A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

Z. Christ’s Healings For His Biblical Verification

(Matthew 9:27-34 with Isaiah 35:5-6)

I. Introduction

A. After Israel’s religious leaders had claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Satan’s power, Christ did not try to advertise His healing miracles, but merely to obey the Father’s will in responding to true faith in individuals.

B. Christ’s evident reluctance to heal just anybody who had a physical problem became more evident, but all the while He still responded in private to true faith, thus signaling His Biblical verification as the Messiah.

C. This was evident in His healing some blind men and exorcising a demon possess man in Matthew 9:27-34.

D. We view this passage for our insight, application and edification (as follows):

II. Christ’s Healings For His Biblical Verification, Matthew 9:27-34 with Isaiah 35:5-6.

A. By the time Jesus addressed the needs of the blind men and the man who was made dumb by a demon in Matthew 9:27-34, “(t)he leaders of the nation” Israel “had already indicated their determination to reject Christ,” claiming that He performed miracles by Satan’s power (J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, 1991, p. 226 with p. 205-208 and Matthew 12:22-37).

B. Israel’s people as a whole heeded the teachings of their leaders, so Christ was beginning to withdraw His ministry from the nation as a whole, performing miracles for individuals who truly believed in Him.

C. In this set of circumstances, Jesus performed miracles in keeping with Scripture prophecy of His mission, what became apparent in His healings in Matthew 9:27-34 (as follows):

1. The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 35:4-5 had predicted that the arrival of Israel’s God would be accompanied by the opening of the eyes of the blind, the giving of the blind their eyesight. To validate His Messianic identity, Jesus performed His healing of two blind men in Matthew 9:27-31:

a. When Jesus left Capernaum where He had raised the synagogue official’s daughter from the dead, two blind men followed Him crying out, “Thou son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 9:27 KJV)

b. The blind men must have followed Jesus for some time making this appeal, for Jesus did not immediately turn around and heal them, but He entered into a house and they then came inside the house to Him, Matthew 9:28a. Jesus was apparently seeking to keep His intended healing of these men a private matter.

c. The term “Son of David” was “a messianic title,” and these men revealed that they had heard of Christ’s presentation of Himself as Messiah, so they appealed for a messianic miracle (Ibid., Pentecost, p. 226).

d. Jesus demanded faith in Himself as the Messiah if He was to perform a miracle by being addressed as the Messiah, so He asked the men, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28a,b NIV)

e. The blind men addressed Jesus as “Lord,” agreeing that they believed He could give them eyesight in accord with His identity as Messiah (Matthew 9:28c). Jesus then touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be done to you,” and the eyesight of both men was restored, Matthew 9:29-30a NIV.

f. Jesus then sternly warned the healed men not to publicize their healing to anyone, for Christ had told Israel’s leaders that no further evidence would publicly be given to the nation of His Messianic credentials, and He did not want these men to be a witness to the nation, Matthew 9:30b; Ibid.

g. However, these healed blind men then left Jesus and broadcast the news of their healing, Matthew 9:31.

2. Isaiah 35:4, 6 had predicted that the arrival of Israel’s God would be accompanied by the tongue of the dumb being released to sing. To validate His Messianic identity, Jesus performed His healing of a man who had been made dumb, unable to speak due to the presence of a demon in Matthew 9:32-34:

a. As Jesus and His disciples were leaving the house, a demon-possessed man who was made unable to speak because of the demon was brought to Him, Matthew 9:32; Ibid.

b. Jesus cast the demon out of the man, and the man spoke, causing the multitudes to marvel and claim, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel,” Matthew 9:33 NIV.

c. However, typical of their formerly established hardness of unbelief, the Pharisee leaders who heard of this miracle dismissed it in unbelief, saying, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons,” Matthew 9:34 NIV. Jesus’ effort to perform miracles privately was thus justified in view of this remark.

Lesson: Though He ceased performing miracles for the nation Israel due to their rejection of Him, Jesus healed two blind men and the demon-possessed dumb man in line with Messianic prophesies to individuals who believed.

Application: Regardless if others do not believe, may we trust that God will reward our faith in Him and His Word.