Mat 4:24-25; Would You Remain in an Unlocked Jailcell?

Class Outline:

Thursday March 14, 2024

MAT 4:24-25

 

MAT 4:12-25 is a summary of Galilee ministry - calling, teaching in their synagogues, and healing every malady. 

 

To what end? Changing everyone. The gift of eternal life is a life meant to be lived in obedience to God, while pursuing Christ, “Follow Me.”

 

Jesus, “I’m going to make you something that you were not before.”

 

The gospel of the kingdom = the good news of the kingdom of heaven. 

 

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Convert and know (teaching) and be healed (MAT 4:24-25). 

 

Not limited to the Jews in the synagogue. The places in vs. 25 are on the four points of the compass and the Decapolis has a large Gentile population.

 

The point of saving you is to change you. 

 

We resist total change and surrender. We seek compromise. And so, we pussyfoot around the issue with roadmaps of salvation, procedures, etc., and set down the formula for eternal life, call it secure, and live with sin.

 

Eternal life is a way of life, a way of obedience to the Lord.

 

JOH 17:3 - odd to have the knowledge of the Father opened to me and then not learn about Him. 

 

In the same way, when Jesus heals a paralytic, wouldn’t it be odd if he decided not to walk? 

 

ROM 6:22-23 - EL is both a gift (v.23) and a life of sanctification (v. 22), but out of fear or desire for self (manifesting fear) we separate them into compartments. Salvation is not by works (ROM 3:21-5:21) but by faith, but salvation is also a life of victory, truth, Holy Spirit, power, love, joy, peace, and serving people (Rom 6-8; 12-15). 

 

When Jesus healed a demoniac, wouldn’t it be odd if he kept thrashing or living in graveyards or groaning in agony? 

 

1TI 6:11-16 - flee from these things (disrespect for authority, disagreement with truth of devotion to God, conceit, strife, greed).

 

When Jesus taught, wouldn’t it be odd if those who believed in Him rejected His teaching and chose not to care to do any of it? 

 

TIT 3:3-8 - those who believed God would be careful to engage in good deeds.  

 

Is it not odd for those who have been healed from a life of dead works to then not care to enter into good works? HEB 9:14

 

These passages show that conversion is complete, once and for all, total inner change. That is good news. We do not earn salvation, we respond to the call by faith. 

 

The disciples followed Jesus by faith but did not know where they were going, nor about the way, and even when they knew much more about the way, they had not begun to change very much from within (MAT 18:1-6). 

 

If conversion is once and for all and complete (we’ve been healed of every malady), why do we all struggle to be “fishers of men?” 

 

Faith and understanding has to catch up with invisible realities. 

 

Knowledge has to increase. 

 

We have to realize that we are pursuing Christ. Follow Me. Then we will be fishers of men (fulfill our ministry). As soon as we lose sight of being with Him, walking with Him, learning of Him, no matter how much good work we are doing, we will lose our source of love, energy, joy, and life.

 

Loyalties have to change. The first must become last. 

 

Just as in the physical realm, we have to grow up and it takes time. 

 

We have died with Christ and resurrected with Him, but we have to choose in our conscience to let go of, to let be buried, the flesh and the world. 

 

Eternal life is knowing Him. Work does not take the place of intimacy with Him. 

 

Jesus’ teaching and healing in Galilee speak of our own learning and healing. 

 

Learning takes time. Wounds take time to return to normal looking skin. Paralyzed legs need time to strengthen their muscles so as to have a strong, manly walk. It is crucial that you form a habit of holy leisure, of quiet places the times alone with the Lord so as to restore your passion and learn to seek Him alone in intimacy.