“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, & to heal all manner of sickness & all manner of disease” (Matt 10:1).
The Lord Jesus has power, and He gives that power to His people. Sinners have FAKE power that never causes them to believe, though they may preach the truth and lead conspicuously obedient lives (See Judas). Yet, the real power that Christ gives actually saves a man: He heals us first, and then by us, He uses His Spirit to help others.
The Lord Jesus gave apostolic power to the twelve representing the spiritual power He gives the church.
1. He has power to make us follow Him at His word – “And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him” (Matt 9:9). He doesn’t need us to like Him, call upon Him, or seek Him. He can, by His word, put all desire for Christ in us, so that He HUMBLES us by the word and EXALTS us in the forgiveness of sins, too.
He needs no help or permission from men. He’s a laborer that brings His tools with Him and causes His elect to bow.
2. He heals SICK people, saying, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matt 9:10-12). He is not a fraud who performs fake miracles or heals things that are minor. He is the Savior of sinners who are CORRUPTED, depraved, and lost. He turns a thief tax gatherer into a generous and honest person in response to God’s grace in Jesus. He lives to glorify God, being powered by acceptance with God, fear, and trembling. God teaches us with joy and pain to obey the word and benefit thereby.
3. He brings about repentance - “for I am not come to call the righteous, buts sinners to repentance” (Matt 9:13). Sinners actually turn to God through Him, having hope in forgiveness that is GREATER than my sin.
There’d be no repentance, except the harlot can return to her husband, and she that has done evil can return unto the GOODNESS of the Lord (Jer 3:1).
4. He has power to heal, save, and give life, by the laying on of His hands, His touch, and His connection to the sinner – “While he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live” (Matt 9:18).
He takes from me the evil, bearing it upon the cross, and He gives to me the things that He has earned, even salvation to the full. He, my connection with God, is joined unto me by the Spirit in faith: He makes us able to obey.
5. Faith is how He saves us, - “your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour” (Matt 9:20-22). He causes us to believe Him: not faith, not repentance, and not will power, but we believe that He is able to make us whole, and then He makes us whole, as we believed.
6. His power is mocked, but it is real – “they laughed him to scorn” (Matt 9:23-24). His power isn't subject to man's opinion of it, nor is it true because I can see it. Jesus is not flamboyant and unfaithful in His speech; what He says, He does. And, if it were not so, He'd have told us for sure (John 14:2).
7. It shall be as you have believed, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt 9:27-29). Find a verse of scripture that you BELIEVE, and the promise of the verse shall be fulfilled in you.
Where there is faith, there shall be salvation. We shall not trust in vain.
8. He saves imperfect sinners, “and Jesus straightly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country” (Matt 9:30-31). We are lost before He touched us, and then we are sinners after the touch, still.
Our imperfection glorifies the Lord’s dealings with us, continued love, and ability to train up His children in the way that we should go. Imperfection drives us to Christ for the growth that He gives. He bears with us, proving that salvation is never earned.
9. He heals EVERY disease imaginable, so you and I don’t have a particular weakness that He cannot touch, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages… healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matt 9:35). He was not hampered by anyone’s ailment, no one’s evil was too much, and His blood availed with God for every temptation and lust. Christ is a Savior of sinners as His specialty, as doctoring us perfectly.
10. Pray that God would send men to preach this Christ who saves sinners and has authority from God, power over sins, and uses His power for good - “Then said he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matt 9:38). Pray that God will send men anointed by God, gifted by the Spirit, and empowered by Christ to preach salvation. They will labor in the forgiveness of sins, proclaiming a Christ with power over what ails them and benefiting you thereby.
The Lord Jesus gave apostolic power to the twelve representing the spiritual power He gives the church.
1. He has power to make us follow Him at His word – “And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him” (Matt 9:9). He doesn’t need us to like Him, call upon Him, or seek Him. He can, by His word, put all desire for Christ in us, so that He HUMBLES us by the word and EXALTS us in the forgiveness of sins, too.
He needs no help or permission from men. He’s a laborer that brings His tools with Him and causes His elect to bow.
2. He heals SICK people, saying, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matt 9:10-12). He is not a fraud who performs fake miracles or heals things that are minor. He is the Savior of sinners who are CORRUPTED, depraved, and lost. He turns a thief tax gatherer into a generous and honest person in response to God’s grace in Jesus. He lives to glorify God, being powered by acceptance with God, fear, and trembling. God teaches us with joy and pain to obey the word and benefit thereby.
3. He brings about repentance - “for I am not come to call the righteous, buts sinners to repentance” (Matt 9:13). Sinners actually turn to God through Him, having hope in forgiveness that is GREATER than my sin.
There’d be no repentance, except the harlot can return to her husband, and she that has done evil can return unto the GOODNESS of the Lord (Jer 3:1).
4. He has power to heal, save, and give life, by the laying on of His hands, His touch, and His connection to the sinner – “While he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live” (Matt 9:18).
He takes from me the evil, bearing it upon the cross, and He gives to me the things that He has earned, even salvation to the full. He, my connection with God, is joined unto me by the Spirit in faith: He makes us able to obey.
5. Faith is how He saves us, - “your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour” (Matt 9:20-22). He causes us to believe Him: not faith, not repentance, and not will power, but we believe that He is able to make us whole, and then He makes us whole, as we believed.
6. His power is mocked, but it is real – “they laughed him to scorn” (Matt 9:23-24). His power isn't subject to man's opinion of it, nor is it true because I can see it. Jesus is not flamboyant and unfaithful in His speech; what He says, He does. And, if it were not so, He'd have told us for sure (John 14:2).
7. It shall be as you have believed, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt 9:27-29). Find a verse of scripture that you BELIEVE, and the promise of the verse shall be fulfilled in you.
Where there is faith, there shall be salvation. We shall not trust in vain.
8. He saves imperfect sinners, “and Jesus straightly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country” (Matt 9:30-31). We are lost before He touched us, and then we are sinners after the touch, still.
Our imperfection glorifies the Lord’s dealings with us, continued love, and ability to train up His children in the way that we should go. Imperfection drives us to Christ for the growth that He gives. He bears with us, proving that salvation is never earned.
9. He heals EVERY disease imaginable, so you and I don’t have a particular weakness that He cannot touch, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages… healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matt 9:35). He was not hampered by anyone’s ailment, no one’s evil was too much, and His blood availed with God for every temptation and lust. Christ is a Savior of sinners as His specialty, as doctoring us perfectly.
10. Pray that God would send men to preach this Christ who saves sinners and has authority from God, power over sins, and uses His power for good - “Then said he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matt 9:38). Pray that God will send men anointed by God, gifted by the Spirit, and empowered by Christ to preach salvation. They will labor in the forgiveness of sins, proclaiming a Christ with power over what ails them and benefiting you thereby.
