Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” In a metaphorical way, he asks it still. You can try to touch his robe and then run away. But if you do, you’re missing the greatest gift of all: salvation.
49 Matthew 9:14-17 Fasting, cloth & wine skins
In these stories, Jesus challenges the religious culture and practices of the Pharisees, not the Old Testament. His understanding is so fundamentally incompatible with the Pharisees that if he tried to reform their their views, he would only destroy them.
48 Matthew 9:9-13 Eating with sinners
Jesus sat and ate among the tax collectors with the message, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand and that is a message we do well to share. The most loving thing we can do is to help people deal with their real problem.
47 Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus heals the Paralytic
Jesus demonstrates that he has authority from God to forgive sins by calling upon the power of God to heal the paralytic. In addition to the faith of the paralytic, the miracles support our faith by demonstrating that God has given Jesus authority.
46 Matthew 8:28-34 Demons & Pigs
When Jesus heals the demoniacs, we learn Jesus has God-given authority over the powers of darkness and evil. In the last podcast, we saw that Jesus has God-given authority over the power of nature. Together they build the case that Jesus is the Messiah.
45 Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus calms the storm
When he calms the storm, we learn Jesus brings the power of God to rescue His people from the vast destructive forces of nature. The miracles of Jesus have a message: Jesus brings the mercy of God for healing and deliverance.
44 Matthew 8:18-22 Foxes and Funerals
Matthew introduces us to two potential disciples. One says: “I will follow Jesus if it pays off now.” The other says: “Now is paying off, I’ll follow Jesus later.” The opportunity to decide to follow Jesus is now. One day it will be too late.
43 Matthew 8:14-17 Jesus heals, fulfilling Isaiah
Through these miraculous healing, Jesus physically demonstrates that he came to rescue us from our ultimate suffering which is rooted in our sin and our guilt.
42 Matthew 7:28-8:13 Authority of Jesus
Matthew has just quoted Jesus as claiming to have authority from God. Now he turns our attention to how Jesus acts with God’s authority, by performing miracles only God can perform. These miracles confront us with a choice to believe Jesus is who he says he is.
Did Jesus change the Sabbath?
How did Jesus had to our understanding of what should we do or not do on the Sabbath? He taught that Sabbath is a rest that is given, not earned, and that our “job” is to enjoy it, not to live up to it.
When do we keep the Sabbath?
Sabbath rest is yet to come —the rest we enjoy today anticipates the real Sabbath rest that awaits us in the kingdom. That future rest is granted to those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ.
How do we keep the Sabbath?
How do we keep the Sabbath? The simple command is not to work. We stop the activities we do that sustain our lives and instead we do the things that most foster our relationship to, understanding of and dependence on God.