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Manger to the Cross Three
In Manger to the Cross One, we reviewed some of the many prophecies about the coming Messiah and their fulfillment. These events and their fulfillment prove who Jesus is and why we should follow what He teaches.
With Manger to the Cross Two, we see Jesus entering His first year of ministry with a message that is not only revolutionary to those hearing it on the Mount but is still life-changing to us today. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of the fullness of God’s Law. It calls upon us to compare what Jesus said to what we believe and practice today.
Today we will continue to look into Jesus’ life as He enters His second year of ministry. In his first year, he generated a large following and the beginning of opposition from religious leaders. People came to Him by the thousands as we see in the feeding of the 5000 men (Matthew 14:21) and the 4000 men (Matthew 15:38). These great numbers did not include women and children.
Off the Mount
The people of Israel were instructed in the Scriptures from early childhood. They attended the synagogues and listened to teachers of the Law. The faithful tried to live by a very strict interpretation of the Law. Yet, Jesus showed them that they were missing the true meaning of the Law.
In Matthew 7:21-23 NIV we read, 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
You may find that you have much in common with those who set at Jesus’ feet. Perhaps you were raised in the church and yet realized there must be something more. You were taught the Ten Commandments and thought you understood what God was saying.
Then reading what Jesus taught in just chapters 5,6, and 7 you realize that there is more depth to what God said. You have somehow followed the group and missed the boat.
When you listen to Jesus teaching what is expected of us in His Kingdom, you realize that you need to reevaluate your life. Jesus expects us to not just keep the letter of the law, but to keep the spirit as well. He wants us to follow Him and live as He lived, giving of ourselves to others.
Jesus came to save
Jesus came to save the lost. He came to show us how to give of ourselves to reach the world that was lost in sin. When we accept Him as Lord of our lives our mission becomes the same as His. Maybe for some, that would even include giving their lives.
It is our job to teach others so they can walk closer to Him and be witnesses to Him. To be His disciples we must first teach Salvation through Jesus and then we must follow Him.
Jesus tells you to take up your cross and follow Him. Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NIV
Now Popular
Jesus’ popularity continued to grow until it touched every corner of the Israelite nation. The common people were drawn to Jesus by His love and acceptance. The people knew they were important to Him regardless of their wealth or position in society.
John the Baptist had preached repentance to those who came to hear and now Jesus preached the coming Kingdom. Both required that those who wanted to be right with God must repent and follow God.
Jesus backed up what He taught with signs and wonders never before seen. He preached hope to the poor, healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. They could believe in Him because no one else could do such wonders.
The people could see that God was working through Him. They recognized Him as a prophet. However, it was not yet His time; the cross was still over a year away. He was still not telling them that He was the Christ.
Healing the sick was one of the signs He used to show who He was.
Healings – Leprosy
When Jesus came off the Mount, along with a multitude following, He came across a man with leprosy. Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases of the day. I am sure that many of those with Him backed away when they saw the leper.
By Jewish law, you could not touch a leper or anything they had touched or you would be unclean. There were strict rules about how to become clean again. There was a period of isolation and a cleansing process.
Leprosy was a horrible disease that caused sores and loss of fingers and toes as well as many other wounds. They were required to call out “Unclean!” when they came close to people so they could be avoided. It has only been in the last century that a cure has been found for it.
In Jesus’ day, leprosy was a death sentence. Yet, a man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Can you imagine the faith it took for this man to approach Jesus? He would have expected to be yelled at and possibly have the crowd stone him, but he had heard about Jesus.
His faith was in the power of Jesus to heal and he was not disappointed.
In Matthew 8:2-3 NIV, 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Again, what was impossible for man, Jesus did with a touch.
Paralytic
Another healing Jesus did during this year of popularity was the healing of a paralyzed man that some men brought to Him. Jesus used this event not only to heal a man but to announce who He was.
What do you think the people were thinking? Many of them saw Jesus heal others of various diseases and yet this was different. There were teachers of the law present and He needed to proclaim to them His authority.
He took this opportunity to teach them. Scripture says 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Teachers
The teachers of the Law who saw this were quick to think to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” However, Jesus uses this opportunity to proclaim Himself as the Son of Man.
In Matthew 9:2-8 NIV we have the rest of the story, “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
So He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
Sometimes we are quick to condemn the religious leaders of that day. Perhaps you should question what your reaction would have been. If you had been a leader of that day would you have accepted Jesus? We would like to think we would, but would we?
Jesus was revealing Himself to all present as the promised Messiah. If you were a religious leader of the day, would you be ready to accept Him?
Can you and your church accept Him today as He teaches that divorce and abortion are sins against God? Do you have a sin in your life that you would not be willing to give up?
What if He raised the dead?
Surely we would believe
Jesus had a plan as He proceeded toward the cross to die for our sins. Jesus knew when and where He was to die. As He proceeded toward that date He did many signs and wonders to prove who He was. He acted out of compassion for those He saw.
Jesus did not make a point of raising people from the dead. However, He had great compassion for those who were suffering. He was not afraid to show God’s power when He was touched by others’ needs.
One of the examples I love to picture in my mind is the widow of Nain.
You may remember the widow of Nain. Luke 7:12-14 NIV tells us, 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”
Can you imagine what that did to the crowd? What about the mother? Would anyone who saw this event in Jesus’ life not be convinced? Yet I am sure that some did not believe.
Then there was Jairus’ daughter.
You may remember as a crowd was welcoming Jesus, Jairus came and fell before Him. Scripture says 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. Luke 8:40-42
Jesus had compassion for Him and agreed to go with Him to heal his daughter. However, while on the way, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touched the edge of His cloak. She was instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48 NIV
Don’t be afraid
When Jesus proceeded on, Jairus’ servant came to inform him that his daughter had died and that he need not bring Jesus. 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Luke 8:50 NIV
If you listen, He will tell you the same thing.
They arrived to see many people already mourning for this little girl. Scripture tells us 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Luke 8:52-55 NIV
These are just a few of the wonders He did during His year of popularity. There are many records in the four Gospels that I hope you read and ponder. He did them as signs to people of all ages that He was the promised Messiah.
Combined with the prophecies that foretold much of what He did, it is insurmountable proof that Jesus is the promised Savior for all mankind.
But the workers are few
Matthew 9:35-38 NIV tells us 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
You, my friend, can be the answer to the prayer for more workers. You and I can ask the Lord of the harvest for more workers and we can be one of them. Jesus is still calling us to the most important task in all creation.
Our task is to tell others about the love of God expressed in the giving of His Son on the cross for our sins. The world needs to know the saving grace of God to find both salvation and joy.
There is a cost
It is easy to walk down the church aisle and ask Jesus to come into your heart. What the church fails to tell is that accepting the truth about Jesus is just the first step.
There is a cost to following Jesus, in becoming His disciple.
Jesus gives us two short examples in the Matthew8:19-22 NIV. The first one is a teacher of the law who said he wanted to follow Jesus.
19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Following Jesus requires us to give up a part of our life and earthly security. We may be like Jesus and have no place to lay our heads. Are you willing?
Another one is ready to follow but just wants to go bury his father. What He was saying is that following Him is more important than anything we feel we have to do. Jesus needs to be first in our lives.
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Following Jesus requires that we put Him and reach a lost world before any of our desires.
Our faith will be tested.
After this Jesus got into a boat. He was tired and wanted a little quiet time to rest before facing the crowds again. He had pushed His human body to the point of exhaustion in ministering to others.
Matthew 8:23-27 NIV tells us 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
You of little faith. Could He be speaking to us today?
We have a clearer picture of who Jesus is than they did. Now we know that He is the Son of God. That He was there when the world was created, He was there when man was given the breath of life. It was this same Jesus who was born in a manger and proceeded to the cross to die for our sins.
He was and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is Jesus Who was and is and is to come. Jesus died for us and allowed us to proclaim Him to a world lost in sin and shame.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV
Jesus knew why He was born and where He was headed. Yet, He proceeded on toward the cross.
Conclusion of Part III
In Manger to the Cross One, we reviewed some of the many prophecies about the coming Messiah and their fulfillment. These events and their fulfillment prove who Jesus is and why we should follow what He teaches.
In Manger to the Cross Two, we see Jesus entering His first year of ministry with a message that not only is revolutionary to those hearing it on that Mount but is still life-changing to us today. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks of the fullness of God’s Law. It calls upon us to compare what Jesus said to what we believe and practice today.
Today in the Manager to the Cross Three we looked at His healing hand and some important events during His second year of ministry.
Each article tells of Jesus’ march from the manger to the cross is designed to encourage you to become a true follower. He makes it clear that there will be trials. Walking in the truth of Christ sets us apart from the world and the world does not like for us to be different. This is especially true when we stand for the Word of God!
I hope you will read them all and share them with your friends. Take time to comment if you can. Thank You!
This is a sequence of the life and ministry of Jesus. It is best if you can read them in order, but each one will stand alone. You can reach any of the articles by clicking the link in blue. Prophecies and His birth – Manger to the Cross – One, Jesus proclaims the Kingdom – Manger to the Cross – Two, Jesus’ Teaching – Manger to the Cross – Three, Jesus Appoints the Twelve – Manger to the Cross – Four, Opposition Grows – Manger to the Cross – Five, Jesus predicts His death – Manger to the Cross -6, and Jesus’ death and resurrection – Manger to the Cross -7