A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Matthew 9:1-17
Lesson #24
FORGIVENESS BY THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, THE BRIDEGROOM
- Memory verse: Heb 8:13
- Read Mat 9:1-8 The paralytic man healed
- Read Luk 5:18-25
- From Mark (Mar 2:3-12) we learn that this healing took place in Capernaum, on the other side of the lake.
- Four friends brought a man to Jesus who was completely paralyzed. Jesus was inside the house (probably Peter’s). Because of the crowd, the men removed tiles from the roof of the house and lowered him into the room to place him before Jesus.
- Everyone expected Jesus to say, “rise up and walk” or “be healed”. Instead Jesus said, “your sins are forgiven”.
- Why did Jesus say this?
- At that time everyone thought all illnesses were a direct result of sin, and that no sickness could be healed without forgiveness of sin.
- If you were ill, it was God’s punishment because you had sinned. This was the common belief in the book of Job. His friends kept accusing him of having some great sin in his life.
- What is the source of sickness?
- Sickness comes because we live in a fallen, imperfect world.
- Sickness comes because of some overt act by Satan. (Job)
- Sickness comes as a result of sin.
- Sickness comes from not taking care of our bodies.
- Jesus knew the condition of the man’s life and heart.
- Jesus dealt personally with people meeting personal needs at the level at which He found them and then lifted their faith to believe.
- Perhaps the man would not have accepted Jesus’ words of healing unless he was assured that his sins were forgiven.
- “thy sins be forgiven thee”
- This statement caused quite a controversy. The Jews knew that only God could forgive sins.
- Therefore, they accused Jesus of blasphemy because He was claiming to be God.
- Why did Jesus say this?
- What do you learn about faith from these verses?
- Nothing is mentioned of this man having had any faith.
- However, his forgiveness of sins undoubtedly elevated his level of faith.
- The initial faith seems to be on the part of his four friends who permitted no obstacle to stand in their way.
- If you have a friend who lacks faith for a need, let the following four aspects bring him to Jesus:
- Your consecrated life.
- Your compassionate love.
- Your prevailing intercession.
- Your persevering faith.
- What do you learn about Jesus from this miracle? The King has power to forgive sins!
- Read Mat 9:9-17
- The Parable of the Sick and the Physician (Mat 9:10-13)
- What is the central truth of this parable?
- Jesus came to minister to those who recognized their need of salvation.
- Those that recognize their need will seek the solution.
- What does Jesus mean by a physician?
- Remember the quote from Isa 53 in Mat 8:17.
- Remember that the Hebrew word “saved” means a total well being, body, soul, spirit.
- Also remember the context of physical and spiritual healing in this chapter and the last.
- Who is the physician? (Mat 8:17 and Isa 53) Jesus is the great physician who came to minister to men who recognized their need of Him as Savior.
- Who are the well?
- Actually no one is “well”.
- The Pharisees thought they were, so Jesus is not calling them.
- He was calling those who recognized that they needed God’s forgiveness for sin.
- Who are those who are sick?
- Everyone is sick for all have come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), but not everyone recognizes that he is sick and in need of forgiveness.
- What is the central truth of this parable?
- Application:
- The Pharisees condemned Jesus for eating with sinners.
- If Jesus is not only our Savior but also our example, then how should we minister to others?
- Do we eat (socialize) with sinners or not? And where do we draw the line so as to be in the world but not part of it?
- If what we do in being with sinners confirms them in their sin, it is wrong.
- If what we do in being with sinners helps to lift them out of their sin, it is proper.
- The Parable of the Bridegroom (Mat 9:14-15)
- Read Joh 3:29 Mat 25:6
- The context of the parable is the complaint by the Pharisees that Jesus ate with sinners. Then some of the disciples of John the Baptist questioned Jesus. But their complaint was different.
- Remember that John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin to whom God gave the ministry of preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry.
- John was baptizing and calling people to repentance.
- Remember John said that Jesus would increase and that he, John, would decrease.
- What was the problem that John’s disciples had?
- The Pharisees complained that Jesus ate with sinners, while John’s disciples complained that Jesus and his disciples were eating at all.
- Jesus rebuked the Pharisees but he gently explains to John’s disciples.
- The feast at Matthew’s house: Jesus evidently viewed it as a wedding feast celebrating Matthew’s conversion to Jesus. (Rom 7:3,4)
- What is the central truth of the parable in mat 9:14-15?
- Fasting is a symbol of mourning. Therefore, eating is a symbol of joyful fellowship.
- Jesus is predicting his coming death when his disciples would mourn. This is Jesus’ first prediction in Matthew of his coming death.
- Therefore, in the Christian life there are times of mourning and times of rejoicing.
- Who are the guests (sons of the bride chamber)? The disciples.
- When a marriage ceremony was concluded, the couple did not go away on a honeymoon, but spent a week at home greeting visiting friends. They addressed the couple as king and queen.
- These friends were called the children of the bride chamber.
- Individually they are the guests but collectively they are the bride (the church). (Mat 22:2 Eph 5:25-27 Rev 19:7-8 Rev 21:2)
- Who is the bridegroom? Jesus Christ.
- What does Jesus mean, “the bridegroom will be taken from them?“
- This is a reference to his coming crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension
- What should be the Christian’s attitude toward fasting?
- It’s not required
- Ascetic practices are not required to demonstrate our loyalty to Him.
- We have the Lord with us because He is in us. (Joh 14:15-17)
- Therefore, in a sense He has not left us.
- However, Jesus indicated that the time would come when his disciples would fast.
- Fasting is therefore proper and profitable before the second coming.
- Read Joe 2:15-32 and Rev 19:7-9
- It’s not required
- The Parable of Old Garments and Old Bottles (Mat 9:16-17)
- To whom did Jesus speak the parable? It was spoken to the disciples of John the Baptist (see 14-15) about the Pharisees.
- What is the central truth of the parable in Mat 9:16-17?
- The new attached to the old is incompatible.
- Old things are passed away, all things are become new
- Read 2Cor 5:17
- What is the “patch of unshrunk cloth“?
- If you were thinking of a wedding garment, you would not put a patch of new cloth on an old garment.
- This parable was prior to the “sanforized” era of pre-shrunk fabrics.
- If you did put a new piece on an old garment, when next it was washed, it would split.
- What is the illustration of the wedding garment for the believer?
- The new cloth is the righteousness of Christ.
- Read Rev 19:8 Rev 21:2 Rom 3:10-26 Eph 4:22-24
- What is the old garment? Our old sinful nature.
- Why is the righteousness of Christ incompatible with the old nature?
- Because the old nature does not have a heart attitude toward God while the new does. You can’t be both for and against at the same time.
- Read gal 2:20
- This part of the parable is for the disciples of Jesus and John who must be born again after the crucifixion.
- Jesus changes the metaphor from cloth to wineskins.
- What is the “new wine” (remember what wine symbolizes inscripture inAct 2:13)? Wine symbolizes the flowing of the Holy Spirit.
- What are the “old wineskins“?
- The Parable of the Sick and the Physician (Mat 9:10-13)
The use of wineskins is an ancient practice.
They made bottles of the skins of animals. When the skin is green it stretches as the wine in it ferments. If you put new wine into an old skin, the fermenting process will cause the skin to burst.
The old wineskins are the Pharisee’s religious traditions.
You can’t put the new flowing of the Holy Spirit into the old traditions of the Judaism that the Pharisees practiced. Why?
Because tradition without a heart attitude toward God will not permit the moving of the Holy Spirit in the lives and hearts of men.
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- What are “new wineskins?
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The new wineskin is Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament based on His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
Faith in Him makes a new heart ready to hold the Holy Spirit.
Read Joh 7:37-39
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- This part of the parable is for the Pharisees who were listening in as well as John’s disciples who wondered why the old traditions of the Pharisees weren’t kept.
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Homework
Matthew 9:18-38
- Application of Mat 9:1-17
- Examine your relationship with non-believers.
- List the names of the non-believers that are prominent in your life.
- For each name, consider the following questions:
- Does my being with him/her confirm that person in their sin?
- Does my being with that person help to lift him/her out of their sin?
- What changes does God want to make in your relationships?
- Examine your relationship with non-believers.
- Preparation for Mat 9:18-38
- Read Mat 9:18-26 Two healings
- What do you learn about faith from the healing of Jairus’ daughter?
- What do you learn about faith from the healing of the woman with an issue of blood?
- What do you learn about Jesus from these two miracles?
- Read Mat 9:27-35 Healing two blind men
- What do you learn about faith from this healing?
- What do you learn about Jesus from this healing?
- Read Mat 9:36-38 The Parable of the Sheep and the Harvest
- What is the central truth of this parable?
- Who is the multitude of scattered sheep?
- Who are the laborers?
- What do the laborers do?
- Read Mat 9:18-26 Two healings
- Memory verse: Mark 16:15
