We were studying the gospel of Matthew at Dunbar Community Bible Church. It is evident that Matthew wants us to know that Jesus is clearly the Messiah, the King. And Matthew uses the obvious works of Jesus as convincing proof. In so doing, Jesus is on display for us. As 21st century believers, we still serve the God of the supernatural. Jesus, the Son and God; the Spirit; and God, our Father, all have to be understood as having unbelievable power to do as they please.
Here is my question for us: How should we respond to this display of supernatural power?
First response. We should believe that He has the power to heal the sick. And in fact, whenever healing takes place, it is because of the work of the Creator of the universe.
- I am not saying that you have to seek out someone with the gift of healing to know God is at work. I personally don’t think we have that gift available to the church today, but we do have access to the healing power of God through prayer. But there is no healing that takes place, even among unsaved people, without the work of God. He places that power within their bodies and brings healing. Without it, they will die; so their lives are in His hands. Just as the rain falls on the just and unjust, so the power of God brings healing to the saved and unsaved.
- Unfortunately, we are most keenly attuned to His power to heal physically. That power is what we pray for and hope for most. But that healing is not what we need most. We need the soul physician to bring healing to us within our hearts and inner beings at the deepest levels. We need the Spirit of God and the Son of God to minister the healing balm and those refreshing effects of grace to our inner man.
- Search your Bible concordance to see what you come up with in the Psalms and other Old Testament scriptures regarding healing of the soul or spirit. In fact, when Matthew 8 quotes from Isaiah 53, the author is linking the work of the cross and the sacrifice of Christ to all the healing that the Son of God will do. This soul Physician, who was attacked by his detractors saying, “Heal Thyself” is the only healer of our inner man.
Second response. We should live in light of how the power of Christ is portrayed in the gospels: truly supernatural, especially as displayed in Matthew 8. There is no power on this earth or in the heavens, including the satanic forces of evil, that can resist Christ. So then we can expect that Christ will bring gospel hope to those who have been in bondage to any number of evil powers and addictions. Christ is MORE! The power of His Spirit within will defeat the evil one, along with the sinful patterns and desires that Satan encourages us to enjoy. Jesus confronts demons. And they immediately know Him and how powerful He is. He can send them wherever He wants. They are powerless to resist Him. So when we are counseling and encouraging individuals in their battle with Satan and the flesh, they should remember that He that is within them is far stronger than he that is in the world. And Christ has overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil for us. He has given us this power, the supernatural power of His grace, to do battle and win.
Third response. We should remember His power as described in other parts of Scripture.
In Psalm 62, “Power belongs to God.” In Job 26:14, it says, “The thunder of His power who can understand?” Psalm 79:11 says, “According to your great power.” Nahum 1 says, “The Lord is…great in power.” Isaiah 26:4, says, “The Lord God is an everlasting rock.” In Psalm 65:6 we read, “Who by strength establishes the mountains, being girded with might.” Or Psalm 63, “Beholding your power and glory.” Psalm 89, “Lord God of Hosts, who is mighty as you are, you rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them” (ESV).
Surprisingly, as the disciples watched the winds and the waves die down, they marveled at the power Jesus put on display. To quote John MacArthur, “They had no category in which to put Jesus” at this moment. Apparently, they forgot these OT passages and exclamations of God’s great power.
Fourth response. Remember what we see in all of creation. This display is how powerful our God and our Savior is. He spoke. It became a reality. All of the created world in its extensive and massive form (of the universe) as well as the internal and detailed forms (of the most minute, microscopic kinds that show us amazing purpose and cohesive existence) were and are because of the power of God. So as Jesus deals with the wind and waves, He is also pointing us to all of the rest of creation over which He is Master.
His power changes everything. But without faith to see the God described in the above verses and stories, we will continue to be defeated and will not know His soul-healing and the work of His grace that we need.
