"The Miracle Working Power of Christ"
Now we are going to see the King reveal HIS POWER. Matthew groups together a series of ten miracles to prove to his readers that Jesus Christ possessed the powers of the King that the Old Testament promised the Messiah would have.
In His first "sermon" (Luke
4:18-19), He has announced that He would prove the Spirit was upon Him by healing and helping the multitudes.
Isaiah 35 promised that in the Kingdom age the blind would see, the lame walk, etc. These miracles were Christ credentials, proving that He was sent of God.
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LEPROSY This was the most dreaded disease in Jesus' day, a disease for which there was no cure. Jesus touched the leper, thus defiling Himself. Yet, His touch meant healing. He also healed through His Word, "Be thou clean!"
- PALSY Here we see a GENTILE coming to Christ for help. There were two cases in Matthew of Gentiles coming to Christ, here and in
15:21-28. Note that in both cases Christ HEALED AT A DISTANCE. In both cases it was FAITH that Christ honored, and it was by the power of His WORD that the miracles took place. Christ warned the Jews in
8:10-12 that because of their unbelief, they will lose the kingdom and the Gentiles will receive it instead.
- FEVER Now we have moved from a dreaded and terrible disease, leprosy, to a common ailment, a fever. Yet Christ has power over both. Note that Matthew quotes
Isaiah 53:4 to give Old Testament proof for Christ's ministry. Some take Isaiah 53:4 to mean that there is "healing in atonement" and that the death of Christ gives us the
privilege of physical healing today. BUT notice that Matthew IS NOT referring to His death, but HIS LIFE!!
Isaiah 53:4 does not refer to Calvary, but to Christ's earthly ministry of healing.
1 Peter 2:24 applies
Isaiah 53:5 to the healing of our sins. Yes, God has the power to heal today, and because of the death of Christ we shall have physical redemption someday
(Romans 8:18-24); but let us not apply this verse to healing today. Matthew did not, nor should we.
Christ today has power over Satan (John
12:31; 14:30; Col.
2:15). His powers work in different was from when Christ was on earth, but they are at work, just the same. One man is beset with the demon of pride; another of lust; a third of love for money. Christ and Christ alone can deliver man and set them free.
NOTE the power of the Word in this chapter (8:8, 16, 26,
32). It is the Word of God that is powerful (Heb.
4:12). We must read and study and major on the Bible in our preaching, our personal witnessing and our daily living.
