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- Was the paralyzed man able to heal himself?
-No.
- Were the friends of the paralyzed man able to heal him?
-No.
- Was any doctor able to heal the paralyzed man?
-No.
- To whom did the men bring the paralyzed man?
-To Jesus.
- Who was the only One who was able to heal the paralyzed man?
-Jesus.
- Can any man forgive sin?
-No.
- Can a priest forgive sin?
-No.
- Why was Jesus able to forgive people their sins?
-Because Jesus is God.
- Why did Jesus have the authority to forgive sins?
-Because Jesus is God.
- What was Levi’s second name?
-Matthew.
- What was Matthew’s work when Jesus called him?
-Matthew was a tax collector.
-Matthew collected taxes for the Romans, taking the taxes from his own people, the Jews.
- Jesus told the Pharisees that healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.What did Jesus mean?
-Jesus meant that He did not come to save people who do not know that they are sick.
- Who did Jesus come to save?
-Jesus came to save only the people who know that they have sinned against God, and that only God can save them.
-One day, some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked to see a miraculous sign from Jesus.
Let’s read Matthew 12:38
38-Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
-Instead of believing the Word of God, what did the Pharisees and the teachers of the law want to see?
-They wanted to see a miraculous sign.
-Why did the Pharisees and the teachers of the law ask to see a miraculous sign?
-Had they not seen or heard that Jesus cast out demons from people?
-Yes.
-They saw.
-Had they not seen or heard of Jesus healing the man with leprosy?
-Yes.
-They saw.
-Had they not seen or heard of Jesus healing the paralyzed man?
-Yes.
-They saw.
-Had they not seen or heard that Jesus healed all who came to Him?
-Yes.
-They saw.
-Then why were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asking to see more miraculous signs?
-Because they did not believe that Jesus was God the Savior.
-Instead of believing in Jesus, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law only wanted to see miraculous signs.
-Instead of believing in the Word of God, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law only wanted to see miraculous signs.
-Do you remember how God showed the Israelites many miraculous signs, and they still did not believe?
-God sent the ten plagues on Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and the Israelites still did not believe.
-God drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, and the Israelites still did not believe.
-God sent quail and manna to the Israelites in the desert, and they still did not believe.
-Instead of believing in Jesus, many people only want to see miraculous signs.
-Will seeing miraculous signs save us?
-No.
-Only believing in Jesus the Savior will save us.
-If we say that we will believe in Jesus only when we see a miraculous sign, then what are we saying?
-That Jesus is a liar.
-If we say that we will believe that God’s Word is true only when we see a miraculous sign, then what are we saying?
-That God’s Word is a lie.
-What did Jesus reply to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law?
Let’s read Matthew 12:39
39-Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
-What did Jesus say?
-Jesus said that only wicked and adulterous people ask for a sign.
-What was the only sign that Jesus said He would give to the people?
-The sign of Jonah.
-What was the sign of Jonah?
Let’s read Matthew 12:40
40-Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
-What was the sign of Jonah?
-Just like Jonah was in the stomach of the big fish for three days and three nights, so Jesus also would be in the stomach of the earth for three days and three nights.
-Just like God brought Jonah out of the stomach of the big fish after three days and three nights, so God also would bring Jesus out of the stomach of the earth after three days and three nights.
-Jesus was telling the Pharisees and the teachers of the law that the sign of Jonah was the sign that He was God the Savior.
-What did Jesus then say to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law?
Let’s read Matthew 12:41
41-Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.”
-Jonah went to the wicked people of Nineveh and told them to repent of their sins or God would punish them.
-What did the people of Nineveh do?
-They listened to God’s Word that Jonah taught, and repented of their sins.
-Did the people of Nineveh know the promises of God that He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
-No.
-Did the people of Nineveh know the commandments of God that He gave to Moses?
-No.
-Did the people of Nineveh know of all of the miraculous signs that God did for the Israelites?
-No.
-Although the people of Nineveh knew none of these, they still repented of their sins when Jonah taught them.
-Now, one greater than Jonah was teaching the people to repent.
-Who was the One greater than Jonah?
-Jesus, God the Savior.
-How was Jesus greater than Jonah?
-Jonah was only a man, but Jesus was fully man and fully God.
-Although Jesus was God the Savior and Jonah was only a man, the Jews still refused to believe.
-Although Jesus’ teaching was greater than Jonah’s, the Jews still refused to believe.
-Although Jesus performed many miraculous signs which Jonah was not able to do, the Jews still refused to believe.
-Why did Jesus say that the Jews were more wicked than the people of Nineveh?
-Because the people of Nineveh repented at the teaching of Jonah, and the Jews did not repent at the teaching of Jesus, God the Savior.
-Although Jesus taught the Jews to repent and performed many miraculous signs, the Jews still refused to believe that He was God the Savior.