Awe at Jesus' Power

After the sermon, we’re planning to sing, “Come, Now is the Time to Worship.” We’re invited to respond to God’s word with worship and praise. Matthew’s goal in writing this part of the gospel is to make you amazed at Jesus’ power to heal and forgive so that you praise God.

What is so amazing? Jesus’ words have power that nobody else’s words do. Matthew invites his readers to marvel all w/ the crowds. Watch and listen! Share the crowd’s amazement b/c when Jesus speaks, stuff happens.

If you’ve been reading Matthew’s gospel with Crosspoint this week, you read story after story where Jesus shows his power. You read how Jesus teaches w/ power and heals skin diseases and paralysis. Jesus commands the weather and it obeys. He sends demons packing w/ just one word and now: he forgives a paralyzed man his sins! Matthew shows: when Jesus speaks, all creation sits up and takes notice.

In Mt 8, a Roman Centurion recognizes Jesus as a commander. The soldier identifies Jesus’ command-presence because that’s the way an army works. The Centurion says:

Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:8b-9 (NIV)

Jesus is amazed that the centurion recognizes his authority. He’s amazed that he believes all Jesus must do is say the word and his servant will be healed. His faith is beyond anything Jesus has found in the crowds, his disciples, or in all Israel.

Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Matthew 8:13 (NIV)

It’s one example of how Matthew draws our attention to the power of Jesus’ words.

Jesus’ authority is a theme that we have observed all week. Reading Matthew 5, 6, and 7 we experience the power of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. If you take Jesus’ teaching seriously, he makes you re-evaluate how you think about the world. For example, from Mt 5:

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad,

because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11–12 (NIV)

We don’t usually feel happy and blessed when we’re insulted or persecuted or when people spread false rumours about us. Usually, we get all tied up in knots when that stuff happens.

“Rejoice when people insult you?” Do you know how much pride you have to swallow to rejoice and be glad about insults?

Life in the kingdom of heaven is astoundingly differently than what we’re used to. It takes serious re-thinking and self-control if you’re going live up to the standards of Jesus’ kingdom. No, it takes more. It takes a miracle of transformation.

I guess that’s why I found writing the daily devotional thoughts on Jesus’ sermon on the mount such hard work. Jesus’ teaching about righteousness challenges our instincts and usual reactions. Another example from Mt 5:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

That makes sense to us, doesn’t it? It’s not too hard . . .

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43—45 (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but this challenges my normal reactions. Loving those who seem like enemies and asking God to bless and care for them doesn’t come naturally.

Some of you know that a couple of years ago my family had neighbours who made our lives miserable. Their threats and behaviour forced our family to move. Loving those neighbours and praying for them was not easy. I didn’t always succeed. When I did, it was only possible by relying on God’s help.

What’s your experience? Isn’t it true that you can only love your enemies by relying on God to change your attitude? (pause)

In light of Jesus’ goodness and power, perhaps it’s understandable that the Gadarenes pleaded with Jesus to leave their region in Mt 8. Jesus just freed 2 men from demons! The demons begged Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs. When Jesus said, “go,” the demons went. Suddenly, all the pigs rushed down the bank into the lake and died in the water.

That’s not the kind of power you mess around with. To see a man with power to send demons away with just one word – it’s breath-taking. It’s a little frightening too. I suspect the Gadarenes were overwhelmed. No wonder they asked Jesus to leave. They were overwhelmed with awe, respect, and fear.

Jesus is very good, but he’s not entirely safe. As we continue reading through Matthew’s gospel in the week ahead, Jesus sternly warns that following Jesus as a disciple is not safe.

Following Jesus is good. It's the best life. Jesus will lead you to eternal life. But it’s not always safe.

So why follow Jesus? Isn’t his power dangerous?

Jesus is powerful but he is also good. He has come to tackle our evil thoughts. He has come to forgive human disobedience and sin. Jesus’ intention to forgive sin and the power of his assurances of forgiveness appear in the first 8 verses of Mt 9.

After leaving the Gadarenes, Jesus sails home to Capernaum. When he arrives, some men bring a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. Jesus’ first words are probably not what they expected.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 (NIV)

Jesus saw this man differently than the rest of us. Jesus’ kingdom has different priorities than we’re used to. Dealing with the paralysed man’s sins took priority over dealing with his paralysis. In the kingdom of heaven, forgiveness took priority over healing his spinal injury.

Matthew tells us that Jesus’ words cause a stir in the crowd. They didn’t think that forgiving sins was a humanly possible. You can forgive someone when they’ve done you wrong, but a blanket forgiveness of their sin against God? That’s God’s job.

Even the high priest is only a mediator, a go-between, bringing people’s repentance to God and returning with assurances of God’s forgiveness. No wonder the teachers of the law accuse Jesus of blasphemy! How dare Jesus speak for the Lord God Almighty?

There are only two possibilities: either Jesus is bluffing or he has the power to declare someone’s sins are forgiven. You can’t tell by watching b/c forgiveness of sins is not something you can see. It’s not easy to verify, not measurable by science.

Jesus makes his point:

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Matthew 9:5–6 (NIV)

This is the test of Jesus’ power to forgive sin. Jesus’ power to heal demonstrates his power to forgive.

It must have been amazing to watch. The paralyzed man is on his mat near Jesus. He stretches his arms and tests his legs.

A physiotherapist told me this kind of healing is complicated. Not only does the spine need to be healed, but all the arm and leg muscles are weak. Usually, they need exercise to grow strong. If you’re not used to standing, your balance is gone.

Awkwardly at first, he sits up, puts his feet on the ground, and gets up for the first time in a long time. Surprised and amazed, he gathers the mat that he arrived on, tucks it under his arm and heads home on his own 2 feet.

The miracle of seeing this paralyzed man walk away is worth the price of admission. But that’s not the only thing the crowd goes home talking about. The crowd goes home “filled with awe and praising God” b/c Jesus shows his power to heal paralysis and to forgive sin.

We often talk about forgiveness of sin in church services. Mabe you’ve heard the gospel so often that it doesn’t shake you to the core anymore. Jesus came into his own creation and became human to forgive sin and reestablish his reign.

He came to forgive:

· the wrong we’ve done in disobeying God and honouring money or power or popularity or anything else as #1 in place of God

· and the wrong we’ve done by failing to love our enemies and failing to pray for those who make our lives difficult.

Jesus forgives our wrong-doing.

He took your punishment on the cross and rose from the grave 3 days later. He offers forgiveness, making things right b/t you and God. It’s a gift, open your hands and accept his forgiveness.

If that weren’t enough, he sends the HS so you can live as a child of God, so that your standards and reactions get aligned to Jesus’ kingdom instead of the norms and standards of this world.

Take heart, son – daughter of God, your sins are forgiven.

You’ve been set free from shame and guilt to live as a child of God. It’s good news of great joy, for all people.

If you can believe Jesus forgives sin, if you’re in awe at what Jesus has done for you and how he’s transforming the world to be the kingdom of heaven, you’re invited to praise God. If you’re amazed by the power and authority of Jesus’ words, the best way to respond is with praise!

Come, now is the time to worship!