Matthew 8: Miracles of Jesus
After hearing Jesus’ message, why didn’t the people go home?
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Matthew 8:1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, a huge crowd followed him.
King James
Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
From what distance might a leper have heard Jesus speak? Where would the crowd be if the leper fell at Jesus’ feet?
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Matthew 8:2–4 A leper kneeled before him, begging. “Sir, you could make me well if you wanted to.”
“I want to.” Jesus touched him. “Be cleansed.”
Immediately, all signs of the leprosy disappeared.
“Do not tell anyone about this. Show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses. Your healing will become public record so you will no longer be regarded as a leper.”
King James
Matthew 8:2–4 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Why might the leper have thought Jesus might not want to heal him?
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Matthew 8:2–4 A leper kneeled before him, begging. “Sir, you could make me well if you wanted to.”
“I want to.” Jesus touched him. “Be cleansed.”
Immediately, all signs of the leprosy disappeared.
“Do not tell anyone about this. Show yourself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses. Your healing will become public record so you will no longer be regarded as a leper.”
King James
Matthew 8:2–4 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Why did a Roman officer think Jesus would be willing to heal his servant?
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Matthew 8:5–7 At Capernaum, a Roman officer sent a message to Jesus, pleading for help. “Sir, my young servant lies at home, paralyzed with intense pain.”
“I will go and heal the servant,” Jesus said.
King James
Matthew 8:5–7 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
When his rank commanded great respect, why would the Roman officer think he was unworthy of Jesus entering his house?
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Matthew 8:8–9 But the officer felt unworthy for Jesus to come. “I am not important enough for you to enter my house. Just give the order, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority. At my command under Caesar, my soldiers come and go and do exactly what I say.”
King James
Matthew 8:8–9 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
How much did the officer’s faith influence Jesus’ decision to heal the servant?
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Matthew 8:10 Jesus marveled at the message. To those following him, he said, “In all of Israel, I have never seen such faith.
8:13 He turned to the messengers. “You can go home now. As you have believed, so it will be.” At that moment, the servant was healed.
King James
Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Why did Jesus say many Israelites would be left in the darkness?
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Matthew 8:11–12 “I tell you, outsiders will come from everywhere to dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but many Israelites will be on the outside in the darkness, where there will be bitterness and weeping.”
King James
Matthew 8:11–12 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What kind of house do you think Peter owned?
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Matthew 8:14–15 When Jesus went to Peter’s home, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a burning fever. He went to her bedside and took her by the hand, and the fever left. At once, she got up and began to prepare dinner for them.
King James
Matthew 8:14–15 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
Why might people have brought the sick to Jesus after sunset, not earlier?
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Matthew 8:16–17 That evening, people brought many who were possessed by an evil spirit. With a few simple words, he commanded the evil spirits to leave and healed those who were sick. His actions fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah wrote long ago: Truly, he has taken our infirmities and carried our pain.
King James
Matthew 8:16–17 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
What insight did Jesus reveal when he said, “The Son of Man has no home where he can lay his head”?
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Matthew 8:18–20 Jesus saw how large a crowd had gathered around him and told his disciples to take him to the other side of the lake.
A teacher of the Law said to him, “Teacher, wherever you go I will follow.”
“Foxes have dens, and birds have nests,” Jesus said, “but the Son of Man has no home where he can lay his head.”
King James
Matthew 8:18–20 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
What did Jesus mean when he said, “Let the dead bury the dead”?
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Matthew 8:21–22 Another would-be follower said, “Sir, let me first go and care for my father until he dies.”
Jesus said, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”
King James
Matthew 8:21–22 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
With a storm coming, why did the disciples head out to sea?
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Matthew 8:23–24 Then he climbed into a boat with his twelve disciples. While he slept, a violent wind struck the lake and sent large waves crashing over the side.
King James
Matthew 8:23–24 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Under high winds and large waves crashing over the side of the boat, how could Jesus be sleeping?
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Matthew 8:24–25 While he slept, a violent wind struck the lake and sent large waves crashing over the side. His disciples woke him, shouting, “Sir, help us, or we are going to drown.”
King James
Matthew 8:24–25 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Why did the disciples think they were going to drown?
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Matthew 8:25 His disciples woke him, shouting, “Sir, help us, or we are going to drown.”
King James
Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Why did Jesus reprimand his disciples for their “weak faith”?
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Matthew 8:26–27 “Why are you so afraid? You have such weak faith.” Standing, Jesus ordered the wind and waves to be still. Suddenly, the wind died and the waters became calm.
The disciples looked at one another with amazement. “What sort of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
King James
Matthew 8:26–27 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Mark and Luke describe only man possessed by evil spirits, but Matthew mentions only one man? Why are the stories different, and what is correct?
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Matthew 8:28 After crossing the lake, Jesus came to the region of the Gadarenes, where two men possessed by evil spirits met him. They lived among the tombs and were so fierce that no man dared pass their way.
Mark 5:2 As Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit ran from the tombs to meet him.
Luke 8:27 As Jesus climbed out of the boat, he was met by a man from town who was possessed by evil spirits. For a long time, the man had been homeless and naked, living among the tombs.
King James
Matthew 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Mark 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Luke 8:27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
Why didn’t the demons cause the men to run away instead of speaking to Jesus?
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Matthew 8:29 “What do you want with us?” they screamed. “Jesus, Son of God, have you come to torment us before the appointed time?”
King James
Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
When the demons knew they would have to leave, why did they ask to enter the pigs?
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Matthew 8:30–31 In the distance, a large herd of pigs was feeding. “If you force us out,” the spirits said, “send us into the herd of pigs.”
King James
Matthew 8:30–31 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
Possessed by demons, why did the pigs stampede and drown?
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Matthew 8:32 “Go!” Jesus said.
So the evil spirits came out of the men and went into the pigs. Suddenly, the whole herd stampeded down the steep bank, plunged into the water, and drowned.
King James
Matthew 8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Why did the people ask Jesus to leave?
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Matthew 8:33 The herdsmen ran into the town and told what had happened, how the men had been delivered and the pigs were lost.
King James
Matthew 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.