The Mission Begins The Call of the Apostles

The Mission Begins The Call of the Apostles and Miracles

The Call of the Apostles 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Peter Andrew James John Philip Bartholomew Simon Zealot James the Lesser Jude Matthew Thomas Judas Apostles: Jesus’ closest followers, who know Jesus like a best friend, and who are given a very important mission to spread the Good News that Jesus is preaching.

What is a Miracle? • A miracle may be defined as an event that occurs in nature but that has a cause lying outside nature, that is, a supernatural cause. – God, the creator of all things, can use nature to suite the divine plan. – They are above nature – thus supernatural. – super = above natural = nature • The Miracles of Jesus show us something important about who Jesus is! Jesus has the power of the Creator.

The 1 st Miracle • The Wedding Feast at Cana – Read John 2: 1 -12 What is Mary’s Role Here?

Miracles - Human Body • • • Mark 1: 29 - 31 Mark 1: 40 -45 Mark 5: 25 -34 • • • Luke 13: 10 -17 Luke 14: 1 -6 Luke 17: 11 -19 • Matthew 9: 27 -31 • John 4: 46 -54 • Matthew 15: 21 – 28 • John 5: 2 -47 • Matthew 20: 29 -34

Miracles of the Human Body • The largest group of miracles mentioned in the New Testament involve cures or healing. • The Gospels give varying amounts of detail for each episode, sometimes Jesus cures simply by saying a few words, at other times employs material such as spit and mud.

The Man Who Could Not Walk

One day Jesus was teaching a group of people in a house. • Some men carried their friend on a bed to see Jesus. • The friend could not walk. The men could not get him into the house because of all the people. •

The men took their friend up onto the roof. • They removed part of the roof and lowered their friend into the house. • When He saw the great faith of these men, Jesus told the sick man that his sins were forgiven. •

• Some of the scribes thought what Jesus had said was wrong. • The scribes thought only God could forgive sins. • Jesus told them He could forgive sins because He was the Son of God.

• • He told the man to pick up his bed and go home. The man stood up. He was healed. He picked up his bed and walked home. He was very thankful to God. Everyone in the house was amazed and glorified God.

• What did Jesus first say to the man with palsy (uncontrollable shaking of the muscles)? Let’s read Mark 2: 5

• What was the scribes’ reaction to Jesus’ remark? Let’s read Mark 2: 7 • What is blasphemy? ‾ Showing a lack of respect for God or falsely claiming to be God.

Did Jesus blaspheme? • Jesus can forgive sins because He is the Son of God, but the scribes did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. • What did Jesus say to the scribes? • Let’s read Mark 2: 8– 9 • What did He say to the man with palsy? Let’s read Mark 2: 10– 11

A Woman Touches Jesus’s Clothes

A woman had been very sick for 12 years. She had been to many doctors, but they could not help her. • She had spent all that she had, but only got worse. • One day she saw Jesus surrounded by many people. •

She believed that she would be healed just by touching His clothing. • She walked through the crowd, touched His clothing and was healed immediately. • Jesus turned around asked, “Who touched my clothes? ” •

The woman was afraid. • She knelt in front of the Savior and said that she had touched Him. • Jesus told her that her faith in Him had made her well. •

Faith and Miracles • Miracles do not need faith, but sometimes great acts of faith are accompanied by miracles. – Many people touched Jesus. Were all cured? . – The point is, it was her faith that saved her!

Miracles of Restoration Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John All four Canonical Gospels report Jesus' Raising from the Dead a Widow's --7: 11 -17 -own resurrection from the dead but the Son at Nain Gospels also relate three other occasions on which Jesus calls a dead person back Raising from the Dead the 5: 21 -24, 35 -43 9: 18 -19, 23 -26 8: 40 -42, 49 -56 -to life. Daughter of Jairus – These show us how truly powerful Raising Lazarus of Jesus was. -Bethany from the --11: 1 -44 • Dead

• • One day Jairus, a leader of a synagogue, fell at the Savior’s feet. Jairus said that his 12 year-old daughter was very ill. He begged Jesus to come and bless her. He believed that Jesus could heal her.

Jesus started to follow Jairus home, but He stopped to heal a woman. • As He was talking to her, someone came to tell Jairus that it was too late—his daughter was dead. •

Jesus heard what was said. He told Jairus not to be afraid but to believe in Him. • Then Jesus went with Jairus to Jairus’s house. • The house was filled with people who were crying because of the little girl’s death. •

• • Jesus told them the girl was not dead but was sleeping. The people laughed at Him. They were sure the girl was dead. The Savior had everyone leave the house except His disciples, Jairus, and Jairus’s wife.

• They went to the room where the little girl was lying. Jesus took the girl by the hand. He told her to get up. • She stood up and walked. Her parents were amazed. Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened. •

What do these Miracles show us? • Jesus has power over death! – Although one prophet also was able to bring someone back to life, this means Jesus is very powerful. It would have told all of his followers that something very special was happening.

Miracles of Exorcism • Many miracles are related to a spiritual warfare – the exorcism of Demons! – In most cases, the demons recognize that Jesus (an ordinary looking person) is the Son of God. – Jesus shows his true authority. He has control over the forces of Evil!

Pericope Mark Matt Luke Jesus is tempted/tested in the desert by the Devil/Satan Mark 1: 12 -13 Matt 4: 1 -11 Luke 4: 1 -13 Unclean Spirit/Demon in Synagogue at Capernaum Mark 1: 23 -28 x Luke 4: 33 -37 Jesus casts out a demon that made a man dumb (mute) x Matt 9: 32 -33 Matt 12: 22 -23 Luke 11: 14 Beelzebul Controversy: What power does Jesus use? Mark 3: 22 -30 Matt 9: 34 Matt 12: 24 -30 Luke 11: 15 -23 Gerasene/Gadarene Demoniac possessed by "Legion" Mark 5: 1 -20 Matt 8: 28 -34 Luke 8: 26 -39 Syro-Phoenician Woman's Daughter Mark 7: 24 -30 Matt 15: 21 -28 x Boy with an Epileptic Spirit Mark 9: 14 -29 Matt 17: 14 -21 Luke 9: 37 -43 a Another Exorcist Mark 9: 38 -41 Matt 10: 42 Luke 9: 49 -50

Exorcizing the Demons • Jesus has power of the forces of Evil. – Shows that Jesus has the highest authority! • A question of authority! The scribes and Pharisees wonder where this authority comes. Jesus shows us by defeating demons.

Over Nature • Other miracles Jesus performed had to do with bending the laws of Nature. – It shows that Jesus is like the Creator, and able to have power over all the elements of the Earth.

Pericope Mark Matthew Luke John Miracles over Nature Catching Unusually Many Fish in the Sea of Galilee -- -- 5: 1 -11 [cf. 21: 1] Stilling a Storm on the Sea of Galilee 4: 35 -41 8: 23 -27 8: 22 -25 -- Feeding Five Thousand People 6: 32 -44 14: 13 -21 9: 10 b-17 6: 1 -15 Walking on the Water 6: 45 -52 14: 22 -33 -- 6: 16 -21 Feeding Four Thousand People 8: 1 -10 15: 32 -39 -- -- Finding a Coin in the Mouth of a Fish -- 17: 24 -27 -- -- Cursing a Fig Tree near Bethany 11: 12 -14 21: 18 -19 -- -- Turning Water into Wine at a Wedding -in Cana -- -- 2: 1 -11 Catching Numerous Fish at the Sea of -Tiberias -- [cf. 5: 1] 21: 1 -14

WHY MIRACLES? • There are two general reasons why Jesus performs miracles. – To Inspire and reward the faith of his disciples. – To make doubters believe.

Why be quiet? • Practical: he didn’t want people to always get in his way – they would attract so much attention and create so much excitement that his movements would be inhibited • Finally, Jesus did not want people focusing on the miracles He performed, but rather the message He proclaimed and the death He was going to die. • He didn’t want people to misinterpret what this all meant. – He wasn’t some magician, or merely a prophet. People would be attracted to him much like they would be attracted to a carnival sideshow. They would not be interested in the truth he came to teach, but in having their senses dazzled by seeing a miracle. Matthew 12: 38