Matthew 4:23-25 The Marvelous Man of
Introduction: At this point several important things in the
ministry of Jesus had already taken place.
(1) He had been identified and baptized by John. (2) Tempted by Satan. (3)
Moved from
I. A move to expand His ministry. Verse
23
A. He went
throughout upper
1.
This was a small area, about fifty miles long and about twenty-five
miles wide.
2. But
it was a heavily populated area with over four hundred villages.
B. The towns and
villages had synagogues. (Over five hundred).
(Worship services were held - hymns, prayer,
scripture reading, and an explanation of the
scripture
that was read).
C. This was a rich
mission field for Jesus.
(Because of the teaching He had done outside
the synagogues, He was soon invited to teach
inside). (Rabbi)
D. Jesus would
take whatever Old Testament scripture, then would read and preach the gospel of
the Kingdom.
1. He
would preach the coming of the Messiah King.
2. He
would somehow identify Himself as the Messiah.
II. The miracle working, a
support to His ministry.
A. Jesus healed
all manner of sick people.
1. Not
in the synagogue service, because there it was His purpose to teach and preach
the
scriptures.
2. Had
He healed there, He would not get to teach.
B. Jesus never
healed miraculously just to get people well:
it was to prove that He is the Messiah
whom He claimed to
be.
C. His healing was
real: it was not quackery.
1. Not
like Jim Jones who pulled chicken livers out of people’s mouths, claiming it to
be cancer.
2. Not
like Oral Roberts who “healed” a cancer patient and two months later she died
of cancer.
(He also told a diabetic to throw
away his medicine and the man died that night in a
diabetic
coma).
D. It should be
pointed out: No man today has a
spiritual gift of healing, I Corinthians 13.
1. The
miraculous gifts would “cease,” “fail,” “vanish away,” I Corinthians 13:8.
2.
They would cease when the Bible was completed, I Corinthians
3.
Only “faith, hope, and charity” would abide, I Corinthians 13:13.
III. The popularity of Jesus.
A. Jesus became
famous almost overnight. Verses 24-25
1. It
spread throughout
2. It
spread into
3. It
spread throughout
(An area of ten
Gentile cities within
B. But the fame
was a fickle fame.
1. The
people were quick to recognize that Jesus could heal, but slow to recognize
that he
could
save.
2.
They followed Him to see, but not to serve.
3.
Soon they would desert Him.
Conclusion: 1. Do not be misled by
so called faith healers of today.
(They have bled people of
millions of dollars).
2. Do
not doubt for a moment the miracles of Jesus.
3. Do
not fail to recognize that Jesus is the Christ – that
He can save.
4. Do
not fail to trust in Him who can save.
5. Do
not fail to let Him be King and Ruler in your life.
Pledge your loyalty and your service to Him.
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