Sermon Series: “Questioning the Faith”
Sermon #11 “What Did He Say to Do?”
Text: Matthew 4:23-25
OPENING JOKE: “Bad News” A friend found his buddy sobbing on a park bench. He tried to console the old man by asking what was troubling him. The weeping man explained, “I just went to the doctor and she told me I would have to take these pills for the rest of my life.” His friend replied, “Hey, that’s not so bad. Lots of people take pills.” The upset man said, “I know, but she only gave me ten pills.”
REMINDER: Please take the time to write out new questions for this series (Give out the question sheets)
INTRODUCTION: Tonight we are going to discuss a topic that deals primarily with speculation.
The reason for this is because all of the cases dealing with tonight’s subject are narratives (told in story form)
And it is hard to determine specifics from narratives because much of the outside information that could be relevant is not included within the text.
Such is the case for much of the OT history books and the NT book of Acts.
Tonight’s question deals with the miraculous healings of Jesus
QUESTION: “Why did Jesus tell some people when He healed to not tell anyone about it, and other He said to tell everyone about it, and some He did not say one way or the other?”
Before we look at examples of this, I want to share a truth with you: There are some things we just don’t know for sure.
Tonight much of what I give is simply an interpretation of Jesus’ actions – but we must realize that He never gives us the exact answer to this question.
The first thing we should remember when dealing with this topic is this:
Sometimes the SITUATION determines RESPONSE
Illustration: “Kids playing baseball” Moms, if you all went home to your children/grandchildren playing baseball and they were in their ‘church clothes’, you would tell them to stop. But if they were playing baseball in the appropriate clothes, you would probably not tell them to stop.
This illustration has nothing to do with why Jesus told some to speak and some to keep silent, and I am definitely not implying that some were ‘more clean’ than others
The illustration is just one that helps us understand that sometimes “Situation determines response”
***With this in mind, let’s look at a few of the situations in which Jesus gives different people different responses…
I. The Healing of the Leper in Mark 1:40-45 (Also contained in Matt 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
a. READ the scripture from Mark
b. Here we have Jesus willingly cleansing a man with leprosy
i. Leprosy is an incurable and progressive skin disease
ii. That which is considered leprosy is the Scriptures is likely a severe and intense type of psoriasis
iii. It was not one that was able to be hidden, especially in its later stages
c. Jesus tells the man to “say nothing to anyone” concerning his healing, but to go to the Priest
i. Now it is obvious that people would notice his cleansing
ii. Lepers were outcaste, even by their own families
iii. And now this man was cleansed – something people were bound to notice!
iv. And of course the Priest would inquire concerning this miracle
d. So why did Jesus warn him not to speak of the miracle?
i. Look at verse 45
ii. Mark 1:45 “However, he [the healed leper] went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”
e. This was very early in Jesus’ ministry
i. People were in the early stages of forming an opinion about who Jesus was
ii. And Jesus did not want them to see Him as a miracle worker alone
iii. Because He would be attacked ‘from every direction’ by people who were only seeking miracles and not seeking God’s plan of redemption
f. Look at what happened to Him because of the healed leper’s disobedience
i. He was unable to teach in the city anymore
ii. He was forced to go out into the desert, because of the mob of people
1. Do we see how the ‘Situation governs Response’
2. Jesus’ knowledge of how the people would react seems to indicate why He told the healed leper to not say anything
g. QUOTE: Effectively, Jesus’ ministry had to stop in this city and He had to move on because the healed leper refused to be discreet with his heeling
Let’s now move to the next situation…
II. The Healing of the Demoniac in Luke 8:26-39 (Also contained in Matt 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20)
a. READ the scripture form Luke
b. Here we have a very different situation than that of the leper
i. This man does not ask for healing, as he is controlled by demons
ii. But Jesus rebukes the demons and sent them into the pigs
iii. Joke: “First case of ‘deviled ham’”
c. And as he is sitting there, healed and in his right mind, Jesus commands him to go and “tell what great things God has done for [him]”
i. Before we see that Jesus was concerned with the repercussion of the city and his ministry not being able to continue
ii. But here we see a totally different situation
d. Jesus was near the country of the ‘Gadarenes’
i. The Bible says that this was ‘opposite Galilee’
ii. Which was across the sea of Tiberius or the Sea of Galilee
iii. And the Gadarene herdsmen did not appreciate Jesus sending demons into their swine and the pigs killing themselves
e. Quote: Effectually, Jesus’ welcome was already worn out before He ever even arrived!
i. He couldn’t go into town and preach with everyone in fear of Him as a sorcerer
ii. Luke 8:35 “Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.”
iii. Everyone was afraid, and would not listen to Jesus
f. So Jesus did the sensible thing – He sent an undeniable witness to them
i. How could they deny that this man had been healed
ii. They had already bound him with chains because of his fits of rage
iii. And he had broken the chains
iv. He was a truly changed man
g. And he wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus said no
i. Why? Because his zeal made him a great candidate for an evangelist
ii. What better person to tell the people how great Jesus is than the man who He healed?
iii. So Jesus sent him, as his messenger, to go and share what God had done for him
h. QUOTE: Again we see ‘situation governs response’ – Jesus ministry could not continue because of the fear of the people, so Jesus sent the next best thing…an undeniable witness
Lastly let’s look at one of Jesus’ more spectacular miracles…
III. The Raising of Lazarus of Bethany in John 11:30-46
a. READ the scripture from John
b. This scene truly is mind blowing
i. A man four days dead
ii. Jesus, who it appears has arrived too late – but is really right on time
iii. He changed from a dead man to a live man with just the call of “Lazarus, come forth”
1. It is said that the reason Jesus said the name of Lazarus was because it identified him personally
2. Had he just said “come forth”, all of the tombs would have been opened
c. This was a miracle done in the public court
i. There was absolutely no way this would remain a secret
ii. Jesus gives no indicator that he even tried to hide it
iii. It was the powerful foreshadow of his own death and resurrection
d. Notice: This was very late in Christ’s ministry
i. The others he had risen from the dead (the widows son and Jairus’ daughter) were earlier in His ministry
ii. But He was now known throughout the land as a healer
iii. This is seen in this passage:
1. John 11:37 “And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"”
2. How would they know that Jesus had ‘opened the eyes of the blind” if His reputation did not precede Him?
e. This event is very close to the cross
i. Jesus was no longer holding anything back – He knew His time was fast approaching
ii. There seems to be indicators that sometimes He asked people to be quiet about His miracles to avoid backlash from the religious Pharisees
1. There was times in His ministry were He specifically avoided the attacks of the religious men because His ministry was not complete
2. John 8:59 “Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
iii. But at the point when Lazarus died, Jesus was ready – His time was coming soon
iv. And again we see, ‘Situation governs response’
f. QUOTE: Jesus said nothing at the grave of Lazarus concerning keeping silent or not because most everyone knew His reputation anyhow. And this miracle, because of its power, was totally unable to be hidden anyway.
CONCLUSION: I have not studied in-depth and compared every time Jesus told someone to remain quiet or to speak or not at all.
But from these few examples I believe the obvious answer is clear.
Jesus always had a reason for what He said, and if He said “speak” He meant “speak” and if He said “be quiet” He meant “be quiet”
Some have gone as far as to say that Jesus, so knowledgeable about human behavior, understood ‘reverse psychology’ and told people not to talk because it would encourage them to talk
But I think we can see deductively here, in these few passages we have studied, that Jesus always had reasons for His responses.
And He wasn’t being deceptive anytime He gave a command
Jesus shows in His ministry that we can’t always treat every situation the same
Take sharing the Gospel for example
Some people need to be told about God’s love and kindness, while others need to be told about His wrath
Jude 1:22, 23 “…on some have compassion, making a difference; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
We need to start being sensitive in our own personal ministry to the situations of others
I think we get too general in our thoughts sometimes and start thinking everything must be done ‘one way’ or in a ‘certain order’
NOTE: Of course there is only ‘one way’ to Heaven, and that is through Christ
But the way we minister to others has got to be governed by the situation to which we are ministering
Let’s begin asking ourselves, what attitude does this situation govern?
What should be my response to this situation?
Or, more easily, “What would Jesus do if He were in my place?”
