Meeting the Need

Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." 16 But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." 18 He said, "Bring them here to Me." 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." 34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

Called out from a rest period with His disciples following hearing the news of John the Baptist’s death, (murdered by Herod,) Jesus was immediately moved to heal the sick present in the multitude who had tracked Him down in His place of rest.

We do not know the kind of physical effort required of Jesus to heal the sick, but we do have a clue: earlier, when the woman who had a flow of blood twelve years touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, He said He, “perceived power going out from Me.” (Luke 8:46)

Then, His healings of the sick of the multitude produced yet another need. As they lingered through the day because of His healings and teachings, they became hungry – and they were in a remote place with no food. What would the ‘Great I AM’ do now? (Of course we know the answer.)

Later, when His disciples were alone in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of a storm in the dark of the night, another great need presented itself. Again, what would the ‘Great I AM’ do? (Again, of course we know the answer.)

What kind of God is this that we serve?

-Pastor Bill

The Cost of Defiance

Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." 3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. 4 Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter." 9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." 16 But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." 18 He said, "Bring them here to Me." 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

We were informed in Matt 4:12 that John the Baptist had been arrested by Herod, and this was the reason Jesus had gone to Galilee to teach and to preach.

John, a personal hero of mine, was not one for mincing words.

Unfortunately, as we are all aware, if you stand for something, someone will oppose that stand. It becomes very obvious as a child of God the only way to avoid all controversy is to avoid taking a side.

It was never in John’s nature to avoid anything. You could lay this off as being caused by his fiery personality, but I think a more likely cause is the fire of the Holy Spirit, which has given John an undeniable passion for the truth, no matter where that truth may land him. (It lands him in jail, and it lands his head on the chopping block.)

By contrast, Jesus Christ has a passion for creating a different sort of controversy: feeding hungry people. When does feeding people become controversial? When it is employed as a tool to distinguish who His followers are, and exactly why they are following him. Do they follow Christ to be fed – or do they follow Christ for the food?

-Pastor Bill

God’s Kingdom

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." 53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  

The essential question about “the kingdom of heaven” is: who owns it?

Ownership in every economy is established in one of two ways: by creation of an entity, or by the purchase of it.

On both counts, God establishes Himself as Owner.

If you are looking for a Creator, (AKA – YOUR Creator,) you have two choices: either you believe you emerged from nothing, and that nothing caused everything to exist, or you believe there was a cause for your creation – and that cause is God. If you believe in the only rational position, which holds God as Creator of all things, (including you,) than He is also your Owner.

We know once creation was accomplished, creation itself fell under the control of Satan. In essence, Satan stole creation away from God, and established himself as ruler of the earthly kingdom. That this has taken place is inarguable when you consider the nature of the world - which groans in torment and travail, and is filled with crime and disease, and poverty, and natural disaster. Every day people die of starvation in a world that yields itself to the ownership of Satan by theft. Satan makes people slaves to sin, and then he drags them down to hell in the midst of evil, tormented lives - into a condition of eternal torment. (All the while either blaming God for the torment Satan causes, or deceiving people into thinking God does not exist.) Either way, Satan wins.

For those who will allow it, God re-establishes ownership of His creation – this time through purchase. The cost to God to re-establish ownership, and to purchase the lives of those Satan has made slaves to sin is incredible.

Jesus here tells us exactly what God the Father was willing to pay. Everything. His most precious possession. His only Begotten Son.

Since we know the price willingly paid establishes to value of the entity in the eye of the purchaser, what does that tell us about how God values His Church?

-Pastor Bill

Facing Opposition

Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' " 31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." 33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." 34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The last thing you may expect to face within the confines of The Church is opposition. The Church is perhaps thought to be the one environment where opposition is never found or experienced.

But Jesus teaches otherwise. In fact, one of the greatest clues we have that in referring to “the kingdom of heaven” Jesus is speaking of The Church, is revealed in the fact so much turbulence is to be expected in this earthly ‘kingdom of heaven’ that it can only apply to an earthly kingdom – therefore the ‘kingdom’ Jesus refers to IS The Church.

After all, one of the great things about the eternal kingdom we long for is the fact there will be NO opposition there. (This is in part why it will be ‘heavenly’ to be there.)

But here, in this life, Jesus tells us to expect great opposition. He says there will be tares in the crop, birds resting in the limbs of the tree, and leaven being mixed in with the true doctrine of His Word, all brought into The Church by Satan.

The enemy we face as believers in Christ never rests. To think that we may, even in The Church, is preposterous. The enemy will do everything he can to prevent unbelievers from coming to church in the first place, and then upon arriving he will do everything he can to make their church experience in-genuine.

-Pastor Bill

Soil Condition

Matthew 13:1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

When it comes to productive agriculture, there are many important ingredients, chief among them the fertility of the seed, and the condition of the soil.

If you have ever been involved in any kind of gardening project you are already aware of this. Rain and sunlight are also hugely important, but without soil a seed remains dead, and without ‘good’ soil, a seed may remain dormant.

In Matthew 13, known of as ‘the kingdom chapter’ in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares this aspect of agriculture to how it is people will come into His Church.

One of the main things we must point out is that entry into His Church ONLY takes place through His Gospel. There is no other way. His Gospel is His Word, (which, in this case, is the seed.) The condition of the soil the ‘seed’ of His Word lands upon makes all the difference in whether or not a person enters His Church, and thereby eternal life.

-Pastor Bill

Next of Kin

Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." 46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Those closest to God are also closest to His Son.

This is the point Jesus is making at the end of this passage. The relationship which comes by the flesh does not take priority over that which comes by the Spirit of God.

This would be a mystery certainly, as we have always considered our mother, father and our brothers and sisters to be our closest kin. Jesus teaches otherwise. There is a closer relationship than that.

The Holy Spirit, as we have learned, is indivisible. When the Holy Spirit is alive in the heart of any man, it is the same Holy Spirit which is alive in the heart of another man. Even though natural birth may separate those men genetically, the second birth unites them Spiritually, and the unity of the Holy Spirit brings them closer relationship-wise than those who have been born once may share genetically.

Welcome to the FAMILY of God. When the Bible says we are all “sons and daughters of the Living God,” the Bible means what it says. So does Jesus when He says, “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus refers to those who are being born again as His disciples, and those who will be born again as His disciples. These are those who will to do the will of The Father, Who is in heaven. This is the closest relationship possible among those born of woman. This relationship only comes by being born again.

Note the distance that exists in the relationship between the Son of God and the Pharisees. (Those who seek a sign of His identification.) Those born of the Spirit have the sign of His identity written upon their hearts, and require no more than that.

-Pastor Bill

Divided House

Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

You have probably heard that there is only one church. (One true church, that is - and that IS true.)

The church cannot be divided, and anything that seeks to divide it would not be of the church - and - it could not be true.

In this sense then, what does it mean that the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being part of Satan’s kingdom? Of healing by Satan’s power?

Jesus, sensitive to the underlying meaning of their accusation, in turn accuses them of being exactly who they accuse Him of being.

Who can heal but God? Who, apart from God, could do the things Jesus is doing? This is all according to the prophets, and it would be against the words of their prophets to think or speak otherwise. It is therefore the Pharisees who are dividing God’s House, not Jesus.

There is a real present danger in accusing Jesus of anything, let alone of being against God, especially when we see Him doing the works of God.

By Whose power does One perform the works of God?

To this, Jesus says forthrightly, “You are either for Me or you are against Me.” There is no middle ground, and there is no place for both. YOU must decide Whose side you are on.

-Pastor Bill

Lord of All

Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." 9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust."

Now we begin to see the intensity of the opposition Jesus faced ramped up. He begins to have direct face-offs with the Pharisees themselves.

Prior to this, the opposition of the Pharisees had been more indirect. Either they had sent their representatives, or they had just happened to see Jesus do something they chose to object to as it happened. Now they were actively seeking to oppose Jesus, and to point out every flaw they could find.

When a person does only good, it becomes difficult to point out their flaws, doesn’t it? This has always been the position of Jesus, and it becomes more incredible the more you think about it that anyone would or could oppose the work of Jesus - but that was the case then even as it is now. Think about it, Jesus only did good works. What is there to oppose?

You’re going to have to slice some pretty thin hairs to find anything to complain about, but that just happened to be the Pharisees’ specialty. (Splitting hairs, that is.) And so they begin to criticize Jesus simply because they are looking to be critical. They critique the way He eats on the Sabbath. They critique Him for performing a miracle on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ response is fascinating. “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath,” which means He is also the Lord of them. They would seek to kill Him for that statement.

-Pastor Bill

I See You

Matthew 11: 7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

Far from being embarrassed or angered by John sending two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah, Jesus speaks admiringly of John.

Just so we don’t get it wrong either.

You see if you had been part of the crowd of Jesus’ followers, the fact that John was now questioning who Jesus was might possibly have turned you against John, or perhaps made you think less of him.

Quite the contrary, Jesus says.

There is not only no need to doubt John, (for his sudden expression of doubt about Jesus,) but there is instead every reason to admire this wonderful man.

Jesus informs us He is very aware of all of John’s accomplishments, and this in turn reminds us He is also very aware of ours.

“When you went out to see John, what did you go out to see?” Jesus says. “Some softie? Some neophyte who was not up to his assignment? Some pretender, who only played the role so he could become famous and wealthy?”     

Not at all, Jesus says. He performed everything God told him to do in exactly the way God told him to do it. He completely accomplished God’s mission and desire for his life. How many of us can say that about ourselves? How many of us would Jesus say that about?

But here the lesson also takes a fascinating turn. Here is John, a prophet. “More than a prophet,” Jesus says. “The greatest of ALL the prophets.”

Then Jesus says, (quite remarkably,) “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This tells us much about the greatness of the ‘born-again life,’ doesn’t it?

-Pastor Bill

Are You the One?

Matthew 11:1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see 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. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

John the Baptist has one of the greatest questions in the history of the world to ask of Jesus. So he sends two if his disciples to inquire of Jesus personally, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

John wants to know if Jesus is the Messiah. This is what all of us need to ask, and what all of us need to know as well. Is Jesus the Messiah? If He is, everything about our lives must change.

John finds himself in a pretty hopeless condition – unless Jesus IS the Messiah. He has been imprisoned for speaking out against king Herod, for marrying his (Herod’s) sister-in-law.

But, if Jesus IS the Messiah – why is John still in prison? (From John’s perspective,) why hasn’t Jesus taken control of the land as a conqueror? What is He waiting for? When is the Messiah’s kingdom on earth to begin?

You see, John’s interpretation of what Messiah is come to do would be the same as all those living at that time. The anticipation was for Messiah to come to rule not just Jerusalem and Israel, but all the world. In a sense John is saying, “Jesus, it’s time for you to get busy.” (Unless that is, you are NOT the Messiah.) But wasn’t it John himself who first recognized Jesus AS Messiah, when He baptized Him at the Jordan?

I love Jesus’ answer to John, (a man Jesus obviously loves and admires.) Jesus points John back to the Word of God, the place where all of us must recognize Messiah. Does it surprise you Jesus didn’t simply say, “Yes, John, I Am the Messiah?”

-Pastor Bill

Sword of Truth

Matthew 10:27 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36 and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

One of the things you have probably noticed by now is you are offensive to some simply because you are a follower of Christ. (Assuming people know about that.)

But that’s just the point isn’t it? Jesus commands His disciples to make it clear to everyone they know they are ‘Christians.’

The word, ‘Christian,’ is an interesting one. It literally means: ‘little Christ.’ The power of that literal meaning has long since passed from the scene. Today, the word, ‘Christian,’ most often means you are part of an organized religion. (Whatever that means?)

The fact is Jesus caused offense to the religious establishment. How is it then, that modern “Christians” most often ARE the religious establishment?

One of the things Jesus accomplished was to cut through all the nonsense going on in the world. He calls us to do likewise – IF, we are ‘little Christs’ – or – ‘Christ-like.’

The emphasis is placed upon being divided from the world and not part of it. The idea is not to be “more like the world” to win converts – it is to be like Christ and let the chips fall where they may.

This is not a popular position to take – but the truth is this is a big part of the calling placed upon your life by Christ: to be willing to be unpopular with the world for the sake of being pleasing to Christ.

Jesus is here teaching you cannot be both, and therein lies the sword of which He speaks. It is a sword of truth, and never of compromise. It will (potentially) necessarily divide you from your family, and your friends, and your co-workers, and, the establishment church.

God’s truth is the ONLY eternally-valuable position to take. There is no choice, really. All else is a lie.

-Pastor Bill

Known of to Be Known By

Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

I think of the privilege of working for one of the greatest corporations in the world. (One of the companies with instant name recognition and a logo that is recognizable to everyone.) As an employee of such a powerful corporation, there is a sense of pride in the recognition afforded by your association with such a company. People tend to respect you for the fact you are part of something so great. Your company has a great product, people love it and want it, and they see YOU as a part of all that.

It is a very meaningful association.

Now imagine being called to work for God. To serve the Living Lord. The Creator of all things. His logo is the cross, and it is instantly recognizable the world over. He is known for His goodness, and His ability to bring peace and hope and joy. He is a healer, and He forgives all sin. He provides eternal life in the kingdom of heaven for all who seek Him.

Can you imagine anything Greater or more wonderful to work for? On behalf of? To be recognized with?

“Yes! A thousand times, YES! Give me one of those stickers…one of those shirts…one of those coffee mugs that tell everyone I am in the employ of God – employed in the fields of God! I am so blessed to have been called by God Himself to be a part of His work on this earth!”

Yet, sadly, that is not normally the case. What we see rather is a sort of sheepishness about serving God, as if there was a sense of shame or embarrassment about what His incorporation has been established to accomplish. And not only that, we see the world is generally against anything God desires to accomplish – and that rather than being accepting of God’s will and God’s work, people are hesitant.

Hesitant to the extent God’s employees are persecuted the world over. God Himself is being rejected by those He has Himself created. It is very strange if you think about it. But there is one thing for sure, and that is that you cannot work for God undercover, or as a secret agent. As His employee, you will be known by Who you work for.

-Pastor Bill

Those Who Are Called

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. 11 Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

The nature of the call of Jesus is supernatural. Otherwise, it is not a true calling.

How could Jesus better demonstrate this fact than in the lives of the men He chose to call? Had he chosen among the Hebrew seminary students at Jericho, I suppose we may have thought their actions were the result of their piety.

Had Jesus chosen among the great orators of His day, or perhaps among those noble or of those who were powerful, perhaps we may have thought their actions were the result of their keen intellect.

But Jesus called His closest followers from among the flotsam and jetsam of life. (These men, by the way, were the only ones He directly called to follow Him. The rest of His followers came to Him by word of mouth of men.) But the men Jesus specifically called were special in no way except for their calling.

Only Judas Iscariot carried the credentials which would have made him appear to be worthy of his calling. The rest were young fisherman and laborers, with a tax collector and a political revolutionary thrown in for good measure.

How then, would these men cast out demons and heal the sick? Would it be a special incantation, or an elixir which would do the trick? Who would empower them to preach the gospel – and to prepare entire towns to receive Jesus Christ? And Who would provide for the cost of their travels?

Here we clearly see Jesus’ intent is to demonstrate to the whole world the power of God in Christ is to be worked out in feeble, (and perhaps the feeblest,) men. And perhaps, just perhaps, these men were even too feeble to refuse the calling. How about you? It’s a fearful thing isn’t it? (Fearfully wonderful – that is.)

-Pastor Bill

Desperation

Matt 9:18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. 23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. 27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!" 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

It is said it doesn’t matter how you come to Jesus – only come. All must.

Have you come to Jesus? How did you come?

If you were to ask those who came to Jesus in Matthew 9, all would say they were incredibly desperate for Christ. (Not the man Jesus – but the Messiah, The Christ.)

In our day, we often find ourselves attracted by the smoothness of the speech, or the attractiveness of the building, or the multiplicity of the programs, or the youth ministry, or the music, or the friendship and fellowship of like-minded people.

But perhaps this explains why fashionable, high-minded churches have attendees, but not disciples of Christ. There is a relevance to Jesus in their lives, but there is no desperation for Christ.

Ask the woman with the flow of blood. What was her need? Ask the ruler whose daughter had just died. Who did he have need of? The blind men? The mute, who was demon-possessed? All these were absolutely desperate for Christ. All came to Christ in a condition of absolute desperation. Now, again, have you come? How did you come?

It seems the world has always lacked for shepherds willing to tell the sheep the true desperation of their condition. And so they get fat and languish in the field. “The harvest,” Jesus says, “is plentiful.” Now we know the reason why.

-Pastor Bill

Renovation

Matt 9:14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." 18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." 19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. 23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. 27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." 31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!" 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

When John the Baptist’s disciples come to Jesus for instruction, they bring a question of doctrinal distinction. “Why do You and your disciples not fast?”

How closely must ALL be observing Jesus’ ministry and followers? While it had always been the manner of those in religious circles to observe OTHERS for their correct conduct before God, Jesus was ushering in something quite new. His ministry would take place internally. This would be the basis of the New Covenant. This would necessitate a new way of worship. But the new, in this case, has more to do with restoring things to the way they had been intended to be by God in the first place.

The trouble is once people get used to doing things a certain way they become brittle, hard-hearted, and stiff-necked. They become old wineskins, and there is no way to produce change in their hearts because they refuse to accept the unknown over the known, and they are burst by the process.

-Pastor Bill

Rejection

Matthew 9:1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." 3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. 9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." 14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" 15 And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

Remember the “in crowd?” Were you part of it?

At my high school, the ‘in-crowd’ consisted of the jocks, the cheerleaders, and the sort-of preppies that hung around with them. Unless you were one of them, you could not be part of them.

But there were other ‘in-crowds’ of their own making, designed to deal with the ‘in-crowd’ they couldn’t be part of. These were the greasers - who were the guys in shop class, the hippies, and the geeks.

But what if you were none of these? What if none of the labels applied to you? Did they then? Do they now?

Jesus came to teach us there are no labels in the eyes of God, and that the only “in-crowd” is the crowd going in to heaven. For the crowd going to heaven there are no labels or affiliations other than “saved by grace.” There is no white, or black, or red, or yellow, or cool, or geek, or religious, or cool or even un-cool. None of that matters. It also doesn’t matter if you’ve been rejected as being, “not one of those.”

Our greatest example is Jesus being rejected as, “not one of those.” He was an outsider from the onset of His ministry life. He was rejected by those with commercial interests because He wasn’t commercial. He was rejected by the religious leaders because He wasn’t religious. He was rejected by those who were popular because He didn’t seek popularity. He only sought to do God’s will, and that led Him to be rejected by the whole world.

-Pastor Bill

The Other Side

Matthew 8:23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine." 32 And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. 33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Have you ever wondered, “What’s on the other side?”

It’s a reasonable question to ask about the unknown – but remember, for Jesus, there is no unknown. He is going to the other side of the Sea of Galilee for a reason.

It’s the same reason He came down from the mountain in the first place; to oppose the works of Satan. On the other side of the Galilee, the works of Satan are more pronounced, because he is unopposed by humanity there. In fact, humanity plays along with and plays into his plans for destruction.

It is notable how difficult it is to get to the other side in the first place. It is VERY notable who Jesus took with Him. It was the guys He had called to Himself already – the first of those who would come to be known as His ‘disciples.’ And they were already demonstrating the human frailties and weaknesses which have in part become known as the reason they were called. (That Jesus may demonstrate His power through and over human frailty.)

And so the storm comes. (Did Jesus not expect it?) And what fear the disciples show. Are they not with The One Who has just taught them, and healed the leper who came to Him, and healed the servant of the centurion of paralysis and torment without being near him, and healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and healed the demon-possessed, and all those who were brought to Him? And it must have been some storm - after all – these are fisherman who have seen many storms on the Sea of Galilee.

There is something Jesus has to prove in the hearts of His followers, even before they can be of use to Him in ministry, and that is that He has power over EVERYTHING. Not just over ailments and maladies, and unfortunate circumstances – but over all things in all of creation.

It is one thing to be in the boat with a great healer. It is something quite more than that to be in the boat with The Creator. “Peace, be still!”

And so it was. Do you get the point?

-Pastor Bill

Power Over Nature

Matthew 8:1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." 7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. 14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. 16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."

How is it, exactly, that Jesus may bear our infirmities? (As prophesied by Isaiah about how we may recognize His ministry – The ministry of The Messiah.)

In the first case, we recognize God desires above all else His Messiah BE RECOGNIZED. And so Jesus comes with clearly identifiable markers that anyone and everyone may see for themselves.

If they choose to look.

It still remains a choice for man. There is no denying that. Even in the face of astounding teaching and preaching, there would be some, and perhaps many who would reject Jesus as God-In-Flesh, because Jesus commands a change of the course of life.

Satan does everything in his power to keep us right where we are.

But then there is sickness. And affliction. And it becomes patently obvious man has no answers. Who Alone could bear our afflictions?

One of the great clues we may receive comes from asking: Where does sickness and affliction come from in the first place? Why do people get sick? What is the root cause?

And we see that just as Jesus promises to bear our SIN by faith, we now see quite literally and physically that He bears our sicknesses in His Body. Who is this Who even has power over creation?

-Pastor Bill