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Lesson 4: Matthew Chapters 8-9

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Lesson 4: Matthew Chapters 8-9 1 Lesson 4: Matthew Chapters 8-9 Following are comments offered by Mike Taylor in response to John MacArthur’s “Matthew: The Coming of the King” Study Guide.1 These comments are not to be viewed as the only responses to the study guide questions but are offered for the reader’s consideration. These comments apply only for the “Unleashing the Text,” (observation) and “Exploring the Meaning” (interpretation) parts of each lesson. The other parts, “Reflecting on the Text,” and “Personal Response” are more application- oriented and are to be addressed by the reader. These comments will be posted on the MNBS Website (http://www.mondaynightbible.org). UNLEASHING THE TEXT (OBSERVATION) Q1: How many different kinds of illnesses do you count in Matthew 8—9? Identify the different types of miracles Jesus performed. Three (leprosy, paralysis, fever, demon possession not included here as an illness) Q2: With what attitudes and beliefs did the centurion approach Jesus (8:5-13)? A sense of unworthiness (Luke 7:3-6 indicates that the centurion appealed to Jesus through intermediaries because of his own sense of unworthiness. Also, he was probably aware that for a Jew to enter into a Gentiles house was to make him ceremonially defiled according to the Law (cf. John 18:28). He had a faith greater than any other in Israel (8:10). Q3: How did Jesus respond to the large crowds which were clamoring for his blessing (8:18-22)? He crossed over to the other side (eastern) of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had no permanent place to go home to (8:20). Q4: Where was Matthew when Jesus called him to follow (9:9)? Matthew was sitting in his “tax office.” Q5: The Pharisees begin to notice Jesus. What was their complaint (9:10-13)? They complained about Jesus’ eating with sinners and tax collectors. They were looking at external practices (their way of thinking), not internal motives (love God, love others). Q6: What do you learn about Jesus from his words and actions? What was his mission and purpose? His words were compassionate and kind, speaking as a great teacher. His actions (miracles) gave ample evidence of his messiaship. His mission was to preach the good news of the kingdom (9:35). EXPLORING THE MEANING (INTERPRETATION) Q7: Why did Jesus heal the paralytic? What was the result? He healed the paralytic so that they may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins (9:6). The paralytic was healed and his sins were forgiven. The crowd was filled with awe; and they praised God (9:8) Q8: Why do you think Jesus commanded many of the people he healed not to tell anyone (8:4; 9:30)? Why did he seemingly “discourage” would-be followers with demanding words of discipleship? 1 John MacArthur, Matthew: The Coming of the King (Thomas Nelson Publishers), 2007. 2 Publicity over such miracles might hinder Christ’s mission and divert public attention from his message.2 Mar records that this is precisely what happened. In this man’s exuberance over the miracle, he disobeyed; as a result, Christ had to move his ministry away from the city and into the desert regions (Mark 1:45). Q9: Put yourself in the boat with the disciples in the midst of the storm. You wake Jesus up, and he clams the wind and the waves. How do you feel? What conclusions would you draw? After Jesus calmed the storm I would feel amazed, just as his disciples felt. As a disciple at that time I too would conclude that Jesus even had power over the wind and waves. One might expect that Jesus’ deity (messiahship) was clearly demonstrated in this miracle alone. Q10: Why do you think the Gergesenes (or Gadarenes, as some translations refer to them) urged Jesus to leave their region (8:34)? Perhaps they were concerned with the financial impact from the loss of the pigs. More likely, they were all ungodly people frightened to be in the presence of such spiritual power (cf. Mark 5:14-15). Q11: What do you learn from Matthew 8—9 about what it means to be Jesus’ disciple? A disciple is one who follows Jesus. To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to you. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. You can only follow one thing at a time (Matthew 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Mark 12:30). To truly follow Christ means you do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "halfway disciple." As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower. The Pharisees were good examples of those who were trying to obey God in their own strength. Their self-effort led only to arrogance and distortion of the whole purpose of God's Law (Luke 11:39; Matthew 23:24). COMMENTS Notice the ten clear proofs Jesus gave of his deity and his messiaship in these two chapters: A. He completely healed a leper (8:1-4). B. He completely healed the centurion’s paralyzed servant (8:5-13). C. He completely healed Peter’s mother-in-law who had a fever (8:14-15). D. He drove out spirits from many demon-possessed people and healed many others by simply speaking a word (8:16-22; 28-34). E. He rebuked the winds and the sea which obeyed him by simply speaking (8:23-27). 2 This is not to be confused with the “Messianic Secret” which was a theme of biblical criticism developed in 1901 by a German Lutheran theologian named Wilhelm Wrede. The Messianic Secret involves Wrede’s explanation for Jesus wanting to hide His identity from His enemies by commanding the disciples to keep silent about His mission on earth and the miracles He performed. Wrede claimed that Jesus did not ever think He was the Messiah and that Mark (and the rest of the New Testament authors) sensationalized Jesus and made Him into the Messiah. Wrede claims Mark added the Messianic Secret in an attempt to give a reason for why Jesus was not accepted by many as Messiah until after His death. Wrede’s theory enjoyed some popularity during the 1920s but faded soon thereafter. (www.GotQuestions.org) 3 F. He healed another paralytic man and forgave all his sins (9:1-8). G. He raised Jarius’ daughter (Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41) from the dead (9:18-26). H. He healed the woman with a bleeding disorder (9:20-22). I. He healed two blind men (9:27-31). J. He healed a demon-possessed man who could not speak (9:32-33). .
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