WHO IS JESUS? (9 OF 10)
Scripture: Matthew 8:16-27
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Who Is Jesus? (9 of 10)
Series: Discipleship
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 8:16-27
It is often all too easy to fail to understand what is right before our eyes. We quickly grow accustomed to what we have been seeing without understanding that what we face might be more than we have expected. We can easily be blinded by our expectations and pat answers.
Jesus had been healing and teaching the people and the crowds began to press and follow him. It became necessary for Jesus to escape the crowds at times in order to teach the disciples he had chosen. In this story of Matthew, the crowds forced Jesus to cross Lake Galilee to escape, but the crowds met him there on the other side of the lake as well. He began teaching them as well when some of them began asking to become his disciples.
It is not clear why they wanted to be his disciples, but it is clear that they had motives other than fulfilling and advancing Jesus' purposes on Jesus' terms. Jesus turned them away, reminding them of various things that would interfere with their following him on his terms. Following him required leaving behind many lesser things that laid hold of their lives in order to place the reign of God first. For some it was family, for others it was a secure place of residence, for others there were issues of social standing, prominence, and power. They had their own issues before them and did not really understand what commitment and discipleship to Jesus really meant. They did not really understand who he was.
Discipleship for Jesus meant leaving everything in order to follow him. He knew that many within the multitudes surrounding him were just not up to it. He told one would-be disciple that it would mean making a break with family to accept the call of God on his life. He was not just simply one more Rabbi in the context of First Century Judaism. He was not simply a healer and prophet, even though they did not really understand who he was.
Who was this man who would ma ...
Series: Discipleship
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 8:16-27
It is often all too easy to fail to understand what is right before our eyes. We quickly grow accustomed to what we have been seeing without understanding that what we face might be more than we have expected. We can easily be blinded by our expectations and pat answers.
Jesus had been healing and teaching the people and the crowds began to press and follow him. It became necessary for Jesus to escape the crowds at times in order to teach the disciples he had chosen. In this story of Matthew, the crowds forced Jesus to cross Lake Galilee to escape, but the crowds met him there on the other side of the lake as well. He began teaching them as well when some of them began asking to become his disciples.
It is not clear why they wanted to be his disciples, but it is clear that they had motives other than fulfilling and advancing Jesus' purposes on Jesus' terms. Jesus turned them away, reminding them of various things that would interfere with their following him on his terms. Following him required leaving behind many lesser things that laid hold of their lives in order to place the reign of God first. For some it was family, for others it was a secure place of residence, for others there were issues of social standing, prominence, and power. They had their own issues before them and did not really understand what commitment and discipleship to Jesus really meant. They did not really understand who he was.
Discipleship for Jesus meant leaving everything in order to follow him. He knew that many within the multitudes surrounding him were just not up to it. He told one would-be disciple that it would mean making a break with family to accept the call of God on his life. He was not just simply one more Rabbi in the context of First Century Judaism. He was not simply a healer and prophet, even though they did not really understand who he was.
Who was this man who would ma ...
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