Miracles #7 Healing Paralytics (Matthew 8 & 9)

23 October 2016
Pastor Art Brammer, Tay Street Baptist Church
http://www.taystreetbaptist.org.nz
In everything Jesus did and said He was laying His claim to be the Messiah, the One
sent from God.
I. Jesus had authority to heal (8:5-13).
A. This man believed Jesus could do it by a command.
1. He believed Jesus acted with the authority of God.
2. He showed great humility in the presence of God.
B. Jesus put forth His claim to be God the Son by the authority that He
exercised (Matt 28:18).
II. Jesus talked about who would be in heaven and who would not (8:1012).
A. Jesus made two surprising statements:
1. People from all over the world will be in heaven.
2. Many Jews would not be there.
B. Jesus enhanced His claim to be God the Son by talking authoritatively
about heaven (see also John 5:21-29).
Many of the Jews rejected Jesus in His day (John 1:11). We have a
similar situation in the church today (Matthew 7:21-23).
III. Jesus forgave sins (9:1-7).
A. Jesus used a healing to prove His authority to do this.
The issue was: By saying which one will I be able to convince you that
I have the ability to do what I command?
B. Jesus was not forgiving the sins that one man may commit against
another; He was forgiving all of this mans sins against God.
1. We can forgive others when they sin against us (Luke 17:4).
2. Only God can forgive the sins against Him (Psalm 51:4).
Jesus was more than a healer of bodies, He came to heal the soul.
Compassion: people came to Jesus on behalf of others.