(29) What does it mean that Jesus had
"authority"? It means that whenever Jesus spoke, He was always obeyed.
When He taught (chapters 5 - 7), HIs words compelled people to obey. When He says one
would be healed, he will be certainly healed, as if the forces of nature "obey"
Him.
(4) Why didn't Jesus want the man with leprosy to tell
others about his healing, and why did He command the man to see a priest? It was
not Jesus Christ's time that His famous healing powers be spread. Timlhg is important to
God, in the details of how Jesus was to be revealed to the world. Even just before He
changed water into wine (John 2:1- 11), He said, "My time has not yet come."
Jesus' intention was simply to promote the glory of God. He
commanded the ex-leper to simply offer a gift of thankgiving to the priest, according to
Leviticus 14:1- 32, and simply consider this healing from Jesus as a healing from God.
(11) What did Jesus mean by the "feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob"?
When Christians see Jesus, they will all eat with Him in what we call the great
"eschatological banquet." In short, a big party. Other references to it: Matthew
8:11-12,22:1-10,26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 13:28-29, 14:15- 24, 22:18, Rev. 2:17, 19:9,'S.
25:6.
Jews would have been alarmed at Jesus' saying that a
Gentile (non- Jew) would eat at such a banquet. For good Jews NEVER ate with
Gentiles.
(12) What is the "darkness... with weeping and gnashing of teeth" that
Jesus talks about? Hell. Mthough Jesus doesn't explicitly say Hell, He describes
a place of darkness, crying, and grinding of teeth. This can only be Hell. This
description of Hell occurs many times in the Bible:
Matt. 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30.
(17) Why does Matthew apply the quote from Isaiah to the healing power of Jesus,
while the original context of that quotation is about sin? Because physical
healing and salvation from sin are related. This is not to mean that all Christians will
be healed immediately here and now. Rather, Jesus will ultimately remove all effects of
sin, even the disease that came into the world when Adam's first sinned. (Note that people
lived shorter and shorter lives after the great fall in Genesis 3.) In the end, Jesus will
create a new heaven and new earth, where "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has
passed away." (Rev.
21:4)
Key Memory Verse
"He took up our infirmities and carried our
diseases." (Isaiah
53:4)
Insights
Jesus heals according to His will.
Jesus heals according to our faith in Him.
Jesus heals because of His authority over sin, us, nature, demons, centurions, and everything else.
The Bottom Line
Jesus heals, but recognize His authority, not yours. There
is no formula or rituals that we must add to our faith in Jesus Christ in order to
manipulate God into healing us. Rather, we must acknowledge Christ's authority and
Lordship, come to Him humbly, kneel before Him, and say, "Lord, if you are willing,
you can make me clean."