Miracles of Jesus -19- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Two Demoniacs of Gadara

Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-40

1. When did a vacation turn into something unpleasant you never expected?

2. What is the most dramatic change you have ever seen in someone's behavior?

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Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

Mark 5 ¹ So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil^[b] spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. ³ This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. ⁴ Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

 ⁶ When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. ⁷ With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

 ⁹ Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

   And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” ¹⁰ Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

 ¹¹ There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. ¹² “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

 ¹³ So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

 ¹⁴ The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. ¹⁶ Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. ¹⁷ And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

 ¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” ²⁰ So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns^[c] of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

 ²¹ Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.

Footnotes:

a. Mark 5:1 Other manuscripts read Gadarenes; still others read Gergesenes. See Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26.

b. Mark 5:2 Greek unclean; also in 5:8, 13.

c. Mark 5:20 Greek Decapolis.

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But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Describe the man with the unclean spirit. (Mark 5:1-5)

2. When he saw Jesus, what did he do and what did he say? (Mark 5:6-7)

3. What did Jesus say to the unclean spirit? (Mark 5:8)

4. When Jesus asked his name, what did the unclean spirit answer? (Mark 5:9)

5. Where did the devils ask to go? (Mark 5:10-12)

6. What happened to the herd of swine? How many were there? (Mark 5:13)

7. What did those who fed the swine do? (Mark 5:14)

8. When the people of this country came to Jesus, in what condition did they find the man? (Mark 5:15)

9. What did the people beg Jesus to do? Why? (Mark 5:15-17)

10. When the man who was healed wanted to go with Jesus, what did Jesus tell him to do? Did he do as Jesus commanded? (Mark 5:18-20)

11. What did the disciples learn about Jesus on this day?

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Questions for Personal Reflection

1. When  have you felt torn by many conflicting voices and feelings? How did Jesus bring peace to you? How do you need to hear his word of peace right now?

  

2. Have you ever told your family how Jesus has shown mercy on you? If so, what happened? If not, why? What would you like to tell them?

Miracles of Jesus -18- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Blind and Mute Demoniac

Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:19-30; Luke 11:14-15, 17-23

In describing your conversational style, are you: (a) A gossip? (b) A closed book? © Speak your mind? Or (d) Nice and easy?

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Jesus and the Prince of Demons

Matthew 12 ²² Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. ²³ The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

 ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan,^[a] the prince of demons.”

 ²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. ²⁶ And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. ²⁷ And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. ²⁸ But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. ²⁹ For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

 ³⁰ “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

 ³¹ “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

 ³³ “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. ³⁴ You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. ³⁵ A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. ³⁶ And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. ³⁷ The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Footnotes:

a. Matthew 12:24 Greek Beelzeboul; also in 12:27. Other manuscripts read Beezeboul; Latin version reads Beelzebub.

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“The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. What three problems did the man have?

2. When Jesus healed the man, what was the man able to do?

3. How did the people react to Jesus healing? What question did the multitude ask?

4. The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out the demons by the power of whom?

5. What three defenses does Jesus give in answer to the Pharisees' accusations (vv. 26-27, 29)?

6. Is neutrality to Jesus possible? Why or Why not?

7. What is meant by "blasphemy against the Spirit" (vv. 31-32)? How have the Pharisees committed this sin? Why is it impossible for this one sin to be forgiven?

8. What reason does Jesus give for the Pharisees' hostility (vv. 34-37)?

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

What real difference does Jesus' power make in your daily struggles against evil? In your freedom to be honest to God? In your daily speech with others?

Miracles of Jesus -17- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Centurion’s Servant

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10

What is the most dramatic “near death” experience you’ve ever had: An accident? Illness? Showing your father a bad report card? Stock market crash?

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The Faith of a Roman Officer

Luke 7 ¹ When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. ² At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer^[a] was sick and near death. ³ When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. ⁴ So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, ⁵ “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

 ⁶ So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. ⁷ I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

 ⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” ¹⁰ And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

Footnotes:

a. Luke 7:2 Greek a centurion; similarly in 7:6.

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“I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Describe the faith of the centurion in this story. How are Roman centurions portrayed elsewhere (see Matthew 27:26, 54; 28:4, 11-15; Acts 10:2, 23;17-18; 27:43)?

2. The Jewish elders considered the centurion worthy because of what two things? (Luke 7:1-5) On what basis did the elders request Jesus' help?

3. When Jesus was near the centurion's home, the centurion again sent others to Jesus. Why did the centurion not go to Jesus himself? (Luke 7:6-7)

4. The centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant in what way? (Luke 7:7)

5. What was the centurion's explanation for his faith? (Luke 7:8) What quality of faith is exhibited here?

6. Jesus marveled at this. What did He tell the people following him? (Luke 7:9)

7. When the people returned to the house, what did they find? (Luke 7:10)

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 Questions for Personal Reflection

Describe a time when you let go and let God accomplish his purpose.

Miracles of Jesus -16- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— Man With Shriveled Hand

Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11

What is more important? The Sabbath or people?

Who in your family was (or is) always checking on you to see if you “do it right”?

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Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Mark 3   Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. ² Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

 ³ Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” ⁴ Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

 ⁵ He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! ⁶ At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

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“Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. What causes the tension in the synagogue. What concerns are shared by the leaders? By Jesus By the man with the shriveled hand? (Mark 3:1-6)

2. How does Jesus show that he is the authoritative interpreter of the law?  (Matthew 12:12)

3. As Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on Sabbath, there was a man with what problem? (Luke 6:6)

4. What were the scribes and Pharisees doing? (Luke 6:7)

5. After Jesus told the man with the shriveled hand to rise and stand in the midst, what did He tell the scribes and Pharisees? (Luke 6:8-9)

6. Why does Jesus provoke the Pharisees' wrath by healing on the Sabbath? Why not wait a day?

7. What did He then tell the man? What was the result? (Luke 6:10)

8. What prompts Jesus' anger? (Mark 6:5)

9. What did the Pharisees then do? (Matthew 12:14

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. From this section of scripture, how important are your needs to God?

2. When have you felt tension between obeying religious principles and helping people? What causes that tension? What relieves it?

3. To prove His right to heal on the Sabbath, what example did Jesus give to those in the synagogue? (Matthew 12:11)

4. What was his conclusion of the matter? (Matthew 12:12)
5. As you try to follow Jesus, are you becoming more free to love others, or becoming more constrained by religious rules? Why?

6. When have you fallen into the trap of "offering sacrifice" but "neglecting mercy"? How can you work to reverse that this week?

Miracles of Jesus -15- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Healing At The Pool

John 5:1-18

When you get sick, what are you like; Oscar the Grouch? Superman? Rip Van Winkle?

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Jesus Heals a Lame Man

John 5 ¹ Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. ² Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda,^[a] with five covered porches. ³ Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.^{[b] 5} One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

 ⁷ “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

 ⁸ Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

 ⁹ Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, ¹⁰ so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

 ¹¹ But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

 ¹² “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

 ¹³ The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. ¹⁴ But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God

 ¹⁶ So the Jewish leaders began harassing^[c] Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. ¹⁷ But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” ¹⁸ So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

Footnotes:

a. John 5:2 Other manuscripts read Beth-zatha; still others read Bethsaida.

b. John 5:3 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 3 and all of verse 4: waiting for a certain movement of the water, ⁴for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water. And the first person to step in after the water was stirred was healed of whatever disease he had.

c. John 5:16 Or persecuting.

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Would you like to get well?

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. How do you picture the setting of this story? Describe the sick at the pool of Bethesda. (John 5:2-4) What is the smell? The noises? The atmosphere?

2. How would you picture the invalid? (John 5:5-7)

3. How long had one man been ill? (John 5:5)

4. What did Jesus mean by what He asked the man? (John 5:6)

5. What was the man's answer and what did he hope Jesus might do? (John 5:7)

6. What did Jesus tell the man, what was the result? As the invalid, would you feel? (John 5:8-9)

7. When some Jews told the man it was not lawful to carry his bed on the Sabbath, what was the man's answer? (John 5:10-11)

8. What then did the Jews ask? Could the man identify Jesus? (John 5:12-13)

9. What did Jesus tell the man when He found him in the temple later? (John 5:14)

10. Why were the leaders so upset? How do you suppose they responded to the healed man's testimony? Why did the Jews then persecute Jesus? (John 5:15-16)

11. When Jesus told them, "M Father" works, and I work, the Jews sought to kill him. What two reasons caused this reaction in the Jews? (John 5:17-18)

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. In what ways to people today try to be healed without Christ?

2. How would you respond to someone who said all sickness is a result of sin?

3. Why would Jesus ask, "Do you want to get well? Describe the time you would have said “No.”

Miracles of Jesus -14- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Paralytic

Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26

1. Who were your four closest friends in high school?

2. What was one memorable prank you pulled out together?

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Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

Luke 5 ¹⁷ One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, ¹⁹ but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. ²⁰ Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”
 ²¹ But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
 ²² Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? ²³ Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? ²⁴ So I will prove to you that the Son of Man^[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
 ²⁵ And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 5:24 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.

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Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Who was present that day as Jesus was teaching? (Luke 5:17)

2. How might the Pharisees and teachers have felt in verses? (Luke 5:17-19, 20, 21-23, 24-26)

3. Who was brought to Jesus? (Luke 5:18)

4. The man came for healing, so why did Jesus raise the issue of forgiveness? How would the friends react to Jesus' words? (Luke 5:20) and to His actions? (Luke 5:24)

5. How was the man able to get into Jesus' presence? (Luke 5:19)

6. What did Jesus tell the man when He saw the faith of the men? (Luke 5:20)

7. Of what did the scribes and Pharisees accuse Jesus? (Luke 5:21)

8. When Jesus perceived their thoughts, what did He tell them? (Luke 5:22-23)

9. In order that those present would know that He had power to forgive sins, what did Jesus say to the paralyzed man? (Luke 5:24)

10. What did the man do? (Luke 5:25)

11. What was the reaction of the people? (Luke 5:26)

12. What new realm of Jesus' authority is demonstrated here?

13. What motivates the Pharisees to respond as they do to the situation?

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. Who are you most like in this lesson? Why?

2. Are you a little paralyzed now -- emotionally, spiritually, relationally?

3. What needs to happen for you to "take your mat and go home"?

Miracles of Jesus -13- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— A Leper

Matthew 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16

1. When caught in a crowd (rush hour, Christmas crunch, etc.) what do you do?

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Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

Mark 1 ⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

 ⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. ⁴³ Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: ⁴⁴ “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

 ⁴⁵ But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

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He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. How does Luke describe the leper? (Luke 5:12)

2. What did the leper ask Jesus? (Mark 1:40)

3. Why is the leper unsure of Jesus' desire to help (see Lev 13)? What is significant about Jesus touching the leper prior to healing him? (See footnote) What do the crowds expect?

4. Describe what Jesus said and did and the results. (Mark 1:41-42)

5. What were Jesus' instructions to the man? (Mark 1:43-44)

6. What did the man do? (Mark 1:45)

7. What does Luke add about Jesus? (Luke 5:16)

Note: The man was not legally cleansed and able to return to society until the priest examined him. The Law of Moses provided for a ceremonial ritual to be performed by the priest for one who was cured of leprosy.

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. Where do you need His special touch this week? How can you "touch lepers" in your community?

Note: Touching a leper was prohibited for it caused defilement (uncleanness) in the one who did the touching. However, Jesus in his compassion touched the man and healed him, remaining undefiled. If we allow Jesus to touch our lives, we, too, can be cleansed by His righteousness.

Miracles of Jesus -12- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— Simon’s Mother-in-Law

Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41

1. As a child, were you sickly or robust?

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Jesus Heals Many People

Mark 1 ²⁹ After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. ³¹ So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.

 ³² That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door to watch. ³⁴ So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

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So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. How does Jesus' healing (Mark 1:30-31) compare with his exorcism (Mark 1:25)? What new realm of authority is seen here?

2. What other two disciples were present? (Mark 1:29)

3. What did Jesus do? What was the result? (Mark 1:30-31)

4. What did Peter's mother-in-law do? (Mark 1:31)

5. After sunset (after the Sabbath was over), how do you picture this scene (Mark 1:32-34) and why does He silence the demons?

6. After a day like this (Mark 1:29-34), what pressures could Jesus feel as a new day dawns?

7. Why did Jesus forbid the devils to speak? (Mark 1:34)

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. If you know who Jesus is, and Jesus is working in your life, what is keeping you from speaking of the works He is doing in  you today?

Miracles of Jesus -11- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Man With An Unclean Spirit

Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37

1. Who was one of your best teachers? What made that teacher so good?

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Jesus Casts Out an Evil Spirit

Mark 1 ²¹ Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

 ²³ Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, ²⁴ “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!”

 ²⁵ Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. ²⁶ At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

 ²⁷ Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” ²⁸ The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

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Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened.

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Why do you suppose Jesus started his public ministry in a synagogue?

2. What two things about Jesus amazed the people? Why were the people astonished at Jesus' teaching? (Mark 1:21-22)

3. What did the man with the unclean spirit say to Jesus? (Mark 1:23-24)

4. Jesus rebuked him, saying what? (Mark 1:25)

5. Describe what occurred when the unclean spirit came out of the man. (Mark 1:26)

6. Luke adds that the demon threw him (the man) down in their midst and came out without injuring him. (Luke 4:35)

7. What does it mean to teach "with authority"? What was the nature and source of Jesus' authority? (Mark 1:27)

8. The people were amazed that even the unclean spirits obeyed Jesus. The news was carried where? (Mark 1:27-28)

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

1. What do you think Jesus healed people?

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much authority does Jesus have in your life?

3. What do you need to cast out to rate a 10?

Miracles of Jesus -10- Physical Healing

Miracles of Physical Healing— The Nobleman’s son

John 4:43-54

1. When you were a child, what was the most serious illness or injury you ever had?

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Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

John 4 ⁴³ At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. ⁴⁴ He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. ⁴⁵ Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

 ⁴⁶ As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

 ⁴⁸ Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

 ⁴⁹ The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

 ⁵⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

 ⁵¹ While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. ⁵² He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” ⁵³ Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. ⁵⁴ This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

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“Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. How do you account for the contrast between the crowd's welcome (v. 45) and Jesus' comments in verses 44 and 48? How are the Galileans alike and unlike the Samaritans in verses 39-42?

2. What motivates the royal official travel so far? (John 4:46-47) How would you have responded to what Jesus told him to do?

3. How sick was his son? (John 4:47)

4. What did Jesus tell the nobleman? (John 4:48)

5. What did the nobleman ask again? (John 4:49)

6. What was Jesus' answer and what did the nobleman do? (John 4:50)

7. As he was returning home, who met him and what was their message? (John 4:51)

8. What did the nobleman ask his servants, and what was their answer? (John 4:52)

9. what did the nobleman then know? (John 4:53)

10. What effect did the miracle have? (John 4:53)

11. What number of sign was this that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee? What was the first? (John 4:46, 54)

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Questions for

Personal Reflection

What does this miracle tell you about Jesus?

When you bring your problems to God (such as a sickness in the family), do you tend to accept his word or keep fretting and fussing?

When you have taken God at his word (even though the circumstances were seemingly impossible), and discovered that he did exactly what was promised?

Miracles of Jesus -9- Nature

Miracles of Nature — The Miraculous Catching of Fish (Second)

John 21:1-14

1. What has been your best fishing, hunting, or camping event?
2. What is your favorite food on a cookout?

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Epilogue: Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

 ¹ Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. ² Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. ³ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
   “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
 ⁴ At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. ⁵ He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”
   “No,” they replied.
 ⁶ Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
 ⁷ Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. ⁸ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. ⁹ When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
 ¹⁰ “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
 ¹² “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

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“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. The seven disciples have returned to the Galilee district, about 90 miles from the place Jesus was killed and rose again. What might they have discussed on the way?
2. Jesus showed himself at what place? Which disciples were there? (John 21:1-2)
3. What were the disciples doing? Where they successful? (John 21:3)
4. In fishing all night, using nets, do you think Peter just wanted something to do, or did he return to his old business?
5. Who stood on the shore in the morning? Did the disciples know who it was? (John 21:4) Why did they have difficulty recognizing Him?
6. What question did Jesus ask? (John 21:5)
7. When the disciples answered no, what did Jesus tell the men to do? What was the result? (John 21:6)
8. When the disciple whom Jesus loved told Peter it was the Lord, what did Peter do? (John 21:7)
9. Describe what the other disciples were doing. (John 21:8)
10. What did they see when they got to the land? (John 21:9)
11. When Jesus told the disciples to bring the fish to the land, how many fish were in the net? What was unusual about the net? (John 21:10-11)
12. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? Did they recognize him yet? (John 21:12)
13. What did Jesus then do? (John 21:13)
14. How does Jesus' preparation of breakfast relate to what he did for them in (John 13:1-17)?
15. This was the third time Jesus made an appearance to a group of his disciples. (John 21:14)

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Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Where do you go to get away from it all? How does God meet you there?
2. When was the last time you received a bountiful blessing? Did Jesus get your attention through the blessing?
3. Earlier Jesus had told his disciples they would become what? (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; Luke 5:10)
4. Where would the disciples receive their strength for this mission? (Philippians 4:13)

Miracles of Jesus -8- Nature

Miracles of Nature — The Withered Fig Tree

Matthew 21-18-22; Mark 11:12-26

If you could change one thing about modern Christianity, what would it be?

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Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
Mark 11 ¹² The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. ¹⁴ Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.

Jesus Clears the Temple

 ¹⁵ When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. ¹⁷ He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” ¹⁸ When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
 ¹⁹ That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.
 ²⁰ The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. ²¹ Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
 ²² Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. ²³ I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. ²⁴ I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. ²⁵ But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”


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I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Describe the fig tree that Jesus saw. (Mark 11:13)
2. How does the story of the fig tree relate to the clearing of the temple (vv. 13-14, 20-21)? In what ways did the Pharisees cover their fruitlessness with flashy foliage?
3. This profiteering on the sale of sacrificial animals took place in the only area where Gentiles could worship. 4. Why would that especially anger Jesus (see Isaiah 56:6-8)?
5. What did Jesus say to the fig tree? Did his disciples hear what He said? (Mark 11:14)
6. How did the fig tree appear on the following morning (the third day of the final week)? (Mark 11:20)
7. When Peter called attention to the withered tree, what did Jesus say? (Mark 11:21-22)
8. The disciples would need great faith to preach the gospel after Jesus left them and returned to heaven. They could not doubt in their heart, but must really believe. (Mark 11:23)
9. Why was Peter amazed (v 20-21)? Should he have been? What conditions for effective prayer are upheld here?
10. In order for the disciples to have the kind of faith they would need, it was necessary for them to do what? (Mark 11:24)
11. What else must they do when they prayed? (Mark 11:25-26)

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Questions for Personal Reflection

1. If you were a tree, what would help you produce more fruit: Pruning? Fertilizing? Why?
2. Like the temple, no church is perfect. What have you done to make your church a better place?
3. How do you feel about expressing anger? Have you ever expressed righteous anger? What happened?
4. What amazing answer to prayer can you remember receiving? How much faith did it take?

Miracles of Jesus -7- Nature

Miracles of Nature — The Tribute Money, Temple Tax

Matthew 17:24-27

What wild “fish story” is retold in your family?

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Payment of the Temple Tax

Matthew 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”

 25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.

   But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”

 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.

   “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin.[d] Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

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"What do you think..."

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. What was the temple tax (see Exodus 30:11-16)? Who was required to pay it?
2. Why is Jesus exempt from the tax?
3. When Peter was asked if Jesus had paid the half-shekel tax, what was his response? (Matthew 17:24-25)
4. When Peter came into the house and before he could speak, Jesus asked him three questions. The first asked for Peter's opinion. What were the other two questions? (Matthew 17:25)
a. From whom do the kings of earth take ____________?
b. From their ___________________?
5. What was Peter's answer? (Matthew 17:26)
6. What was Jesus' response? (Matthew 17:26)
7. What did Jesus tell Peter to do? (Matthew 17:27)
8. What lesson was Jesus teaching Peter by paying the tax anyway?

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Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Which freedoms do you enjoy most as a Christian?
2. What is at stake when we offend someone?
3. How are we to contribute to the Lord's work? 2 Corinthians 9:7)
4. What is our responsibility to our government? Romans 13:1, 7

Miracles of Jesus -6- Nature

Miracles of Nature — The Four Thousand Fed

Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-10

1. What do you often tend to forget: names, birthdays, keys, umbrellas, etc. Why?

2. How did your parents complete this sentence when you were a child? "How many times do I have to tell you..."?

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Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

Matthew 15 ³² Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

 ³³ The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

 ³⁴ Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

   They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

 ³⁵ So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

 ³⁷ They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. ³⁸ There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. ³⁹ Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.

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Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people…”

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Questions of Discovery

Seeking God’s Message Then and Now

1. Having already seen a miraculous feeding, how do you account for the disciples' lack of faith?

2. How long had the people been with Jesus? Why did He not want to send them away? (Matthew 15:32)

3. What did the disciples say to Jesus? (Matthew 15:33)

4. How much food was available? (Matthew 15:34)

5. After He commanded the people to sit on the ground, what did Jesus do? (Matthew 15:35-36)

6. What was gathered after the people were filled? (Matthew 15:37)

7. How many people ate? (Matthew 15:38)

8. Compare the feeding of the 5000 with the feeding of the 4000.

a. place

b. number of days with Jesus

c. number of loaves

d. number of fish

e. baskets remaining

9. Why does Jesus heal and feed the crowds?

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Questions for Personal Reflection

1. When you face overwhelming situations now, how well do you remember God's provision for you in the past?

2. Do you sometimes doubt Jesus' ability to meet your needs? How so?

3. What would stimulate your memory of God's mercy?

4. How helpful is it for you to hear the stories of the way God has worked in the lives of other Christians? Why?