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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey claims no originality for this Bible study outline.
However,
every outline posted on this website has been taught by Rev. Purkey.
To see more Bible study outlines go
to page two: More Bible Study Outlines.
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SCRIPTURE:
INTRODUCTION: In many
instances in the Bible, a messenger was designated to represent someone else,
usually a person of some status. Often the messenger was a reliable servant
(see
When a king or
high government official sent a messenger on a mission, it was customary to
give the messenger a signet ring, seal, or special documents to prove the
validity of his acting authority. When Nehemiah was sent to rebuild
The evidence
of Jesus' authority (His credentials) as the Father's ambassador on earth was
the miracles He performed. These authenticated His divine origin and His
identity as the Messiah, "the one who was to come" (Matthew 11:2-5;
I.
JESUS PERFORMS HEALING MIRACLES (Matthew
Throughout His
public ministry, Jesus showed compassion for those
whom He daily encountered with physical afflictions. On one such occasion, as Jesus continued His ministry
around
1.
Power Over Darkness (Matthew
A. Jesus is
the Son of David. (Matthew 9:27)
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men
followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. (Matthew 9:27)
As Jesus departed from the ruler’s neighborhood, two blind men followed Him, pleading
for sight. Though deprived of natural vision, these men had acute spiritual
discernment. In addressing Jesus as Son
of David, they recognized Him as the long-awaited Messiah and rightful
King of
B. Jesus
Healed Two Blind Men. (Matthew 9:28-30)
And when he was come into the house, the blind men
came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye
that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their
eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly
charged them, saying, See that no man know it. (Matthew 9:28–30)
When Jesus tested their faith by
asking if they believed He was able to
do this (give them sight), they unhesitatingly responded, “Yea, Lord.”
The two blind men revealed their
belief that Jesus could heal them, (1) by their
persistence in following Jesus (even when
He went inside a house) and (2) by
continually calling out to Him for "mercy." (3) It was also
revealed by the titles they used for Jesus.
They addressed him both as, "Son of David," His messianic title, and as "Lord," a reference to Jesus'
deity. But the final proof was (4) the restoration
of their sight, which was done, "According to [their] faith"
(Matthew
This is another remarkable case where
the Lord charges these men not to tell anyone about what happened to them. He
said the same thing to the leper. There are several reasons for the Lord to ask
this favor, but one is made clear in this passage. The publication of His
miracles caused the crowds to press in upon Him and actually hindered Him at His
work.
C. Jesus was Praised by These Men. (Matthew 9:31)
But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his
fame in all that country. (Matthew 9:31)
In their delirious gratitude for
eyesight, the two men spread the news
of their miraculous cure. While we might be tempted to sympathize, and even to
admire their excited testimony, the hard fact is that they were foolishly disobedient and inevitably did more harm
than good, probably by stirring up shallow curiosity rather than Spirit-inspired
interest. Not even gratitude is a valid excuse for disobedience.
2. Power Over Demons (Matthew
A. Jesus
Healed a Demon-Possessed
As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb
man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled,
saying, It was never so seen in
We now come to
another miracle in Matthew’s Gospel. Another demon-possessed man is healed.
This is the third incident of demon possession recorded in chapters 8-9 of
Matthew. Notice the reaction of the Pharisees.
B.
Jesus Accused of Using Satanic Power. (Matthew 9:34)
But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. (Matthew 9:34)
The Pharisees did not deny that Jesus
had caused the dumb to speak and the blind to see and the crippled to walk.
What they accused Him of was that He did these things by the power of Satan (the prince of demons). This is what Jesus later labeled the unpardonable sin
(Matthew
The Ultimate Physician
Did Jesus really walk on water or simply use some
nearby sandbars? Did He actually multiply bread and fish to feed 5,000 or just
hypnotize the crowd into thinking He did? Was it miracle or magic?
Physicians can cure many illnesses, both physical
and mental. But only Jesus can bring about the healing that makes bad people
good.
A
noted psychiatrist recognized his own limitations in a conversation he had with
British clergyman William Barclay. "All that a psychiatrist can do,"
said the doctor, "is strip a man naked until you get to the essential man;
and if the essential man is bad stuff, there's nothing you can do about it.
That's where you come in." Barclay later commented, "I
think he meant that this is where Jesus comes in." -- Herbert Vander Lugt, Our Daily Bread,
II.
JOHN QUESTIONS THE IDENTITY OF JESUS (Matthew 11:2-6)
John the
Baptist was in a prison fortress because he had courageously denounced the
adulterous marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias (Luke
It is not
difficult to sympathize with John as he suffered in prison. He was a man of the
desert, yet he was confined indoors. He was an active man, with a divine
mandate to preach; yet he was silenced. He had announced judgment, and yet that
judgment was slow in coming (Matthew 3:7-12). He received only partial reports
of Jesus’ ministry and could not see the total picture.
1. The Request
(Matthew 11:2-3)
A. John’s Expectation. (Matthew 11:2)
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of
Christ, he sent two of his disciples. (Matthew
11:2)
Back in
B. John’s
Question. (Matthew 11:3)
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or
do we look for another? (Matthew 11:3)
John’s question is a logical one. He
has every reason to believe that the King would have assumed power by this
time. He is definitely puzzled that the Lord is moving so slowly toward the
throne. Notice Jesus’ answer to John.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those
things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and
the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall
not be offended in me. (Matthew 11:4-6)
A. Jesus’
Answer is Based on Scripture.
The answer of Jesus is remarkable and
can be understood only in light of the credentials which the Old Testament said
the Messiah would have. This is a direct reference to
Essentially, John's disciples were told to report that the miracles the prophets
predicted the Messiah would perform were being
performed by Jesus: the blind see (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5), the lame walk (Isaiah 35:6), lepers are cured (Isaiah 53:4;
B. Jesus’
Answer Points to the Future.
Now waters did not break out in the
wilderness nor were there streams in the desert when Jesus came. Why? Because He did not establish the kingdom when He came the first
time. But He was the King, and He had the credentials of the Messiah -- that is all Jesus is saying. John
would recognize the credentials.
When In Doubt
John the Baptist was languishing in prison and
questioning his faith. He may well have wondered: Is Jesus the Messiah? Is His
word true? Have I believed and labored in vain for my Master? Is this dark
place my final reward for answering God's call?
Perhaps countless questions make their way through
your mind as well: Is
Jesus really the Savior? Have my sins been forgiven? Can I
trust the Bible? Will I be raised from the dead? Does heaven lie ahead? Is all
that I believe a cruel illusion?
Most of us ask questions like these from time to
time. I do -- especially on those dark days when circumstances bring sorrow and
bitter disappointment, when it seems there's no storybook ending to our lives.
These questionings are not failures
of faith but tests of faith and can be answered in John the
Baptist's way: We must take our doubts to Jesus. In His time and in His own
wise way He will restore the confidence our hearts desire.
Jesus
didn't abandon John to his doubt. He sent word of the miracles He performed and
the hope He preached (Matthew 11:4-6). As George MacDonald
said of God's faithfulness: "You might as well say that a mother would go
away from her little child lying moaning in the dark." – David H.
Roper, Our Daily Bread,
CONCLUSION: When the blind
men received their sight, they became witnesses
to God's power. When the man spoke who had been mute, people marveled. When John the Baptist needed proof of Jesus' identity,
Jesus told him that the evidence of divine power was the miracles that He performed and John's disciples
witnessed.
THOUGHT
TO REMEMBER: “Believe in
God and you’ll believe in miracles; believe in His Son and you’ll experience
one!”
* * *
REFERENCES: References
used in this Bible study are the Scofield Reference Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, David C. Cook
Publishers Bible-in-Life, Dr. Cliff Robinson Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s
Sermons, KJV Bible Commentary, Our Daily Bread, The Bible Reader’s Companion
Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Thru the Bible with J.
Vernon McGee, (Warren) Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament Ed.
4, (Warren) Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, With the Word
Bible Commentary, Warren Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, and selected illustrations.
E-mail:
Ronald Purkey
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