Posted on 02/07/2022 2:11:41 PM PST by metmom
“Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond Jordan” (Matthew 4:25).
The healing miracles of Jesus accomplished things that surpassed and were far more significant than the obvious, immediate benefit to those healed. First, they demonstrated He was the Son of God, since no mere man could do such feats. Jesus later instructed Philip and the other disciples, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:11).
Second, the marvelous healings revealed that God, through Christ, was and is compassionate to all who suffer: “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him” (Matt. 20:34).
Third, Jesus’ healings proved He was the predicted Messiah of the Old Testament. Jesus directly told John the Baptist’s disciples, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11:4–5; cf. Isa. 35:5–10; 61:1–3).
Finally, the healing miracles proved that God’s kingdom is a reality (cf. Matt. 9:35; 10:7–8). Perhaps even more marvelous for us is that Jesus’ healings were a foretaste of a future kingdom: “The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy” (Isa. 35:5–6; cf. Ps. 96:10).
Ask Yourself
Certainly, many in the “large crowds” came for what they viewed as a sideshow, an entertaining diversion from the humdrum. But are we often guilty of following while expecting nothing? Are you still willing to believe God for the unexplainable?
From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.
Studying God’s Word Ping
YES!
And weak enough to admit that I'd like to see a lot of it!
Amen!!!!
I think every day God does the miraculous.....which we don’t often see or aren’t aware of. Looking over my life there were many times he did the miraculous though I didn’t recognize it at the time.
Most of all that He reached out and saved me for eternity!
I agree.
I’ve found as I get older and by myself he often “opens the way” when I’m facing an unpleasant task like shoveling out my SUV when it’s so cold and I can hardly reach the windshield.....the sun comes out and all I need to do is push the snow off.
Now some wouldn’t call that a miracle....however I needed to pick up a prescription which they failed to phone in unbeknownst to me....so I had to wait a day...and the sun came out! .....That’s God holding and working things together for our good.
Stuff like that is cool.
I know people who mock the idea of God caring about the little things, but they fail to realize that to God, anything in our lives is a little thing.
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