Sermon On January 31, 2016

“The Kingdom Authority of Jesus”[1]

Matthew 8:5-13

Sermon Series: Kingdom Expectations

Main Idea: Jesus has the authority to bring healing into our lives.

What is your greatest fear? Think of the fear a woman experiences when she finds the lump in her breast. Consider the rush of panic when a man receives a call from his doctor after a routine physical to hear him say, “Your PSA numbers are extremely high, we need you to come in for additional tests.” Place yourself in the couple’s shoes who come home after vacation and realize with horror their house has been burglarized. Think of the dread and grief when a parent receives a visit from the Highway Patrol stating their child has been killed in a car accident. Imagine the anxiety when you are called into your supervisor’s office to be told you are being laid off from your job.

All of these are very real storms in life. Disease, spiritual oppression, crime, and the ills of our culture all produce fear. But the most dreadful of all of life’s challenges is sin. The other fearful challenges can ultimately result in physical death, but sin results in death for eternity. Facing death with the prospect of eternal consequences can evoke the greatest of all fears.[2]

Chapters 8 and 9 of Matthew’s Gospel stand together as one unit. Matthew is arranging his material intentionally, but not necessarily chronologically. In these two chapters, Matthew is arranging his material around certain themes. In these two chapters alone, there are nine miracle stories that contain a total of ten miracles. It’s as if Matthew is giving us back-to-back highlights demonstrating the authority of Jesus.[3]

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7, Matthew says, “When Jesus had finished His sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He was teaching like one who had authority, and not like the scribes” (7:28-29).

Matthew shows us in these chapters that Jesus possesses all authority in the world. That is good news for us as we struggle with sin, sickness, and suffering in this world. The National Cancer institute reports that one out of every two people who are born in the United States today will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life.[4]

Even if it is not cancer there many other illnesses and struggles that we face in life. So Matthew wants us to see that Jesus has authority over it all.

I.                The Humble Request (8:5-7).

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, ⁶ and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” ⁷ Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

Notice the overarching theological theme in this story is that Jesus heals the ethnically outcast.[5]

The centurion in this story and his servant would have been Gentiles brought into military service from somewhere like Lebanon or Syria. As a Roman centurion, he was not only viewed as an ethnic outsider by the Jewish people, but also as one who was opposed to the people of God.

Spiritual Truth #1: Humble trust is foundational for Jesus to bring healing into our lives.

We see this humility demonstrated by the Gentile centurion calling Jesus, and Jewish teacher, “Lord.” Our text tells us in v. 5 that the centurion, “pleaded” (NJKV) or “was imploring” (NASB) Jesus to heal his servant who was suffering from some sort of paralysis. Jesus had already cured the same malady of those brought to Him by the crowds in Matthew 4:24, so the centurion probably heard about Jesus’ power over this disease.

Consider what the centurion does know: Jesus is able to heal. The centurion didn’t question Jesus’ ability or power; He knew that Jesus was able to heal. The issue becomes what the centurion doesn’t know: Is Jesus willing to heal?

Spiritual Truth #2: We must understand the difference between Jesus’ sovereign power and His sovereign will.

For example, if you have cancer or any other sickness or disease, you shouldn’t question Jesus’ sovereign power. He is absolutely able to heal, no question about that. He has absolute authority over disease.

The question then becomes, “Is Jesus willing to heal?” In other words, is it His will for you to be made well? In this instance, the answer was “yes.” Jesus was willing. However, in the case of Paul’s struggle with “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7), the Lord was not willing to heal in that instance. He told Paul the reason He refused to heal him, was so that Paul would know the strength and sufficiency of Christ (2 Cor. 12:9).[6]

Matthew concludes this section in verses 16-17 by telling of Jesus healing many who were demon-possessed and sick, followed by another fulfillment saying:

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick, so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled. He Himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.

Matthew’s quotation in verse 17 is from Isaiah 53:4, a part of the prophecy of Jesus as the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. Isaiah’s prophecy concerns Jesus’ substitutionary death in the place of sinners, which causes many to wonder how this prophecy relates to Jesus’ physical healing ministry.

Does Christ’s death on the cross ensure that believers won’t have to endure sickness in this world anymore? This is an important question we must answer.

Some people have read these verses and concluded that as a Christian, God’s will for you is to be healthy because Jesus has taken away your sickness. This kind of thinking is at the core of health-and wealth teaching or prosperity doctrine as it is sometimes called. For example, here is well-known pastor Joel Osteen’s advice:

Maybe Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family genes but don’t succumb to it. Instead, say every day, “My mind is alert. I have clarity of thought. I have a good memory. Every cell in my body is increasing and getting healthier.” If you’ll rise up in your authority, you can be the one to put a stop to the negative things in your family line. . .Start boldly declaring, “God is restoring health unto me. I am getting better every day in every way.”[7]

Osteen is the not the only one putting this kind of unbiblical teaching. People flock to hear these messages and buy books like this by the millions. This is most certainly not what Matthew 8 or Isaiah 53:4 is teaching.

Contrast this with James Montgomery Boice, the well-known pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In the spring of 2000 Boice shared with his congregation that he had been diagnosed with cancer and shared how they could pray for him:

Should you pray for a miracle? Well, you’re free to do that, of course. My general impression is that the God who is able to do miracles-and He certainly can-is also able to keep you from getting the problem in the first place. So although miracles do happen, they’re rare by definition. A miracle has to be an unusual thing. Above all, I would say pray for the glory of God. If you think God glorifying Himself in history and you say, where in all of history has God glorified Himself? He did it on the cross of Jesus Christ, and it wasn’t by delivering Jesus from the cross, though He could have. . .When things like this come into our lives, they are not accidental. . .God is not only the One who is in charge; God is also good. Everything He does is good.[8]

Boice’s testimony is a model in terms of what it means to have confidence in the sovereign power of God and to trust in the sovereign will of God. Like Boice, we are to trust that God will do what is good. Boice died eight weeks later after sharing those words with his congregation. He knew that Jesus was able to heal, yet he submitted to Jesus’ will. As Paul said, “His good, perfect, pleasing will” (Rom. 12:2).

II. The Miraculous Result (vv. 8-13).

1.     There was recognition of authority (vv. 8-9).

But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 

This Roman centurion commanded 100 men. He was considered a professional solider. He understood the Roman military exercised profound control over the lives of their troops, as was necessary in readiness for combat situations. But this centurion pays homage to an even greater authority in Jesus.

We all understand the principle of authority. In the military, the rank on the sleeve or collar designates who gets saluted, and who directs the troops. In the home the child is under the authority of the parent, who guides and directs their comings and goings and activities. The laborer is under the authority of their supervisor who dictates their tasks on a given day. The corporate CEO must answer to a Board of Directors for the direction and success, or lack thereof of a company. In every walk of life, you have a higher authority to which you must give an account.

Spiritual Truth #3: If you and I want to experience spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical healing, we must acknowledge Jesus as the ultimate source of authority in our lives.

“For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the living and the dead.”

-Romans 14:9

What does it mean to make Jesus Lord over all my life?

We are tri-part beings consisting of spirit, soul, and body. If Jesus is Lord of my life it means He holds absolute sway and exercise complete sovereignty in the realm of my spirit, soul, and body.[9]

Man consists of heart, mind, and will. Or, to put it another way, man is an emotional, intellectual, and volitional being. If Jesus is Lord of my life it means that He is Lord over my heart, mind, and will.

Every person has a physical body and many members in that body of which the apostle Paul speaks in Romans 6:13-eyes, ears, lips, hands, feet, etc. If Jesus is Lord of my life it means He is Lord of my eyes, ears, lips, hands, and feet-indeed every part.

Our life includes our home, occupation, friends, possessions, relationships, friendships, habits, and service. If Jesus is Lord of my life it means that He is Lord over any and all areas of my life. Jesus is there at my invitation and request, and there is no rival for my allegiance.

2.     An amazing statement (vv. 10-13).

¹⁰ Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;¹² but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.

Notice that the actual healing is not in proportion to the amount of the centurion’s faith, nor is the healing caused by the centurion’s faith, but it is in response to his faith in Jesus. The centurion understands that Jesus is the hoped-for deliverer, whom Israel should have recognized. Jesus’ statement singled out the centurion for his faith and rebukes Israel for its lack of faith.[10]

The phrase “east and west” points to the full spectrum of people who will come to faith in Christ from the ends of the earth. Jesus’ words about Gentiles being a part of the kingdom in verses 11-12 would have been shocking to Matthew’s Jewish readers. He was essentially saying to them that their Jewishness guaranteed them nothing in eternity. The only thing that mattered was whether or not they had faith in Jesus.

This same truth applies to every human being alive today. Your eternal destiny is dependent on your humbly trusting in the authority of Jesus to save you from your sins and to rule over you as Lord of your life.

And all who trust in Him, like this, regardless of ethnicity or background, will be welcomed by the King at His table forever.[11]

For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten- pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. The power of belief was so strong, however, that the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right.[12]

In closing, who is the ultimate authority in your life? To what, or whom are you looking for guidance, hope, peace, and healing? If your authority is based on anything but Jesus Christ, I invite you to make Him Savior and Lord over your life.

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[1] ©Copyright by Bryan Cox 2016. All Scripture is New American Standard Version (NASB), ©Copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

[2] Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2004), 360.

[3] David Platt, eds. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Matthew, Christ-Centered Exposition (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 2013), 103.

[4] Ibid., 104.

[5] Platt, Matthew, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary, 107.

[6] Ibid., 105.

[7] Joel Osteen, Becoming a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (Howard Books: Brentwood, TN, 2009), 45, 114.

[8] David Burnette, “Should You Pray for a Miracle? Dr. James Boice on God’s Sovereign Goodness in Suffering,” radical.net blog, September 30, 2013, accessed 30 January 2016, available from http://www.radical.net/blog/post/should-you-pray-for-a-miracle-the-late-dr-james-boice-on-gods-soverign-goodness/Internet.

[9] The following information was taken from Francis Dixon’s, “Crowning Jesus Lord of All,” article on-line, accessed 30 January 2016, available from http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible--studies/study-8-crowning-jesus-lord-of-all/Internet.

[10] Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary, 342.

[11] Platt, Matthew, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary, 108.

[12] Illustration taken from sermonillustrations.com website, accessed 31 January, 2016, available from http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/a/authority.htm; Internet.