunity to teach. Time is short. We must use every minute to the fullest, for the night is coming when no man can work. There are several mistakes made with time.

1)   We can lose time: just let it pass, never seize the opportunity.

2)   We can ignore time: pay no attention to it, give it little if any thought.

3)   We can neglect time: be unconcerned and non-caring, fail to realize its potential and exactly what could be achieved with its proper use.

4)   We can abuse time: use time to do the opposite of what we should be doing; misuse time by using it half-heartedly, sloppily, ineffeciently.

(1:22) Jesus Christ, Teaching: Jesus astonished the crowd. The word “astonished” (ekplessonto) is a strong and expressive word. Its literal meaning is to be struck in mind, to be astonished. The people were stricken, stirred, aroused, moved by the Lord’s teaching.

     Jesus astonished the crowd for two reasons.

1. His message was very different
2. His authority was strikingly different. Note the words, “He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” Five comparisons will show this.
3. Tradition vs. authority. Other teachers relied upon esteemed men, their traditions and teachings, and quoted them as their source of authority; but not Jesus. He taught with a personal authority; He spoke independently of all others. He spoke with a certainty, a positiveness, a finality that no one else had ever done.
4. Form vs. power. Other teachers stressed ritual, ceremony, and form. Jesus stressed the need and availability of power to overcome the trials and sufferings of life.
5. Humanism (laws) vs. the spiritual (truth). Other teachers reasoned and formulated law after law, teaching that these were the way to real life. Jesus spoke about matters of the heart and life, of the soul and spirit. The answers He gave were spiritual truths, not human thought and rationalism.
6. Religion vs. life. Other teachers preached their religion; Jesus preached life—a life to be lived abundantly and eternally.
7. Profession vs. possession. Other teachers professed to follow God, but they twisted and interpreted the law of God to their own liking. What they followed was their ownman-made religion. They were anything but followers of God. Jesus practiced and lived what He taught. His life was so different from other teachers that people sat up and took notice of what He had to say.

Lk 4:33-35 with Mk 1:26 — ³³In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil^NIV-6-6 spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴”Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

³⁵”Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and [shook him violently and^MK] came out [of him with a shriek^MK] without injuring him.

This is the first of several times that Jesus will confront a demon, or, as Luke calls it “a spirit of an unclean demon.” His culture was riddled with superstitions about demons (cf. Edersheim, Appendix XVI).^6-11 In fact, the Jews had a large body of literature dealing with demons. It dealt primarily with two things: (1) demons being the disembodied spirits of wicked people, and (2) exorcism by magical incantations. Jewish superstitions, however, do not mean that demons don’t exist. Jesus does not deal with superstitions but with realities.

Edersheim (I:480), notices how Jesus dealt with demons as a reality and not merely as superstition or psychosis: (1) He commissioned his disciples to cast them out (Mt 10:8). (2) He thanked God when they were cast out (Lk 10:17-18). (3) He reproved his disciples when they could not cast them out (Mt 17:17). Either Jesus was duped by the superstitions of his day, or he pretended they were real in order to gain a hearing among the crowds, or demons were, in fact, a reality.

While it would be a mistake to deny the reality of Satan’s activity, so also is it a mistake to overemphasize it. Ours is a day of morbid curiosity in the occult, even in Christian circles with our “power encounters.” Here are several truths that should be reflected in our theology and experience of demons:

1. Satan is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. To claim to be tempted by Satan may be a bit boastful—he probably has bigger fish to fry.
2. There is no indication that demons “specialize” in certain activities such as cancer, anger, selfishness, pride, stealing, etc. In other words, although demons appear to have personalities (Mk 5:8; 9:25), there is no indication that a certain affliction is caused by a certain demon and therefore needs to be identified before it can be exorcised.
3. The idea that you must obtain a demon’s name or you will be unable to exorcise it has its roots more in Greek and Jewish magic practices than in Scripture.
4. That we are in spiritual warfare is undeniable. However, it is false and faithless to view this battle as dualistic—fairly equivalent powers of darkness and light and one will barely win over the other. The Holy Spirit is infinitely more powerful than the created, fallen, evil spirits. There is simply no contest.
5. There is no indication that the victory of good angels is contingent upon the prayers of the saints. It is pure fiction that humans empower angelic spirits with their supplications.
6. Demons are not illnesses. In the Gospels sickness and disease are identified as separate from demons. Sickness is a natural part of our fallen world. Demons are a spiritual part of a “heavenly fall.”

After Jesus had taught in the synagogue, this demon-possessed man pipes up, “Ha! What do you want with us?” Luke’s little added expletive “Ha” carries with it extreme emotion. It can indicate fear, hate, and anger all at the same time. The second part of this phrase “What do you want with us?” can also be translated, “What do we have to do with each other?” or even “Why this interference?”

The demons then ask Jesus if he is going to destroy them. This is Jesus’ first confrontation of demons. They give up before the fight even started. Jesus so totally overpowers them that they resign themselves to defeat. We who are filled with the Spirit of Christ have nothing to fear from demons.

The startling thing is that these demons were more aware of Jesus’ true identity than the other attenders of the synagogue, including Jesus’ own disciples. The demoniac said, “I know who you are—the Holy one of God.” We are reminded of James 2:19, “Even the demons believe, and shudder.”

But Jesus forbids them to speak. Why? Because: (1) Jesus has not yet had time to teach and display the true nature of his Messiahship. A mistaken notion of Messiah may do more harm than good. (2) It’s pretty bad publicity to have demons praise you. (3) Works are louder than words. Jesus wanted his actions to speak for themselves.

So Jesus “muzzled” them by ordering [epetime4sen] their silence. This word demands attention. Jesus will use it again in the next pericope (Lk 4:39, 41), when healing Peter’s mother-in-law. It is a key word in understanding the purpose of this section. Kee gives the following definition to epitimao4: “The word of command by which God’s agent defeats his enemies, thus preparing for the coming of God’s kingdom.”^6-13

He traces its use in broader Jewish literature, and finds that it describes God’s cosmic struggle against the forces of darkness, evident in both sickness and demon possession. Therefore, it shows that this one event is but a part of a long-standing battle. Furthermore, this demonstrates the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God which marks the beginning of the end for Satan’s dominion.

The demon reluctantly gives up his prey. As a spoiled child who can’t get his way, he throws the man down. This pathetic, yellow-bellied demon takes one last pot-shot at the man. This cowardly act of defiance is the last pleasure of attack he will know on this man. Luke, the physician, makes a note that the demon did not injure the man. He dare not in the presence of the God/Man.

This was not an exorcism. There was no magical incantation or formula. Actually, this was more like a healing.^6-14 Jesus, simply on the authority of his word, commanded this demon to leave and he did. The point of the story is not demonology but the authority of Jesus.

Let’s remove the false superstition about the undue power of demons. They are real, they are active, and they are in submission to the word of Christ. We who are possessed by the Holy Spirit have nothing to fear from an unholy spirit. “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jn 4:4). Jesus came to “destroy the works of the Devil” (1 Jn 3:8), and will, on the last day, destroy all his workers (Mt 25:41).

Mk 1:27-28 — ²⁷The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

The crowd is shocked, not by Jesus’ deed, but by the power of his words. The deed serves to validate the word, not the other way around. The powerful word of Jesus is exalted, both his ability to teach and his ability to command demons.

 Jesus’ Power Over Evil Spirits and Its Impact: Delivering the Most Enslaved, 1:23-28

(1:23-28) Introduction: man can be delivered from all the forces of evil by the power of Jesus. He can even be delivered from unclean spirits that enslave him, no matter the grip of the enslavement. Jesus has the power to deliver man (Romans 8:31; 1 John 4:4).

1. Picture 1: the need of the possessed man (v.23-24).
2. Picture 2: the power of Jesus (v.25-26).
3. Picture 3: the impact upon people (v.27-28).

 (1:23-24) Evil Spirits: the first picture is that of the possessed man and his need. The words “with an unclean spirit” (en pneumati akatharto) should be translated “in” (en) an unclean spirit. The man was in the grasp, in the possession of the unclean spirit. He was in the grip, captivated by the unclean spirit. He was under the spell, the will of the unclean spirit. To better understand the meaning, think of all the evil in the world, all the evil that occurs every hour and every day. Then note John’s words, “The whole world lieth in the wicked [or evil] one” (en to ponero, 1 John 5:19). That is, the world lies under the influence, power, bondage, will, and grip of the evil one. In the very same sense, this man was possessed by an unclean spirit.

     Note three things.

1. The possessed man, surprisingly, was in the synagogue. What was he doing there? Was he a regular attender or had he come just to hear Jesus? We are not told. But if he was a regular attender, then the synagogue was spiritually dead. How do we know this? Because the man could attend services time after time and never be helped spiritually.

How many services are dead, so lifeless that men with evil spirits can sit in the services and never be convicted or helped spiritually? How many sit in church and hear the Word of God week after week or live among believers and never make a decision to turn from their evil? They sit in service after service and brush shoulders with believers day by day, but they never decisively turn to God.

2. The possessed man raged and cried out, sensed and recoiled from purity. The unclean spirit recognized and cried three things.
3. The unclean spirit cried, “What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth?” The unclean spirit was entirely different from the clean spirit of Jesus. Jesus is perfectly pure and sinless. The unclean spirit had nothing to do with the purity of Jesus. The unclean spirit was diametrically opposed to the holiness of Jesus.
4. The unclean spirit recognized that Jesus had come to destroy him. Down deep within, the unclean persons know they are to judged and destroyed. They hate and despise, ignore and neglect, hide and rationalize in order to continue in their unclean ways. The paradox is that they know they will be judged even while they are sinning and rebelling against God. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
5. The unclean spirit identified Jesus. He said, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” He confessed Jesus. As James says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).
6. The possessed man identified Jesus. This point is so significant it bears repeating: “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God,” that is, the Holy Son of God.

The world cries out, “What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?” Why? Because He is the Son of God who demands belief and purity of life, self-denial and a life of sacrifice. “What have we to do with thee…?”

Wealth cries, “Leave us alone. Let us secure ourselves, build up, and bank more and more.”

Power cries, “Leave us alone. Let us take over, exercise authority, rule and reign, dominate, manuever and manipulate as we will.”

Ego cries, “Leave us alone. Let us seek recognition, attention, esteem, honor, and praise as we wish.”

 Flesh cries, “Leave us alone. Let us excite, indulge, stimulate, relax, release, escape, party, revel, and carouse as we desire.”

 (1:25-26) Jesus Christ—Power—Salvation: the second picture is that of the power of Jesus.

1. Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit. Note the words, “Hold thy peace.” Jesus did not accept demonic testimony to His Messiahship. Why? Such acknowledgment was involuntary, that is, of the mind only. It was only the mental knowledge that Jesus was the Son of God. It was not of the heart nor of the will to follow Jesus. It did not come from being born again. The witness Jesus wants is the witness of a man who has made a deliberate decision to profess Him as Lord; the witness of a heart truly changed; the witness of a heart moved by the Spirit of God to confess, “Thou art the Holy One of God” (Mark 8:29; cp. Mark 1:34).

     Note also the power of Jesus. He casts the unclean spirit out. How? By His Word, by simply saying, “Come out of him.”

2. The evil spirit obeyed. Note the words “torn him” (sparasso). The words mean to be convulsed. Apparently the man had a convulsion, jerking to and fro and crying out with a loud voice.

     The question is sometimes asked, Why all this? Why such a scene? Why did Jesus not calmly heal the man in a serene atmosphere? There are probably two reasons.

1. The evil and unclean spirits in the world are powerful forces, possessing enormous power to enslave and possess man. Their power could be more clearly seen in a convulsive and noisy scene. People needed to know that the evil and unclean forces of the world are the true enemies of mankind. They are the powerful forces who enslaved men with their dirty, intoxicating, and immoral habits.
2. The man was possessed by an unclean spirit. The convulsion and cry were evidence of the unclean spirit actually being in the man.
3. The convulsion and cry demonstrated the power and Messiahship of Jesus. Jesus was actually conquering the force of evil within a man, and only God had such a power.

Jesus says, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will never believe.” The “you” is in the plural, so Jesus is probably talking to the crowd following Him instead of to the nobleman. The nobleman is not looking for a sign. He just wants his son healed.

Perhaps you are thinking, “I thought that the purpose of the book of John was that “these signs were written that you might believe…” (John 20:31) That is true, but the key word is “written.” It does not say that we should wait to see signs before we believe. The written record of select miracles should be enough to evoke faith.

Remembering the big picture of history in relation to miracles, if you need to see a miracle to believe, then that leaves you out of most of biblical history. God always worked providentially, but only occasionally did He work miraculously.

I think this passage is relevant to the Signs and Wonders debate. I think that to demand signs and wonders is a very dangerous thing. Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who believe who have not seen…” Jesus says that an evil and adulterous generation demands signs and wonders. I have to reconcile those statements of Jesus with the modern day emphasis on the miraculous. If a Signs and Wonders advocate says that people need signs and wonders to believe, then we can say with assurance that that is not biblical.

Sometimes people get the impression that because we are not Signs and Wonders people we don’t believe in miracles nor think it would be good if God did a miracle. I have friends with cancer and other ailments, and I pray for their miraculous healing believing that God can do it. Because I don’t hype miracles doesn’t mean I don’t believe in miracles. Do I expect them? I know that the prayer of a righteous man effects much. And I know that sometimes we have not because we ask not, but I also know that miracles are not the norm for history.

The difference is that I am not demanding a miracle so that I will have faith or so others will believe. If I am, then I am putting people in a precarious position.

Jesus said, “Unless you see, you will not believe.” They could have believed without seeing. The proper belief is not in the miracle. It is in the person of Christ. It is not the act, it is the actor that they need to believe in.

So the condemnation is against people who think they or others need to see a miracle to believe in Jesus.

 (1:27-28) Decision—Jesus Christ, Response to: the third picture is that of the impact upon people. The people reacted in three ways.

1. They were amazed (ethambethesan), astonished. What the people had witnessed was unbelievable. Using no charms, no invocations, no exorcising devices, Jesus simply said, “Come out of him”; and the unclean spirit was dramatically cast out of the man. The people were shocked and stunned.
2. They questioned and buzzed among themselves, “What thing is this? What new power or revelation (doctrine) is this? What is God showing us? Is the revelation, the doctrine, the power from and of the Messiah? ‘For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.’” The people were doing just what Jesus had wanted. They were questioning if He was the Messiah.
3. They spread His fame everywhere. Imagine the conversation in the stores, businesses, homes, and streets as people travelled throughout the area and throughout the world. The impact upon us should be the same. All three responses should characterize us as we witness the power of God in changing and healing lives. Yet, how gospel-hardened so many of us become.

APPLICATIONS

• Faith is indispensable in pleasing God. Heb 11:6.
• Distance is no barrier to the power of God.
• Sickness is no respecter of age or person. It strikes the young and the old, the rich and the poor. Just because you are faithful, spiritual, a minister or even a missionary, doesn’t mean that your child won’t die in the field.
• Affliction may bring blessing in disguise. What brought the contact with Jesus? Sickness What was the result? Salvation. God may use human tragedy to lead people to Himself as the only answer both for physical life and spiritual life.
• Jesus is not just the creator of life – first miracle – He is the restorer of life – second miracle.
• Faith in God’s word is preferred over faith in God’s wonders. God may not always do wonders. We’ve already discussed how the wonders have only occurred in special times in history, but His word is always around. Trusting in the word of Christ is the key. Throughout the ages, people have continually tried to stress the miracles and perform miracles thinking that people need to “SEE” the miracle in order to believe. But this man believed the Word of Jesus.
• That is why Jesus is perturbed that this people will not believe unless they See. The opportunity to See miracles is so limited that few will have a chance to See and Believe. Most will have to just hear and believe.
• When Jesus says it, it’s done.
• Sometimes God works in the immaturity of our faith to bring us to more complete faith. Maybe it is not complete – saving faith. Another example is Cornelius who was a God-fearer. He had faith, but he didn’t have saving faith in the person of Jesus.

Jesus now performs his second identified miracle. Again, it is in Cana of Galilee, the hometown of Nathanael. Many commentators have compared this miracle to the healing of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:1, 5-13; Lk 7:1-10).^6-1 There are several similarities: (1) Jesus is entreated to heal a beloved son/servant. (2) Jesus performs the healing from a distance. (3) The city of Capernaum is involved.

There are several significant differences here, however: (1) Jesus was in Cana as opposed to Capernaum (Lk 7:1). (2) The nobleman asked Jesus to come to his house, the centurion discouraged it. (3) Jewish elders entreated Jesus on behalf of the centurion, a Gentile. (4) Jesus commends the centurion’s faith but rebukes the nobleman for seeking a sign.

Although the narratives may look similar, their general tone, time, and purpose are different. The point of the centurion narrative is to demonstrate his great faith in Jesus. The point of the nobleman narrative is to demonstrate Jesus’ rising popularity and the faith which his miracles generated.

 Jn 4:46-48 — ⁴⁶Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

⁴⁸”Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

This royal official is quite possibly a servant of Herod Antipas. At least Josephus uses this same word some six hundred times to designate a servant of Herod. We find other noble servants of Herod in the NT such as Cuza (Lk 8:3) and Manaen (Acts 12:1), who are, perhaps, co-laborers with this man. “It is possible that the official was a Gentile. If so, the three persons Jesus interviewed in this early ministry represented the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles—in short, the world he came to save” (Tenney, p. 60). Whoever he is, he is acting within the cultural belief that this famed rabbi has powerful prayers. We note, however, that the nobleman’s faith goes beyond asking for prayer for healing. He asks Jesus to come down to his house and act as a miracle-worker.

In response to his request, Jesus rebukes him and the crowd (note the plural), for seeking a sign. This won’t be the last time Jesus shows disdain for miracle-mongers (cf. Mt 11:20-24). Jesus wants us to believe in him for who he is, not just for what he does (Jn 10:38; 14:11; 15:22-24; 20:29). Miracles are evidence of Jesus’ identity. They were even used to bolster the faith of John the Baptist (Mt 11:4-5), but they will never satisfy the insatiable curiosity of thrill-seekers, nor will they force faith on those who refuse to submit to Jesus (Mt 12:38-45). How disappointing this must be for Jesus to come down from Sychar of Samaria, where they flocked to him because of his words alone, unto Galilee, his own people, who demand a circus show.

Why does Jesus rebuke this poor man for a lack of faith? Isn’t that a bit harsh? After all, his son is on his deathbed and he comes to Jesus begging for some divine help. But his faith falls short in two ways. First, he assumes that Jesus has to come to his house to heal the boy. Second, he only believes that Jesus can heal the boy, not raise him from the dead. We must also remember that Jesus does not rebuke this man alone, but the entire crowd. Perhaps something in their expressions reveals their delight that Jesus would do yet another sign. Before we get too critical of Jesus, we should note that he did, in fact, heal the boy!

Jn 4:49-54 — ⁴⁹The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

⁵⁰Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. ⁵¹While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. ⁵²When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”

⁵³Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed.

⁵⁴This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

This nobleman is urgent. He pleads for help. Jesus responds to this urgent father. He heals the child from about twenty miles away. Likewise, the nobleman responds to Jesus. He takes Jesus at his word and starts off toward Capernaum.

The boy’s fever broke about 1 p.m. The servants keep a close eye on him through the night. By morning it’s obvious that the lad is going to be all right. These servants are so excited, they can’t wait for their master’s return. They run out to meet him halfway. Meanwhile, the nobleman has spent the night somewhere along the twenty mile trek from Cana to Capernaum.^6-2 Sometime the next morning he meets his happy band of servants. They’ve got good news! His child is healed. The father naturally verified the time at which the fever broke. It coincided precisely with the time at which Jesus gave the declaration that the child was healed.

There is no way for this to be psychosomatic, nor much likelihood of coincidence. Not only does he believe, but so does his entire household. (For other household conversions cf. Acts 10:23-26; 16:14-15, 34; 18:8).

Most Americans can expect to alive between 70-85 years, according to statistics. But the statistical tables don’t always work out with real-life precision.

For example, we expect to face the deaths of our parents someday. We don’t expect, however, to face the deaths of our children.

Neither did Nicholas Wolterstorff. But one bright Sunday afternoon, a numbing telephone call brought news of a mountain-climbing accident. In his book Lament for a Son, the bereaved father reflects upon his painful feelings: “Gone from the face of the earth. I wait for a group of students to cross the street, and suddenly I think: He is not there. I go to a ballgame and find myself singling out the 25-year olds; none of them is he. In all the crowds and streets and rooms and churches and schools and libraries and gatherings of friends in our world, on all the mountains, I will not find him. Only his absence.

“When we gather now there’s always someone missing, his absence as present as our presence, his silence as loud as our speech. Still five children, but one always gone. When we’re all together, we’re not all together.

“It’s the neverness that is so painful. Never again to be there with us–never to sit with us at table, never to travel with us, never to laugh with us, never to cry with us, never to embrace us as he leaves for school, never to see his brothers and sister marry. All the rest of our lives we must live without him.”

As we turn to our lesson today, the emotion of another father who fears the death of his son bleeds through the page.

  “After the two days he left for Galilee. {44} (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) {45} When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there. {46} Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.”

This third interview of Jesus which closed the series of His public presentations took place in Galilee two days after the visit to Samaria. His reception there was the result of His ministry in Jerusalem.

This ministry in Galilee lasted some 16 months. The religious parties were not so bitter here. The Galileans who had made the pilgrimage to the feast had seen His signs, or at least had heard of them, and were quite ready to welcome Him (the reference connects with the narrative of 2:23).

Their belief was grounded on the works that He did, not their faith in His person. John echoed Jesus’ utterance which is quoted in all the gospels, that a “prophet is without honor in his own country,” although the reception accorded to Jesus in Galilee was more friendly than in Judea.

Of all places it was in Nazareth where He was known by so many. They should have had the greatest respect and admiration for Him. But they seemed of all people the least interested in Him. But isn’t that common, even today? A preacher or teacher who has been faithfully serving his congregation many years…are members often most critical and unappreciative?

The same is true in our homes: mothers and fathers who with unselfish devotion seek to provide the very best for their children, are frequently misunderstood and even despised by their own children. How tragic that we do not give respect and honor where it is due.

The key to the healing of the nobleman’s son is given in the idea that he “once more” or “again” was in the city. He had performed a miracle here before, so He had a reputation as a healer and wonder worker.

This is the second sign which Jesus did after he had come from Judaea into Galilee.

Most of the commentators think this is another version of the story of the healing of the centurion’s servant told in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10; but there are differences which justify us in treating it as quite independent.

Certain things about the conduct of this courtier are an example to all men.

(i)  Here is a courtier who came to a carpenter.  The Greek is basilikos which could even mean that he was a petty king; but it is used for a royal official and he was a man of high standing at the court of Herod.  Jesus on the other hand had no greater status than that of the village carpenter of Nazareth.  Further, Jesus was in Cana and this man lived in Capernaum, almost twenty miles away.  That is why he took so long to get back home.

There could be no more improbable scene in the world than an important court official hastening twenty miles to beg a favour from a village carpenter.  First and foremost, this courtier swallowed his pride.  He was in need, and neither convention nor custom stopped him brining his need to Christ.  His action would cause a sensation but he did not care what people said so long as he obtained the help he so much wanted.  If we want the help which Christ can give we must be humble enough to swallow our pride and not care what any man may say.

(ii)  Here is a courtier who refused to be discouraged.  Jesus met him with the at first sight bleak statement that people would not believe unless they were supplied with signs and wonders.  It may well be that Jesus aimed that saying, not so much at the courtier himself, as the crowd that must have gathered to see the outcome of this sensational happening.  They would be there all agape to see what would happen.

But Jesus had a way of making sure that a person was in earnest.  He did that to the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matthew 15:21-28).  If the man had turned irritably and petulantly away; if he had been too proud to accept a rebuke; if he had given up despairingly on the spot-Jesus would have known that his faith was not real.  A man must be in earnest before the help of Christ can come to him.

(iii)  Here was a courtier who had faith.  It must have been hard for him to turn away and go home with Jesus’s assurance that his little lad would live.  Nowadays men are beginning to realize the power of thought and of telepathy in such a way that no one would reject this miracle simply because it was wrought at a distance; but it must have been difficult for the courtier.  Yet he had faith enough to turn and walk back that twenty mile road with nothing but Jesus’s assurance to comfort his heart.

It is of the very essence of faith that we should believe that what Jesus says is true.  So often we have a kind of vague, wistful longing that the promises of Jesus should be true.  The only way really to enter into them is to believe in them with the clutching intensity of a drowning man.  If Jesus says a thing, it is not a case of “It may be true”; it is a case of “It must be true.”

(iv)  Here was a courtier who surrendered.  He was not a man who got out of Christ what he wanted and then went away to forget.  He and all his household believed.  That would not be easy for him, for the idea of Jesus as the Anointed One of God must have cut across all his preconceived notions.  Nor would it be easy at the court of Herod to profess faith in Jesus.  He would have mockery and laughter to endure; and no doubt there would be those who thought that he had gone slightly mad.

But this courtier was a man who faced and accepted the facts.  He had seen what Jesus could do; he had experienced it; and there was nothing left for it but surrender.  He had begun with a sense of desperate need; that need had been supplied; and his sense of need had turned into an overmastering love.  That must always be the story of the Christian life.

Most New Testament scholars think that at this point in the Fourth Gospel the chapters have somehow become misplaced.  They hold that chapter 6 should come before chapter 5.  The reason is this.  Chapter 4 finishes with Jesus in Galilee (John 4:54).  Chapter 5 begins with Jesus in Jerusalem.  Chapter 6 again shows us Jesus in Galilee.  Chapter 7 begins with the implication that Jesus had just come into Galilee because of the opposition which he met in Jerusalem.  The changes between Jerusalem and Galilee become very difficult to follow.  On the other hand chapter 4 (4:54) ends:  “This the second sign that Jesus did, when he had come from Judaea to Galilee.”

Chapter 6 begins (6:1):  “After this thing Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee,” which would be a natural sequence.  Chapter 5 then shows us Jesus going to Jerusalem for a Feast and meeting with very serious trouble with the Jewish authorities.  We are in fact told that from that time they began to persecute him (5:10).  Then chapter 7 begins by saying that Jesus went about in Galilee and “would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him” (7:1).

Here we have not altered the order; but we must note that to take chapter 6 before chapter 5 does give an easier and more natural order of events.

 “When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.”

The word translated “royal official” is “basilikos,” meaning “king’s man.” Obviously a person of prestigious rank, this man is probably one of Herod’s trusted officers…he was possibly a courier of Herod the Tetrarch.

But his rank means nothing to him now. His son’s life is at stake. He doesn’t go to Herod; he goes to Jesus, the very Source of life. His interest in Jesus was prompted by the sickness of his son, who had been ailing for some time. The gradual decline of the child’s health, with a sudden turn for the worse, drove him to look for aid wherever he could find it.

The Greek language also adds a point often missed here: the imperfect tense of the verb “begged” or “requested” is used, giving the nuance of continuous action. It could better be translated “he kept on begging Him over and over again.”

Although we can understand his urgency, we shouldn’t overlook two matters:

1. He told Christ how to handle the need
2. He presented the need before presenting himself

This event causes us to think for a moment: isn’t it amazing how infirmity draws people to Christ faster than prosperity does.  But sometimes that’s what it takes!  C. S. Lewis said: “how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us.”

  {48} “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

  Jesus’ answer was a protest against the popular feeling concerning Him. Before we judge Jesus’ words too harshly, we must understand that a “circus” atmosphere was developing around Christ. Too many people, He was fast becoming a traveling sideshow: “Come one, come all! See the Galilean Miracle Worker!” Jesus also had a way of testing men and women to determine the sincerity of their faith.

Jesus’ rebuke should cause us to think about what we do in the name of helping others. Are we more dedicated to the pursuit of truth or to the pursuit of comfort? Are we more concerned that people believe or that they are delivered from their emotional discomfort?

I have often been warned and rebuked by the following words from Henri Nouwen:

“A minister is not a doctor whose primary task is to take away pain….Perhaps the main task of the minister is to prevent people from suffering for the wrong reasons. Many people suffer because of the false supposition on which they have based their lives. That supposition is that there should be no fear or loneliness, no confusion or doubt. But these sufferings can only be dealt with creatively when they are understood as wounds integral to our human condition. Therefore ministry is a very confronting service. It does not allow people to live with illusions of immortality and wholeness. It keeps reminding others that they are mortal and broken, but also that with the recognition of this condition, liberation starts.”

I believe that Jesus was deeply concerned for the suffering father and his dying child, but I believe that He was even more concerned about their relationship with God. Jesus wanted the child to be healed and the father’s heart not to be broken, but He wanted lost people to be saved even more.

Jesus saw that the greatest need in the life of the royal official that day was not deliverance from physical death; it was God! Jesus also saw that the possible death of a son had opened this man to his greatest need.

Before continuing the story, we all need to ask ourselves what our most pressing concern is at this moment. What issue is weighing on your mind right now? Although it is important to you, it is probably not your greatest need. However, it may be the very matter that helps you to recognize your greatest need—-to open your heart to God!

“The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” {50} Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

Without question, the nobleman’s comment displayed his faith, though verse 50 put him in a dilemma: should he take Jesus at his word or not? To his credit, he did!  Standing by and watching as another brings healing requires little faith…but to believe without being there, without seeing for yourself? That takes faith!

It should be noted, too, that the nobleman asked for one thing while God did another..yet the son was healed. This is the way it is today with our prayers!

Four Important Traits:

1. He did not let position, pride or effort prevent him from coming to seek Christ’s aid.
2. He stood the test of faith.
3. He showed the reckless type of faith (not ignorant) which Jesus desires; the only way to receive the full benefit of the promises of God’s Word is to believe in Jesus unreservedly.
4. He became a witness for the Lord. Verse 53 shows that others believed.

“While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. {52} When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” {53} Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed. {54} This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.”

Again, the Greek language gives us a special picture: the imperfect tense of the verb “saying” is used in verse 51, again indicating continual action. Apparently, the slaves were jumping up and down with joy, repeating over and over, “Your son’s alive…he’s alive…he’s well.”

The healing not only caused enthusiasm on the road, it also created revival at home: verse 53 shows us the belief of the man and his household!

An interesting cross-reference is found in Luke 8:1-3: “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, {2} and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; {3} Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

 Look closely at verse 3. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, who was in charge of the king’s financial books–a close, trusted official, occasionally called “the king’s man.”

Yet, though the king’s man, he and his wife supported Jesus out of their private means. Very possibly‚ Chuza and Joanna were the grateful parents of the young man in John 4.

 There are a number of facts which make this a notable miracle:

1. It was a cure performed at a distance from the sick child. Distance is no barrier to God! Location has nothing to do with His healing.  This is one of several miracles at a distance:

– He healed the centurion’s servant at a distance (Matt. 8:5-13) and note that it was also in Capernaum

– He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:21-28)

* These two were Gentiles and, spiritually speaking, were “at a distance” (Eph. 2:12-13).

2. It was performed for a distinguished officer of the king’s court.
3. Jesus said no peculiar “healing formula.”
4. The child evidently did not have any faith in Jesus.
5. The child was at the point of death.

 Search the gospel and you will find only one time in the 31 instances of healing where the Lord required faith: Matthew 9:28: “When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.”

In nine cases there is no evidence at all of faith; in four others faith is very unlikely; in four others there is no faith possible(Luke 7:11-17; John 5:2-13; John 11:1-46; and Matt. 9:18-26).

Verse 54 is difficult to comprehend completely: Jesus did the first miracle in Cana (2:1) and this is called the second. But John 2:23 tells us that many more were performed in Jerusalem.  This was the second miracle performed in Cana of Galilee!

This section represents the first miracle Jesus performed, demonstrating His very purpose for coming to earth: to reveal the creative power of God. He had the power to create and produce what was needed to meet man’s need.

This section, which carries through the close of chapter four, has been called “the period of consideration,” because it narrates certain events by means of which Jesus was presented to the public for their consideration and acceptance. (John presents a situation for us to see and then we ‘sit back’ and watch the response of the people.)

These events or appearances of Jesus were selected as representative, in order that His method of appeal to various classes might be plainly seen, and that the reader might be influenced by at least one of them.

Our text, John 2:1-11, tells of Jesus’ attendance at a wedding where He, too, experienced the tension. Watching what He did at this event tells us a lot about who the Son of Man (1:51) truly is.

This scene, in a way, leaves us up in the air. There are many unanswered questions: What was Mary’s role? What was Nathanael’s relationship to the couple? Who was this couple? Did Jesus know them previously? How?

As an eyewitness, John could have answered all these questions. But he chooses to emphasize Jesus. He is the main character of this wedding feast, the only one that really matters.

Note that Joseph was not mentioned. It is thought by most commentators that he was already dead. Jesus has come to bear all the trials of the world for man. He suffered…

• the death of a parent ( Matthew 13:53-58).
• being the child of a one-parent family.
• having to provide for His mother and half-brothers and sisters.

The first verse sets the time…it has been seven days since the event of John 1:19: “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.”

Cana of Galilee was the home of Nathanael (21:2). Jesus was a full participant in this celebration. Marriage was a happy time, a time of joy and laughter—a festive occasion. It was one of the largest social events in a community.

This tells us two things about Jesus: 1. He was a sociable person…He liked people and people liked Him. He enjoyed the company of people. Do not miss the truth that Jesus chose to attend the wedding! Can you imagine Him there? Can you imagine His relaxed smile as He talked with the other guests? Does the Jesus you picture in your mind experience joy? Would He be at home at a wedding celebration? The Jesus of this text certainly was!

2. Jesus honored marriage by His presence. He demonstrated His approval and honor in two ways: by attending the marriage feast and by meeting the urgent need of the bridegroom.

A Jewish wedding ceremony included three major events:

1. There was a marriage feast and ceremony, which were held on the same evening
2. They were conducted through the village streets by the light of flaming torches and with a canopy over their heads. They wore crowns and dressed in their bridal robes for a week…they didn’t go on a honeymoon, but stayed at home, and it was ‘open house’ for 7 days.
3. The wedding festivities lasted far more than one day; they usually lasted seven days. After the ceremony the young couple were conducted to their new home. There, speeches were made and expressions of goodwill publicly declared. They were treated like kings and queens, and were actually addressed as king and queen.

In a life where there was much poverty and constant hard work, this week of festivity and joy was one of the supreme occasions.  Hospitality was emphasized and the hosts took great care to provide whatever the guests needed.

“Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is at the wedding, although her role seems to be more than that of a guest. One gets the impression that the couple being married are either friends, or possibly related to Mary, and that she is helping with the arrangements, especially the serving of the food and wine. She seems to be one of the first to know that the wine is running out. She instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, and they appear willing to take her instructions.

Jesus and His disciples are also at the wedding as invited guests. There seem to be only five disciples at this point: Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John (if indeed he is the other disciple of John who follows Jesus).

The fact that Mary, Jesus, and His disciples are all invited to this wedding suggests that this wedding is that of someone known to all of them, perhaps a friend or a relative. Well into the festivities, Jesus’ mother becomes aware of a most embarrassing situation—the wine has run out, and there appears to be no solution. Either no more wine is available, or there is no money to buy more wine.

The guests seem unaware of what is happening. If something is not done, all will be embarrassed. It became clear that the wine was running out, which would present quite an embarrassing moment, and the statement in verse 3 seems to be both a statement of fact and a hint of a request.

“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Mary feels some sort of responsibility and exercises some authority here. Mary did not tell Jesus what to do; she simply reported the problem.

Her request to Jesus was at once a testimony to her personal confidence in His powers, of a sense of human glory and pride in her Son, and acknowledgment of the social disaster which threatened the young couple.

Of all those present, the mother of our Lord knows Jesus best. She knows better than anyone of the miraculous events surrounding His birth. She knows of John the Baptist’s miraculous birth as well, and of his ministry in which he has identified Jesus as the promised Messiah.

His brief response to Mary has three parts.

• First, he addresses her as “dear woman” rather than “Mom.” It was a polite title, like “Ma’am,” (cf. Jn 19:26), and yet a definite statement about their relationship. She now must submit to him as Christ rather than leading him as “son.”
• Then Jesus says, “Why do you involve me?” [lit. “what to me to you”]. This is a common Hebrew idiom, roughly meaning, “What business is that of mine?” Essentially, Jesus is asking Mary to carefully consider their relationship.
• Finally, he said his hour has not yet come. In other words, “Mary, don’t expect a public proclamation just yet” (cf. Jn 7:6, 9). Jesus’ life was predestined. The events of his incarnation (Gal 4:4) and ministry were meticulously planned AND TIMED so as to lead to Calvary at the right moment. John’s use of the words “hour” and “time” indicate God’s plan for Jesus, especially in his death.

The Greek word for woman (gunai) carries with it no idea of censure from Jesus toward Mary. The same word is used in John 19:26 (when He left her in the care of John) and 20:13. But the use of “gunai” instead of “meter” (Mother) does show Mary that she can no longer exercise maternal authority and not at all in His Messianic work! (It is a difficult but needed lesson for parents to learn when the have to “let go” of their adult children).

His statement literally was: “what is it to me and to thee?” It was as if He asked, “is this the time for a public manifestation of My power and person?”

It is highly significant that we see Jesus having to cope with the strain and stress of belonging to a human family. Part of His being “flesh” was that He experienced life as a son and a brother.

Jesus, at the wedding, was being pulled in different directions by the confusing currents of a family.

We see Him standing between His love and honor for His mother on one side and His devotion to duty on the other. His was the terribly awkward conflict between “good” and “best.” He was forced to balance His mother’s wishes and His Father’s will.

Verse 5 tells us two things:

1. This mother knew her son.
2. She knew He could do something, but it would be independent of her. It also shows she was immediately subservient to Him.

“Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.” (2:6-7).

John explains that these jars were there to provide water for the purifying ceremonies of the Jews. Water was required for two purposes: it was required for cleansing the feet on entry to the house; and it was required for the handwashing.  The combined capacity of the waterpots was about 150 gallons. Reckoning a half pint to a glass, these vessels would contain about 2,400 servings of wine–certainly enough to supply a large number of people for days.

Jesus commands that they be filled with water to the brim. This will indicate (1) a great quantity, and (2) nothing else was “slipped into the punch,” (3) as purification jars, they contained water, not wine. Therefore, there wouldn’t even be any residue of wine in them. In quality and quantity the new-made wine more than satisfied the needs and taste of those who attended the feast.

(John 2:8-10)  “Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, {9} and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside {10} and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.””

These verses explain themselves. This first miracle was not a spectacular event that everybody witnessed. Mary, the disciples, and the servants knew what happened; but nobody else at the feast had any idea that a miracle had taken place.

His first miracle was a quiet event in contrast to His last miracle (cpt. 11), a public event after a funeral. The tablemaster knew nothing of the miracle, and the servants knew the source of the water, but not the power that made the wine.

Notice that Jesus did not touch the pots or the water or pray openly to God for a miracle. He simply willed the change (this feat is nowhere in the Bible duplicated by prophets or apostles).

Some of the “water” was drawn out of the pots and taken to the “headwaiter” who was responsible for three things:

• Tasting all food and wine to see that it was acceptable
• keeping order in the party (he would break a glass if someone got unruly)
• and officiating over the banquet.

This fellow was not privy to Jesus’ assistance. When he drank the water/wine he found it delicious. Its “goodness” was not found in its intoxicating ability but in its taste. In fact, Palestinian wine was significantly watered down. Although a person could become drunk with it, there were far more effective liqueurs. Wine was the normal table drink which accompanied meals.

So good was this wine that the “headwaiter” called the bridegroom and complimented him on his fare. Normally the best is served first, not last.

The Greek word “oinos” means it is real wine, but not necessarily intoxicating wine (there are 13 different Hebrew and Greek words used in the Bible to denote the many different kinds of wines).

Drunkenness was a great disgrace, and they actually drank their wine in a mixture composed of two parts of wine to three parts of water.

The significance of the miracle lay in the result that it produced: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples pout their faith in him.”

Jesus performed many signs and wonders. This is the first of seven that John chooses to record (v. 11). And it was pretty much a private display for the disciples, as are the other six. John’s seven “signs” are not intended to showcase Jesus’ power but to validate his position as God’s Son.

It marked the beginning of His public ministry; it manifested His glory; it was used to point His disciples to the Divine Son; and it was used to produce faith in His disciples.

We should also note that this being the first miracle declares as false stories about miracles performed by Jesus as an infant or a young child. They are nothing but superstitious fables and ought to be rejected by anyone who believes the Bible!

 

When something amazing happens, we often say, “It’s a miracle!”  But more than likely that is not technically correct.  It was not a true miracle.  It was amazing, it was abnormal, etc., but was it a miracle?

What is a miracle?

A scientist gave the following definition of a miracle on an April 14, 1995 PBS program.  He said, “A miracle is nothing more than a natural law not discovered.” So, he doesn’t believe in miracles. He thinks everything can be explained scientifically.  This is an attitude which at the least denies any intervention into our world by God, and more than likely means that scientist denies the existence of God.[1] I don’t see how raising someone from the dead, restoring a blind man’s sight, etc. are natural laws not yet discovered.  This is obviously a bad definition. The fact that anyone would take this guy seriously is a sad commentary on our society.

A computer magazine had the following definition in its word-for-the-day section: “Coincidence is a miracle where God chooses to remain anonymous.”  In other words, there is no such thing as coincidence.   This elevates almost everything to the status of being a miracle. I would have to go along with the idea that there is no such thing as coincidence or chance.  If there is such a thing as chance, then God has an equal out there in the universe, against which He is competing. Think about that statement for a minute. If there is such a thing as chance, then God has an equal out there in the universe that He is competing against. In other words, God is not in control.  So, although I think that God is control and is involved in our lives, does that mean that these events are miracles?  No.

These two illustrations represent opposite extremes. The truth is somewhere in the middle. What is a miracle?

If we look at the words the New Testament uses for miracles we see the following:

(1) It is an act of a supernatural being. The word dunamis has the idea of a supernatural power.  It speaks primarily of the agent of the act.  That power may be delegated to a human agent.  The question is where did Jesus’ power to do the miracle come from.  There are two options – either from God or from Satan.  Obviously, Jesus’ power came from God.  Some suggest that Satan only imitates miracles. I think Satan can perform miracles.  He does not have divine power, but he does have supernatural power. So the idea from the word dunamis is that there is supernatural power involved.

(2) Another word – terasa – speaks of the effect.  A miracle is an unusual event. Terasa speaks of the wonderment of the event – as in signs and wonders. As a matter of fact, terasa is always used with semeion.

(3) The Greek word semeion means sign.  A miracle is a significant event.  It has purpose. Matthew, Mark and Luke uses the first two more.  John uses the word semion, because he is focused on the purpose of Jesus in performing the miracles.

Therefore, in our search for a definition, if we combine the ideas of these words used in the New Testament, we might come up with the following definition:

Definition: A miracle is an unusual and significant event (terasa) which requires the working of a supernatural agent (dunamis) and is performed for the purpose of authenticating the message or the messenger (semeion).

I don’t want to imply that God can’t do a miracle without a miracle worker or that He can only do miracles when He needs to authenticate His message.  But, examination of Old Testament and New Testament miracles shows that when a human is the agent performing a miracle, the purpose is authentication of the person and his message.

For example: Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Apostles…  That is the norm.  It is a little oxymoronic to use the words norm and miracles in the same sentence, but I think it is important to establish what the norm is if possible because of what various people teach concerning miracles.

Miracles in the bible fall into several categories:

There are supernatural acts of creation, God spoke everything into existence (Heb. 11:3). No one even trying to produce this type of miracle.

Miracles that involved a temporary and localized suspension of laws of regulating nature. Jesus walked on the water (John 6:16-21). Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 8:23-27).

Healing of the physical body. Jesus heals the blind man (John 9:1-7) Peter and John heal lame man (Acts 3:1-10).

Raising the dead. Jesus raises Lazarus (John 11:43-44). God raising Christ from the dead is the very foundation of Christianity (1 Cor. 15:16-19).

Casting out demons that had entered the bodies of people (Matt. 12:22ff).

The manipulation of certain material things. Turning water to wine (John 2:1-11). Feeding multitude with few loaves and fishes (John 6:1-14).

Miraculous power was demonstrated in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Balaam’s donkey spoke with a man’s voice (Num. 22:28). Jesus destroyed a fig tree with but a word from his mouth (Matt 21:19).

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GENUINE MIRACLE!

A supernatural display of divine power is not something to argue about, they either happened or they did not.  A miracle is a fact that has been demonstrated. When Jesus performed a miracle, no one could deny what was done. Biblical miracles always had a worthy motive, not done for “self” glorification. First century miracle workers did not do so for financial gain.

Most miracles in the bible era were done in the presence of a multitude of credible witnesses – even hostile observers. Genuine miracles were not slow, progressive processes; rather they produced instantaneous effects. You do not read in the N.T. such statements as, “Paul prayed for him, and within three weeks he was cured.” Jesus healed a forty year old man who had never walked, and he immediately arose and walked.

True miracles must be subject to sense perception, i.e. the water Jesus turned to wine could be tasted. True miracles cannot be explained in a natural fashion.  (It could not have happened if it were not a miracle). A genuine miracle will generate more than a superficial and temporary interest.  Miracles performed in the N.T. still have a positive affect on people today.

WHY MIRACES WERE PERFROMED IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES!

The function of miracles was to confirm the revelation of God’s word to the human race (Heb. 2:3-4). The supernatural gifts of the primitive age, therefore, had as their design the establishment of the credibility of Christ and his spokesmen, and so ultimately, the validation of their message, namely, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world!

How observe this very important point.  If it can be established that those early miracles do corroborate the testimony of Christ, and those commissioned by him; and further, that the recording of these events in the New Testament was designed to perpetually accomplish that function, then it stands as demonstrated that the repetition of such signs is not needed today.

CESSATION OF MIRACLES!

In 1 Cor. 12-14 Paul gives a good discussion of the Gifts of the Spirit and their purpose. He illustrated how the gifts were in “parts”, many gifts distributed among many people to be used for the building of the kingdom. 1 Cor. 13:8ff Paul says that when the “perfect” has come, that which is in part will be done away. The “perfect” referred to the revealed will of God that we have as the bible. Miracles are not needed today to teach the gospel as it can be proven by the bible.