Why Jesus healed?

Scripture: Matthew 8:14-17

Preached: Sunday, October 26th 2014 by Rob Moresi

1. Jesus rewarded faith in Him.

Look at the healings Jesus performed in Matthew chapters 8 and 9 where He speaks of people’s faith.

Matthew 8:13, 26.

Matthew 9:2, 7, 22, 29-30.

How do you think these healings changed the lives of the people involved?

Review last week’s study of ’The Reward Of Faith’ (below).

Many of the rewards of faith are not material but spiritual.

Consider and discuss the ‘rewards’ of faith in Ephesians 2:8; Psalms 32:1-2; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7; 1 John 5:4 and then see if you can find other rewards mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.

Read Hebrews11:32-38.

• What other rewards of faith are mentioned?
• What about those who weren’t rewarded?

Read what the writer said in Hebrews 11:38-40. How can this help us when God doesn’t seem to reward our faith at least in the short turn?

Refer also to John 11:1-6 and 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Discuss Rob’s comment,

‘If we knew beforehand how God would always heal it wouldn’t be faith but obedience’.

2. Jesus showed his role in the Trinity

• Read Matthew 9:2-8. What did Jesus claim he could do? v. 2.
• What was the objection the Pharisee’s had? V.3.
• How did Jesus prove His words were true?
• Seeing all this how did the crowds respond?
• Why do you think Jesus told the paralysed man his sins were forgiven as he never with all the other miracles in chpt. 8 and 9?

3. Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan.

Read Matthew 8:16 and the parallel passage in Luke 4:41.

• What did Luke say in Luke 4:41b?
• Why do you think Jesus did this? Read John 6:26, Matthew 21:10-11, John 12:17-19 for one of the reasons, there are several. (see footnote at bottom)

Discuss Rob’s point that, ’Jesus healed because sickness wasn’t God’s plan for this world’.

Sickness but came as a result of sin entering the world through the influence of Satan.

Read Genesis 3:17-19 and Romans 8:18-25.

What insights do these verses give of the future new heaven and earth we as God’s children have by faith to look forward to?

4. Jesus healed to show grace.

Read Mark 1:41-42. How did Jesus feel and what did he do about the condition of the man with leprosy.

Put yourself in the shoes on the leper and consider how he would have felt after he was healed. Mark 1:45.

Share with the rest of the group.

Read Mark 6;30-34.

• What did Jesus want/need to do?
• What selfless actions did Jesus end up doing? What two areas of need did Jesus meet for the people in the crowd? Read Mark 6:34-44.
• What motivated Him to change his plans?
• What does this teach us about the heart of Jesus regarding those people then and also us today?

 5. Can you think of any other reasons why Jesus healed people?

What are one or two things have learned or been helped by through this study? What difference will it make in your walk with the Lord? Share with the others in your group.

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The following is an extract from the Tyndale, Life Application Study Bible.

‘Why didn’t Jesus want the demons to reveal who he was?

1. Jesus commanded them to remain silent to show his authority over them.
2. Jesus wanted his listeners to believe he was the Messiah because of his words, not because of the demon’s words.
3. Jesus was going to reveal his identity according to God’s timetable, and he would not be pushed by Satan’s evil plans.

The demons called Jesus “Son of God” or “the Holy One sent from God” (Luke 4:34) because they knew he was the Christ. But Jesus was going to show himself to be the suffering servant before the great King. To reveal his identity as King too soon would stir up the crowds will wrong expectations of what he had come to do”

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Bible Study HealingMatthew