Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:13-14
This morning we begin the 2nd half of our series on “The Miracles of Jesus Christ”. In this sermon we are going to discuss 2 different occasions during which Jesus performed miracles. The first was Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, which is recorded in Matthew 13:53-58 and Mark 6:1-6. The second was His visit to Bethsaida (actually the nearby countryside), which is recorded in Matthew 14:13-14 and Luke 9:10-11. Since Matthew documents both stories we’ll use his gospel as our primary text today. As we will discover, this pair of events contrast sharply with one another.
I. LIMITED MIRACLES AT HOME (Matthew 13:53-58, Mark 6:1-6)
Once again, Jesus made His way through Galilee teaching about the kingdom of God and performing various miracles. He came to Nazareth, the town where He was raised and lived prior to launching His earthly ministry. As was His usual practice, Jesus went to the local synagogue and addressed the people there. They were astonished by His teaching and works, and couldn’t believe that He was the same man they’d watched grow up. They were offended by Him, to which Jesus replied, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” Thus He only did a few mighty works there, marveling at their unbelief, and moved on to preach in other more inviting places.
Nazareth was a small, relatively obscure Jewish village during the time of the New Testament. It was located in the lower hills of Galilee. It sat about 22 miles southwest of Capernaum, where Jesus’ ministry was headquartered. After His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus spent a few years in Egypt before He and His parents returned to Nazareth. The Bible tells us very little about His childhood and upbringing in Nazareth.
It can be very difficult to change someone’s perceptions and preconceived notions. The citizens of Nazareth had watched Jesus grow up from an early age. They knew His family - His father Joseph, His mother Mary, and His brothers and sisters, many of whom still lived there. They remembered Jesus as a child and young man, and were simply unable to accept Him as the divine Son of God. How could Jesus, the boy from down the street, be the Messiah? Now, lest we be too harsh on them, it is also hard to change someone’s opinion about others today. But, their focus on the past caused them to miss something wonderful. Friends… if we only see people for who they were, we might miss who they’ve come to be.
I have heard some misuse this story to state that Jesus was unable to perform any miracles in Nazareth because of the people’s lack of faith. This is patently false. Jesus did perform a few miracles there, despite their rejection. His ability to do miraculous things is not dictated by our faith or lack thereof. The Lord can do whatever He wants to do. That said, He was not inclined to do many miracles in Nazareth because of their doubt. This suggests that our faith does have an influence on Jesus’ willingness to act.
Mark’s account of this story says that Jesus laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. Based on that statement, we will classify these limited works as healing miracles that were performed by touch. By performing these miracles Jesus showed Himself to be the Christ, and my hope is that at least a few of the people in Nazareth believed.
II. THE APOSTLES DO MIRACLES (Matthew 10:1ff, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6)
It was around this time that Jesus sent the 12 apostles out in pairs to preach in the various cities and villages of Israel. He was preparing them for the work of ministry after His departure. Jesus granted these men supernatural power to heal every type of sickness and disease and to cast out demons. So the apostles went out proclaiming the kingdom of God and performed many miracles in Jesus’ name as they encountered those in need. When they returned, they reported to Him all they had done.
The miracles performed by the apostles on this (and all other) occasions are not considered to be miracles of Jesus, although His divine power and authority made them possible. As we’ve discussed in previous messages, Jesus gave healing power to the apostles during the first century in order to give them credibility and establish the New Testament church. It is my firm belief, and the traditionally held position of Southern Baptists, that this was temporary and that Christians are not gifted or empowered to perform miracles at their own discretion today. That said, God may choose to perform wonders through an individual on occasion in accordance with His divine will.
III. MANY MIRACLES IN DESOLATION (Matthew 14:13-14, Luke 9:10-11)
Jesus received news that John the Baptist had been executed. He went away by boat and came to a desolate place near the town of Bethsaida. However, when the people found out where He was going, they followed Him on foot. When Jesus came ashore a large crowd was waiting for Him. Feeling compassion for them, He began healing many who were sick and preaching the gospel to them.
This is yet another example of Jesus’ immense popularity. It was almost impossible for Him to get away from the multitudes to rest or be alone. Private time was scarce, as Jesus was always in demand. Virtually everywhere He went, people followed and/or were waiting for Him when He arrived. Perhaps this is a reason why Jesus cherished His private, quiet moments alone with the Father. They were hard to come by. Maybe we should learn to cherish them as He did.
Bethsaida was a small town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near where the Jordan River emptied into it. Jesus performed several miracles there. It was the birthplace of Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. It was only about 6 miles northeast of Capernaum and could be reached by land or sea.
Unlike those at Nazareth, the people at Bethsaida were warm and welcoming to Jesus. They were excited and eager to hear Him speak. As a result, Jesus was more inclined to perform miracles there. He spent the entire day teaching the gospel and healing those who were ill.
The miracles Jesus performed on this occasion were healing miracles. Scripture doesn’t say what methods He used to do them. Jesus worked these miracles out of compassion for the people, but more importantly so they might believe in Him and accept His message of salvation.
CONCLUSION
Next Sunday we are going to study 1 of Jesus’ most well-known miracles. It is a story you’ve probably all heard many times before, but it never grows old. It amazes me every time I read it. Until then, ask yourself this question… Do you tend to be a doubting skeptic like those in Nazareth or an eager follower like those who chased Jesus to Bethsaida? While I passionately oppose the unbiblical concept of “faith healing”, I do concede that perhaps we miss God’s best and most in our lives because of our disbelief.
This morning we begin the 2nd half of our series on “The Miracles of Jesus Christ”. In this sermon we are going to discuss 2 different occasions during which Jesus performed miracles. The first was Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, which is recorded in Matthew 13:53-58 and Mark 6:1-6. The second was His visit to Bethsaida (actually the nearby countryside), which is recorded in Matthew 14:13-14 and Luke 9:10-11. Since Matthew documents both stories we’ll use his gospel as our primary text today. As we will discover, this pair of events contrast sharply with one another.
I. LIMITED MIRACLES AT HOME (Matthew 13:53-58, Mark 6:1-6)
Once again, Jesus made His way through Galilee teaching about the kingdom of God and performing various miracles. He came to Nazareth, the town where He was raised and lived prior to launching His earthly ministry. As was His usual practice, Jesus went to the local synagogue and addressed the people there. They were astonished by His teaching and works, and couldn’t believe that He was the same man they’d watched grow up. They were offended by Him, to which Jesus replied, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” Thus He only did a few mighty works there, marveling at their unbelief, and moved on to preach in other more inviting places.
Nazareth was a small, relatively obscure Jewish village during the time of the New Testament. It was located in the lower hills of Galilee. It sat about 22 miles southwest of Capernaum, where Jesus’ ministry was headquartered. After His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus spent a few years in Egypt before He and His parents returned to Nazareth. The Bible tells us very little about His childhood and upbringing in Nazareth.
It can be very difficult to change someone’s perceptions and preconceived notions. The citizens of Nazareth had watched Jesus grow up from an early age. They knew His family - His father Joseph, His mother Mary, and His brothers and sisters, many of whom still lived there. They remembered Jesus as a child and young man, and were simply unable to accept Him as the divine Son of God. How could Jesus, the boy from down the street, be the Messiah? Now, lest we be too harsh on them, it is also hard to change someone’s opinion about others today. But, their focus on the past caused them to miss something wonderful. Friends… if we only see people for who they were, we might miss who they’ve come to be.
I have heard some misuse this story to state that Jesus was unable to perform any miracles in Nazareth because of the people’s lack of faith. This is patently false. Jesus did perform a few miracles there, despite their rejection. His ability to do miraculous things is not dictated by our faith or lack thereof. The Lord can do whatever He wants to do. That said, He was not inclined to do many miracles in Nazareth because of their doubt. This suggests that our faith does have an influence on Jesus’ willingness to act.
Mark’s account of this story says that Jesus laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. Based on that statement, we will classify these limited works as healing miracles that were performed by touch. By performing these miracles Jesus showed Himself to be the Christ, and my hope is that at least a few of the people in Nazareth believed.
II. THE APOSTLES DO MIRACLES (Matthew 10:1ff, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6)
It was around this time that Jesus sent the 12 apostles out in pairs to preach in the various cities and villages of Israel. He was preparing them for the work of ministry after His departure. Jesus granted these men supernatural power to heal every type of sickness and disease and to cast out demons. So the apostles went out proclaiming the kingdom of God and performed many miracles in Jesus’ name as they encountered those in need. When they returned, they reported to Him all they had done.
The miracles performed by the apostles on this (and all other) occasions are not considered to be miracles of Jesus, although His divine power and authority made them possible. As we’ve discussed in previous messages, Jesus gave healing power to the apostles during the first century in order to give them credibility and establish the New Testament church. It is my firm belief, and the traditionally held position of Southern Baptists, that this was temporary and that Christians are not gifted or empowered to perform miracles at their own discretion today. That said, God may choose to perform wonders through an individual on occasion in accordance with His divine will.
III. MANY MIRACLES IN DESOLATION (Matthew 14:13-14, Luke 9:10-11)
Jesus received news that John the Baptist had been executed. He went away by boat and came to a desolate place near the town of Bethsaida. However, when the people found out where He was going, they followed Him on foot. When Jesus came ashore a large crowd was waiting for Him. Feeling compassion for them, He began healing many who were sick and preaching the gospel to them.
This is yet another example of Jesus’ immense popularity. It was almost impossible for Him to get away from the multitudes to rest or be alone. Private time was scarce, as Jesus was always in demand. Virtually everywhere He went, people followed and/or were waiting for Him when He arrived. Perhaps this is a reason why Jesus cherished His private, quiet moments alone with the Father. They were hard to come by. Maybe we should learn to cherish them as He did.
Bethsaida was a small town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near where the Jordan River emptied into it. Jesus performed several miracles there. It was the birthplace of Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. It was only about 6 miles northeast of Capernaum and could be reached by land or sea.
Unlike those at Nazareth, the people at Bethsaida were warm and welcoming to Jesus. They were excited and eager to hear Him speak. As a result, Jesus was more inclined to perform miracles there. He spent the entire day teaching the gospel and healing those who were ill.
The miracles Jesus performed on this occasion were healing miracles. Scripture doesn’t say what methods He used to do them. Jesus worked these miracles out of compassion for the people, but more importantly so they might believe in Him and accept His message of salvation.
CONCLUSION
Next Sunday we are going to study 1 of Jesus’ most well-known miracles. It is a story you’ve probably all heard many times before, but it never grows old. It amazes me every time I read it. Until then, ask yourself this question… Do you tend to be a doubting skeptic like those in Nazareth or an eager follower like those who chased Jesus to Bethsaida? While I passionately oppose the unbiblical concept of “faith healing”, I do concede that perhaps we miss God’s best and most in our lives because of our disbelief.