HE WAS A WORKER OF MIRACLES

 

1.   Several years ago some jewelers used to test the realness of diamonds by using water.

2.   If a fake diamond is put under running water it will lose its beauty and sparkle.

3.   In some cases a fake diamond may even seem to disappear.

4.   A genuine diamond that is put under running water will continue to sparkle.

 

THIS TEST FOR DIAMONS REMINDS ME OF THE LORD.  WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JESUS AND WHO HE IS WE MUST CONSIDER THE FACT THAT HE WAS A WORKER OF MRIACLES.  WHEN SOME SO-CALLED MIRACLE WORKERS ARE PUT TO THE TEST THEY DON’T SPARKLE.  JESUS DOES.

 

A.  Jesus was much more than a miracle worker, but He was someone who performed many signs.

B.  This morning we are going to examine some of the things that He did.

C.  The first point to be considered is the range of His miracles.

D.  Let’s begin with Mt. 17.

E.  Peter told some officials that He and Jesus paid taxes.

F.  After Peter left these officials He went to see the Lord.

G.  Peter found out that Jesus knew he had discussed taxes with some people.

H.  The Lord was not present and He was not close enough to actually hear what Peter had said.

I.  Somehow Jesus knew what Peter had said to these men about taxation.

J.  This is recorded in Mt. 17:25 – READ

K.  The ASV is not as clear as some other translations.

L.  The text means that Jesus spoke first.  Before Peter could say anything Jesus spoke up.

M.  The Lord had miraculous knowledge about Peter’s conversation.

 

2.  There are times when we can anticipate what someone is thinking.

3.  We can watch body language, follow the course of a conversation, or something else.

4.  Jesus did not need these techniques.

5.  He knew about the tax bill without hearing Peter say a single thing.

6.  The Lord also had a solution to the tax problem.   This solution was miraculous.

7.  Verse 27 – READ

A.  This was an interesting miracle.

B.  Those who go fishing do not always catch fish.

C.  If fish are caught they are not always the ones that people want.

D.  I have caught several fish but none ever had money in the mouth.

E.  Jesus said that Peter would catch a fish.

F.  This fish would have money in its mouth.

G.  This money would be the exact sum for the tax bill.

H.  This sum of money would be in the first fish that Peter pulled in.

 

8.  IF THIS MIRACLE WERE THE ONLY MIRACLE IN THE LIFE OF THE LORD WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DISMISS IT TO RANDOM CHANCE AND A GOOD GUESS ON THE PART OF JESUS.

 

A.  This miracle is not the only one; it is one of many.

B.  According to Mt. 9:27-31 Jesus healed two blind men.

C.  These men did not have poor vision and need glasses.

D.  They didn’t need a 21^st century eye operation.

E.  These men had lost their sight.  They were blind because v. 30 says their eyes were “opened.”

F.  In this time and culture blindness meant that these men were destined to live hopeless lives.

G.  The residents in first century Palestine didn’t use brail.

H.  Those who were blind couldn’t work.  Those who were blind had to beg.

I.  Teresa and I have known some people who were blind.

J.  In these cases the doctors said there was nothing they could do.

K.  Even with modern technology blindness is a problem that we cannot cure.

L.  The New Testament shows that Jesus gave sight to those who couldn’t see.

 

9.  IF SOMEONE CAN GIVE SIGHT TO THOSE WHO CANNOT SEE, AND CAN RETRIEVE THE EXACT AMOUNT OF TAX MONEY NEEDED FROM THE FIRST FISH THAT IS CAUGHT, HE DESRVES A HEARING.  THESE ACTS SHOULD COMPEL PEOPLE TO SAY, “WE WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE PERSON NAMED JESUS.”

 

A.  The Bible provides some additional information about the Lord.

B.  In Mk. 7:31-37 we are told about a man who was both deaf and dumb.

C.  This man could not hear or speak.

D.  This man was healed and the impact of this miracle is stated in Mk. 7:35-37 – READ

E.  Jesus knew that some of His miracles could create a stir among the people.

F.  The Lord wanted people to listen to Him but there were some dangers.

G.  If the people became too excited, officials from the Roman government might have intervened.

H.  The Jewish officials became hostile to the Lord very early in His ministry.

I.  Thus, there were times when Jesus performed miracles but asked people to keep silent about them.

J.  Some of the healings were so magnificent that the people who were cured disobeyed.

K.  Imagine being blind, perhaps from birth, and one day receiving the gift of sight for free.

L.  Imagine being deaf and dumb and being healed instantly and at no charge.

M.  If we were the person who suffered from these diseases we would be beyond grateful.

N.  We would tell the story to anyone that would listen.

 

10.  The miracles that Jesus performed went beyond healing the blind, deaf, and dumb.

11.  They didn’t stop with getting money from the mouth of a fish.

12.  Jesus raised the dead.

13.  One more than one occasion He brought someone back to life.

A.  In recent times some have claimed that they have the power to raise the dead.

B.  I remember someone telling about an old gospel preacher.

C.  This brother was in an area where people claimed they would raise a dead man.

D.  This preacher went to the place where the miracle was to occur.

E.  When he got to the casket where the person was he took a pin out of his pocket.

F.  He shoved it into the corpse.

G.  The man in the casket jumped up before the promised miracle.

H.  We have seen or perhaps heard about the fakers and con-artists.

I.  The Lord was not a faker.

J.  One of the people he raised is described in Lk. 7:11-17.

K.  Jesus was approaching a city.

L.  He met a funeral procession.

M.  This tells us that this was not something that Jesus had arranged.

N.  He came upon this situation.

O.  One of the key characters in this story is the mother.

P.  This lady was a widow and she was getting ready to bury her only son.

Q.  She was in the company of several people from the city.

R.  Jesus touched the coffin and told the young man to arise.

S.  READ 7:14-15.

T.  The Lord didn’t need a pin.

U.  He didn’t need to make a long speech or perform a fancy ceremony.

V.  Jesus specified who He had in mind (the young man) and said, “arise.”

 

14.  JESUS IS SOMEONE WHO RAISED THE DEAD, CURED THE BLIND, AND HEALED THOSE WHO WERE DEAF AND DUMB.  IF THIS WERE THE LIMIT OF HIS MIRACLES HIS CREDIBILITY WOULD BE BEYOND DOUBT.

 

A.  This is not the limit of His signs.

B.  Let’s look at Lk. 22:50-51.

C.  We have already seen that Jesus had to help Peter with the tax bill.

D.  Jesus also had to help during the time described by Lk. 22.

E.  Peter, in what seems to have been an attempt to help Jesus, got carried away.

F.  He took out a sword and cut off a man’s ear.

G.  Lk. 22:50 – READ

H.  This is not a pretty verse.

I.  Can we imagine someone taking a sword and slicing off a person’s ear with one quick stroke?

J.  With one swoop of the sword this man’s ear may have dropped to the ground.

K.  This text describes an either/or situation.

L.  Either this man’s ear was cut off or it was not.

M.  Luke says that the ear was cut off.

N.  He also says this – next verse (51) – READ

O.  Maybe there was a small part of this man’s ear that hadn’t been cut off.

P.  Perhaps the entire ear was gone.

Q.  Whatever the situation was, Jesus restored this man’s ear to its previous state.

R.  For me this single miracle is so compelling I can only draw one conclusion.

S.  If Jesus Christ really lived, and He really performed this miracle, He is the Son of God.

T.  There is no other conclusion to draw.

U.  We can know for sure that Jesus did live.  This is a historical fact.

V.  We can know that the information in Luke’s gospel is reliable.

W.  This information allows to believe and know that Jesus is God.

 

15.  The list of the Lord’s miracles is very long.

16.  He healed 10 lepers (Lk. 17:11-19).

17.  He turned water into wine (Jn. 2:1-11).

18.  He cursed and immediately killed a fig tree (Mt. 21:19).

19.  He calmed a storm tossed sea (Mt. 8:26).           

20.  He walked on the sea (Mt. 14:25).

21.  He miraculously fed thousands of people (Mt. 14:19-21).

 

22.  This is the Jesus of the Bible.

23.  This is the Jesus that is coming again.

24.  This is the Jesus that we need to obey.

25.  Have we submitted to this Jesus?

26.  When we understand who Jesus is we are humbled and compelled to say, “Lord, here am I.”

27.  I will obey.

28.  I will serve you.

29.  You are my Lord and my God.

30.  For the Christian knowing who Jesus is is a great source of strength and comfort.