Strange Methods
Mark 7:31-37
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
1. Many miracles were done on this occasion (Matthew 15:29-31), but Mark chooses to tell 1 specific story.
2. Jesus went out of His way to meet with Gentiles
3. The people of the Decapolis had been pre-evangelized (Matthew 4:13-17, 25, Mark 5:19-20)
4. Theories abound regarding the motivation for the privacy of this miracle.
5. Theories abound regarding Jesus’ method in performing this miracle.
6. ‘Ephphatha’ is 1 of about a dozen Hebrew/Aramaic words in the NT
Examples of Aramaic / Hebrew in the New Testament
1. Talitha koum
2. Abba
3. Raca
4. Rabboni
5. Eli Eli Lema Sabachthani
7. The miracle was viewed as fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 35:4-6) and an act of new creation (Genesis 1:31)
Mark 8:22-26
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
1. Bethsaida had a previous record of unbelief (Matthew 11:20-30)
2. Healing the blind was a specific fulfillment of Jesus’ mission (Luke 4:18)
3. The privacy of this miracle was probably motivated by the unbelief of this town (23, 26)
4. Theories about regarding Jesus’ method in performing this miracle
a) Benefit the man?
b) 2 miracles?
c) Natural cure?
d) Out of the box?
e) 2nd work of grace?
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
1. Many miracles were done on this occasion (Matthew 15:29-31), but Mark chooses to tell 1 specific story.
2. Jesus went out of His way to meet with Gentiles
3. The people of the Decapolis had been pre-evangelized (Matthew 4:13-17, 25, Mark 5:19-20)
4. Theories abound regarding the motivation for the privacy of this miracle.
5. Theories abound regarding Jesus’ method in performing this miracle.
6. ‘Ephphatha’ is 1 of about a dozen Hebrew/Aramaic words in the NT
Examples of Aramaic / Hebrew in the New Testament
1. Talitha koum
2. Abba
3. Raca
4. Rabboni
5. Eli Eli Lema Sabachthani
7. The miracle was viewed as fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 35:4-6) and an act of new creation (Genesis 1:31)
Mark 8:22-26
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
1. Bethsaida had a previous record of unbelief (Matthew 11:20-30)
2. Healing the blind was a specific fulfillment of Jesus’ mission (Luke 4:18)
3. The privacy of this miracle was probably motivated by the unbelief of this town (23, 26)
4. Theories about regarding Jesus’ method in performing this miracle
a) Benefit the man?
b) 2 miracles?
c) Natural cure?
d) Out of the box?
e) 2nd work of grace?
posted by matthew at 11:53 AM
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