20: Our Good Shepherd (Mt 9:18-38)

OPENER What a PERFECT DAY for a…DAD JOKE (or 5)!!!!

Why are Skeletons so calm? Because nothing gets under their skin.

When is chicken soup NOT good for you? When you’re a chicken.

Last week I did something I might need to rethink when I get home. I swapped our bed out for a trampoline, and my wife hit the roof.

I have a confession. I used to be addicted to the Hokey Pokey, but then I turned myself around. And, evidently, that’s what it’s all about.

You might say I have a ‘dad bod’, but I like to think of it as a ‘father figure’.

On this Father’s Day I can’t think of a better passage to help us see the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father through Our Good Shepherd.

Sheep without a Shepherd are in trouble. They can wander away, starve, or be torn apart by animals that prey on them. People, like sheep, need a Good Shepherd, one who will guide, provide & protect them. Today we appreciate how compassionate Our Good Shepherd really is.

PRAY

But before we dig in, let’s...

CATCH THE CONTEXT from last week. You’ll remember that we ended last week with Jesus talking about being a doctor who has come to heal the spiritually sick, and

to pour the new covenant truths into flexible, moldable people like fishermen, tax collectors, formerly demon possessed so that they can experience the greatest miracle of all, to hear the 4 greatest words ever spoken -

“Your Sins ARE Forgiven!”

Matthew 9:18–19 (NIV)

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Again, Matthew gives us the cliff notes version.

Mark & Luke give us more details including the man’s name, the girl’s age, AND that when the man originally approached Jesus his daughter was in the process of dying, but not yet dead (Mk 5:22, Lk 8:41-42).

This DAD is in total desperation. His daughter is deathly sick. Matthew bypasses all the details cuts to the chase - the young girl dies before Jesus gets to her.

Before Jesus can get to the young girl, he’s got to get through the crowd that was pressing so tight they almost crushed HIm (Mk 5:24, Lk 8:42). And then there’s a precious moment that occurs.

Matthew 9:20–21 (NIV)

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

This woman has been sick for 12 years, the same amount of time the sick girl had been alive.

Mark tells us that this lady had been to several doctors and spent all she had trying to get well, but continued to get worse (Mk 5:26).

During the time of a woman’s menstrual period she would be considered ‘unclean’ (Lev 15:19). Of course, after this ceased, she would be considered ‘clean’ again. In this lady’s case, her continual bleeding meant that she was continuously considered unclean, and much like a leper - could NOT enter the local synagogue nor the temple in Jerusalem (Lev 15:25). Further, anyone who touched her would be considered ‘unclean’ for the rest of the day (Lev 15:19).

How many family gatherings did she miss? Was she married when this bleeding started? Did it keep her from getting married? Did it end her marriage? How many Sabbath gatherings did she have to stay home for? When others traveled to Jerusalem to go to the temple feasts…she stayed home.

After over a decade of bleeding and being a social outcast, her only hope was Jesus. But rather than approach Jesus face to face and ask for healing, she came up behind Jesus to simply touch the edge of his cloak - likely referring to blue tassels worn by Jewish men in obedience to God’s command (Numbers 15:37–41; Deuteronomy 22:12). So her simple goal was to push to the front of the crowd, get behind Jesus, and touch a single tassel hanging from his cloak.

She didn’t think that touching Jesus would make Him UNCLEAN; she believed that just touching Jesus’ clothes would make her CLEAN! And that’s exactly what happened, according to Mark and Luke.

Mark 5:29-30 (NIV)

Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

After Jesus scans the crowd for the culprit, the woman steps up and confesses that it was her (Mk 5:32-33; Lk 8:46-47), and then Jesus says these precious words.

Matthew 9:22 (NIV)

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

2 important insights from this verse:

This word translated daughter can be used of a literal daughter or an affectionate term for a lady. [1] Jesus is likely smiling as He speaks these kind, encouraging words to this precious lady; and she leaves ‘Dr. Jesus’ with a healing she had never known after leaving other doctors in the previous 12 years.

This is NOT faith in faith. It wasn’t a HUGE mystical process she went through. She simply believed that JESUS had the power to heal her. She had faith that what no one else could do…JESUS could do. She had FAITH IN HIM.

And here’s a moment we must pause.

Maybe you feel like YOUR life is over. Maybe you wonder how someone as ‘unclean’ as you can approach the Holy One. How will He respond to you?

Just like He responded to this woman…”Take heart daughter/son, your faith [in ME] has healed you!”

This is just 1 of many examples demonstrating that…

BIG TRUTH: Our Good Shepherd transforms those who Trust Him

Trusting Jesus restored more than her body - it restored her relationships. After 12 years, she could experience the privilege of touch again. She could go back to the synagogue and enter the Temple courts.

Trusting Jesus STILL transforms people. He can still heal the body, as we pray for others, but He is most interested in healing the soul & restoring relationships.

Now, back to the story or OUR GOOD SHEPHERD.

Luke fills in some of the gaps that Matthew leaves out.

Luke 8:49–50 (NIV)

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

Matthew 9:23–24 (NIV)

When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.

These people had seen death. The girl hadn’t been breathing for a long time, enough time that they had gathered mourners around the house, including people playing pipes - flutes. The synagogue ruler was an important person and the people showed up to mourn with the family and get ready for the funeral procession that would happen later that same day.

Asleep? HAH! What Jesus said was laughable.

But Jesus isn’t laughing. What He is about to do is NO JOKE!

He wants the mourners to get gone.

No reason to mourn over a girl who is about to WAKE UP from her SLEEP!

It’s interesting to consider that the early church began to refer to death IN JESUS as being ASLEEP (1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thes 4:14-15)...because they trusted that what happened to this girl, would happen to them!

Luke tells us that...

Luke 8:51 (NIV)

When He arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.

Matthew 9:25–26 (NIV)

After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand [Mark adds Jesus said, Talitha Koum - little girl I say to you, get up - Mk 5:41], and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.

That young girl ruined all the funeral plans! The flute players & mourners had to cut their routines short and go home. THAT had never happened to them before!

This synagogue ruler asked and believed that Jesus could help his daughter…even raise her from the dead! He and his wife saw in the most powerful way, that...

Our Good Shepherd transforms those who Trust Him

Matthew 9:27–28 (NIV)

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.

Matthew 9:29–31 (NIV)

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

out yesterday in kayak, thanking God for sight!

This is a busy day!

Matthew 9:32–34 (NIV)

While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.

[v33] And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

The people saw Jesus as their GOOD SHEPHERD who was radically transforming those who trusted in Him.

Jesus had given a bleeding woman her life back!

Jesus had raised a 12 year old from the dead when parents asked and trusted!

Jesus had given sight back to the blind!

Jesus cast out a demonized son and allowed the man to speak for himself in who knows how long!

Our Good Shepherd transforms those who Trust Him

[v34] But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

It’s amazing how 2 people can see the same thing and interpret it so differently.

The people see Jesus as their GOOD SHEPHERD taking care of His flock.

But the Pharisees think Jesus is the devil in disguise!

Matthew 9:35–36 (NIV)

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

This is OUR GOOD SHEPHERD, the One who came to earth to do more than heal broken bodies, but to restore lost souls, some who thought it was just too late.

Jesus is STILL in business - having compassion for people who are wandering without hope or purpose.

Jesus is still changing lives - guiding us, providing for us, & protecting us - because He’s OUR GOOD SHEPHERD. And...

Our Good Shepherd transforms those who Trust Him

Are you in a place of desperation?

TRUST JESUS. ASK Jesus for His help! Stop trying to do everything in your limited strength & limited wisdom.

And if you’re a follower of Jesus, then there’s something that He told His disciples to do to put FEET2FAITH.

Matthew 9:37–38 (NIV)

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

That’s simple…just pray?

Jesus SHOWED His disciples how much these people need a shepherd. He doesn’t just want his disciples to PRAY, but then be the answer to that prayer!

PRAY & GO TELL OTHERS. And if you, like me, are AMAZED by Jesus, then who are YOU telling? When’s the last time you spoke about the Lord answering prayer, what you read in Scripture, or shared the gospel with someone?

man at Walmart, woman on the phone

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Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 110.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

discussionquestions

Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

Read Luke 8:43-47, Lev.15:25, & Mark 5:26. How was this woman’s bleeding impacting her life & why was she so desperate to simply touch the clothes of Jesus? What is she trusting?

Read Luke 8:48. How did Jesus respond to this lady & how would this healing impact more than her body?

Read Luke 8:49-51 & Matthew 9:23-26. Why did the people laugh at Jesus? Why didn’t the parents or the disciples laugh at Jesus? What kind of thoughts, faces, and discussions might have happened after the 12 year old ruined the funeral plans & came back to life?

Our BIG TRUTH today was: Our Good Shepherd transforms those who Trust Him. Share a current-day story about how trusting Jesus transforms people.

Read Matthew 9:32-34. How is it possible that people saw Jesus so differently? Is this still the same case today? Explain your answer.

Read Matthew 9:35-36. What characteristic did Jesus exemplify (starts with a “C”)? What are some ways that followers of Jesus can follow His example by extending this care for others?

Read Matthew 9:37-38. Do you think Jesus expected His disciples to do more than only PRAY? Explain your answer.

What challenged or encouraged you most from today’s teaching? What does God want YOU to do with what we studied today?

Share prayer needs and pray for one another.